Official record of the New Zealand International Exhibition of Arts ...

SEW ZEUSD ESHIBITIOS.
bell's report to the Governor on the Banks P e n ' d i ~ ~
inemorial of the pt, either in manuscript or in printed forni. all esceet%ql$ valuable
material for the future historian of the Canterbq Settlemeat. All these docunlentil
had been stored. half forgotten, in a room of the old Provincial Council Chambers, nor
the Governeat Departmental Buildings. Mr. Johaniies C. ,Andemen, of the Crown
Lands Department in Christehurch. had diligeiitlc sorted then1 out from amongst lnuch
\\.orthless material, with the result that many valuable documents were lodged in the
Christchurrh Public Libraq-, while some of the most importa~~t n-ere shown ill these cases
at the Exhibition prior to being give11 a pernlalleilt resting-ldace \\-here they \\-ill Le
preserved from neglect and decay.
Other exhibits of historical interest included the first SpeakerSs chair used in the
old Canterbury Provincial Council. and the first copy of the Lyttelton Tiiim, published
on the 11th January, 1851.
AUROA. Bah-KS PENINS~LA.
Of particular value, both fro111 a picturesque vies-point and historictally, was the
seetioil of the h'orth Canterbury Court devoted to products. pictures, iiidels, aiid
historic relics associated \\-ith Akaroa and Ba~ilrs Peninsula pilerally.
A
Besides the saii~ples of the Peh~da's solid dair+g aiid agcul-
Picture-land
and
tural wealth in the fonn of prime butter and big cheeses, aird the
rocksfoot-,pas-seed crop that brings its settlers in huudrrds of
thousa~ids of pounds ailnuall?--for Akaroa supplies a large proportioii
of the I\-orl's supj,lv of cocksfoot-seed--there \\-ere a itu~nl~r of eshihits that reiiilllded
oiie of the ilnporta~it place the Fe~liilsula occupied in the early hi5tor:- of Kt-\\. 7,calaud.
First of all. to sire a good idea of the shape and situation of this remarkabl~- intercstiug
scrtioil of tlic C'uiiteribuqr Proriiice. there 1- a relief inodel of the Peninsul~.
with its muiiy pairs alrd inanj- bays : and the \\.rlls \\-ere hull= with photorraphs of
.Ikaron aud'surrouildiiig parts. Baldis Peiuilsula is the loft. aird broke11 islalrd-like
1-olcatlic k~rob that projects sea\r-ards 11ia11?- milw fro111 the Caiiterb~ir~- Plai~is : a land of
level- and \-aried yrel1er.r. Imutifully greetl, diversified with cascading moulltain-streants,
\\.c,od?- valle.rs. si~iplarl~ shaped rhyolitic peah, and quiet sheltered bays. ,4karoa,
the nletroplis of the Peniilsula. is a t7er!- pr~tty tom1 on the shores of s splendid
harbour, the hst oil the east coast of the South Island. -4 beautiful little town it is, and
historic ; feu- places ill Set\- 7ale11d arc so redoleiit of the antique.
Tl~rough th.: efforts of
Nr. Eticilitc Le Licrrc.
Mayor of Akaroa-o so11
of oile of thc pioilecr
P r c n c h s?tt:ors - a1.d
vther rasideilts patriotica!!y
co~weriled with throiilalltic
past of their
beautifu! town. an eshibit
of partirdar illterest
n-as sent out b~the
British Adluira!t!-.
from the Ro?-a1 Arscna!
at Woo!wich. for disp!ay
in the Bew Zslai d Exhibition.
This consisted
of an old-fashioned ship's
cannon -a smooth-bore