taken fron the EVENING POST 18 December 1939
"DAY OF MEMORIES"
- I have made additions to the original -

The anniversary of Canterbury, the day of the founding of the province, was celebrated at the Canterbury reception room in the Dominion Court on Saturday afternoon, when the manager of the Canterbury Court, Mr Charles Hovenden CLIBBORN (1880-1965), the Canterbury hostesses, Miss Mona HULEY and Miss Bea WERRY, and Canterbury's official hosts for the week, Mr and Mrs R. T. McMILLAN, Irwell, held an informal reception.

Forty Canterbury people signed the visitos' book. Among those present at the reception were;
Dr and Mrs REDMAN, Marlborough
Mrs MOORE, Northland Court
Misses M. BENN and M. BRIGHT, Taranaki Court
Mis M. MALONEY, Otago
Messrs S. W. STREET, Nelson
J. J. W. POLLARD, South Island Travel Association
Gavin McKAY, Southland
J. O. COOP, Atahua
E. A. GALILEE, Hamner
A. E. BALLARD, Christchurch
Miss M. HOWES, Albury
R. G. FISHER, Temuka
Mr and Mrs MEAKIN, Christchurch

The celebration took the form of a "Day of Memories". Covering the history of Banks Peninsula and Canterbury, Mr CLIBBORN recalled how Captain COOK in February, 1770, sailed past Banks Island, after the botanist Sir Joseph BANKS, who was on board. The true nature of the "island" was discovered by Captain S. CHASE, who visited it in H.M.S. Pegasus in 1809, and explored Lyttelton and Akaroa. Later Captain WISEMAN traded to Canterbury on behalf of the firm of Cooper an Levy, Sydney and named the east and west arms of Lyttelton Harbour Port Levy an Port Cooper respectively after hs employers.

The first Canterbury settlers, said Mr CLIBBORN, were:
Joseph PRICE (1829)
the whaler George HEMPLEMAN (1837)
Captain William Barnard RHODES (1835)
the DEAN brothers of Riccarton
and Messrs Ebenezer HAY and Captain SINCLAIR of Pigeon Bay

The main body of pioneers, organised by the Canterbury Association, arrived by six vessels between December 1850 and February 1851. The ships were the "Sir George Seymour", 850 tons, "Charlotte Jane", 730 tons, "Randolph", 761 tons, "Cressy", 20 tons, "Castle Eden", 930 tins, and "Isabella Hercus", 618 tons. The numbers of passengers aboard the ships were resepectively 213, 151, 211, 216, 207, and 151. The first four-named got away from England first with a total of 791 pssengers and were now referred to as the first four ships. The "Charlotte Jane" was the first to arrive, at 10 a.m. on December 16, 1850

John Robert GODLEY, agent of the Canterbury Association and the founder of Canterbury, arrived on April 12 by the "Lady Nugent" and, with the Governor, Sir George GREY and Lady GREY, welcomed the pilgrims
Altogether the Canterbury Association chartered 27 vessels to transport the pioneers.
Dr REDMAN, Blenheim, also spoke

HISTORY of the CANTERBURY REGION

Visit the site, EARLY CANTERBURY for stories and many old photos

PHOTO
The aisle of the Christchurch Cathedral commemorated the English and Anglican origins of Canterbury with these romanticised images of the ?first four ships? ? the Randolph, Cressy, Sir George Seymour and Charlotte Jane
... photo taken from the above site 'Early Canterbury'