Leadership 

When Lord Plunket arrived in his motor car at Tuahiwi pa on 27 April 1905 he was greeted by an escort of 11 men on horseback. The car was then escorted to the pa by four of the party wearing “a striking combination of modern khaki uniform and flaming Māori regalia” according to ‘The Press’ newspaper. Photographers from the Canterbury Times and the Weekly Press were there to capture this striking moment, which was steeped in politics. Ngāi Tahu made its first claim against the Crown for breach of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1849, arguing they had not been paid a fair price for their land, had been blocked from food gathering sites and been let down on many other promises. They raised these concerns to Lord Plunket on that sunny day in April. Over a century later, Christchurch artist Nathan Pohio was struck by photographs from this day while browsing the Canterbury Museum collection. He used one of the images for a billboard-sized artwork that travelled the world and then came home to a permanent spot in Little Hagley Park on the western edge of central Christchurch. Ngāi Tahu eventually settled their claim in 1998 after 149 years of tireless campaigning.

Rugby hero Reuben Thorne wore this jersey during the 2004 season when Canterbury won the national provincial championship. It was one of many career highlights for the Christchurch born rugby player. Two years earlier, Thorne captained the Crusaders through an unprecedented campaign. They won the title and were the first Super Rugby team to win every game in a season. When Thorne was inducted into the Crusaders Hall of Fame earlier this year, his teammate Sam Broomhall described Thorne as ‘a man of few words’. “He embodies the qualities of a true leader, quiet yet commanding, humble yet resolute and calm under pressure.”

These are not just any old tramping boots. They belonged to a New Zealand climbing pioneer. Gladys Adams was one of the first European women to reach the peak of five mountains in the isolated and rugged ranges of South Westland during March 1935. Gladys scaled Mt Gordon and Mt Dechen on the first day of hiking, then Mt Gow the next day and Mt Mathers and Mt Matheson on the third day. Just getting to the climbing area was a challenge. Gladys travelled by train, plane and horseback, trekked for 7 hours and spent 3 days trapped by rain in a rock bivouac just to reach the start of the climbing. The following year, Gladys went to Europe and worked for the Red Cross during the Spanish Civil War. On her way back to New Zealand, she visited Kenya where she climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and shot and skinned a python.