Local History

Articles and books pertaining to the history of Palmerston North and surrounding areas.

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Totaranui Herb Garden, Manawatū Museum

The Totaranui Herb Garden was opened in early 1981 to give visitors an idea about what pioneer gardens might have looked like. This booklet includes a list of some of the native and introduced fauna found in the area that could be foraged for medi...

Creator:      Manawatu Museum
Date:          1981

A Brief History of the Opiki Flax Industry (1902-1919)

A Brief History of the Opiki Flax Industry (1902-1919), compiled by Ian Matheson on the occasion of the closing of the Opiki Toll Bridge, 22 November 1969.

The document includes information pertaining to the Makerua Swamp, the flax fibre market, ...

Creator:      Ian Matheson
Place:          Opiki
Date:          November 22, 1969

Manawatū Roll of Honour 2014 - 2018

This alphabetical list encompasses new research that collates the names of all Manawatū connected deaths during World War I, as can be best ascertained.

The list was compiled from Manawatū War Memorials and Rolls of Honour based on the original M...

Creator:      Christine Clements
Place:          Manawatū
Date:          2019

Old Manawatu

Written by T Lindsay Buick, and sub titled The Wild Days of the West. A history of the Manawatū area, through to 1903 when it was first published. Much of the content is first hand accounts. Chapters entitled: The Land of the Rangitāne; The Second...

Creator:      T. Lindsay Buick
Date:          1903

The Houses of Bernard Cox

Bernard Cox (1905 - 1970) was a Palmerston North architect. The houses designed by Cox are important as examples of modernism, a major twentieth century movement that revolutionised the way houses are designed and constructed and which expressed t...

Creator:      Margaret Tate - Manawatu Branch of New Zealand Histroic Places Trust
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          May 2001

From Swamp To City

Official souvenir, commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Palmerston North. The illustrated book was compiled by Robert H Billens and H Leslie Verry and the Organiser was H E Taylor, under the auspices of the Diamond Jubilee of Palmerston North and ...

Creator:      Billens and Verry
Date:          1937

Palmerston North Houses 1880 - Present Day

Styles included in this booklet, published by the Planning Department of the Palmerston North City Council City in 1986, are: Cottages (1880-1890), Square Villas (1890-1905), Bay Villas (1900-1910), Late Villas/Early Bungalows (1910-1920), Bu...

Creator:      Palmerston North City Council
Date:          1986

Palmerston North City Council History

A brief history of the development of the local authority that has administered Palmerston North since 1877 - Palmerton North Borough Council 1877-1930 and Palmerston North City Council 1930 onwards. Ian Matheson, City Archivist, created a series ...

Creator:      Ian Matheson
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1990

Brief history of the Establishment of Palmerston North

Palmerston North was surveyed and opened for settlement in 1866. Ian Matheson, City Archivist, created a series of manuscripts on the local history of Palmerston North in the course of his work.

Creator:      Ian Matheson
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1980 to circa 1989

Palmerston North CBD heritage Audit

This document was created to prepare an audit of buildings of architectural/historical significance within the Palmerston North Central Business District in 1993. It gives a brief overview of the history of Palmerston North with an analysis o...

Creator:      Ian Bowman and Mark Kelly, for PNCC
Date:          1993

Early Rugby in the Manawatu – Lecture Notes

Clive Akers gave one of the talks during Local History Week 2008 at the Palmerston North City Library. Due to technical problems the talk was not recorded but the speaker kindly provided their notes so these have been provided instead. The notes i...

Creator:      Clive Akers
Place:          Manawatū
Date:          April 10, 2008

Bradbury's Illustrated Series No. XI: Manawatu and Rangitikei Districts

The front of this illustrated guide to the Manawatu and Rangitikei districts reads,

Palmerston North, Feilding, Hunterville, Ashhurst, Foxton, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, Plimmerton, Marton, Bulls, Sanson, Shannon, Levin, Otaki, Titahi Bay.

Dairyin...

Creator:      Bradbury and Co.
Place:          Manawatū, Kāpiti, Wellington and Rangitikei
Date:          circa 1925

Palmerston North CBD Heritage Inventory

This is a companion volume to the Palmerston North Heritage Audit (found at 2016Pa_PNCC78-32-11_013394). The study identified buildings of architectural/historical significance within the Palmerston North Central Business Distr...

Creator:      Ian Bowman and Mark Kelly, for PNCC
Date:          1993

Russell Street – Brian Mather Historical Lectures

A series of articles on the history of Russell Street and surrounding areas in Palmerston North. It includes a history of the Russell Street School. This was originally written as background for lectures delivered to the public.

Creator:      Brian Mather
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          2006

'Aviation - Life and Times'

Manuscript written by Doug Turner of Palmerston North. Doug Turner , born 1931, has spent most of his life in the Manawatu area, and developed an interest in aviation at an early age. He describes his time in the Air Training Corp., through w...

Creator:      Douglas Turner
Date:          2013

"Awahou School Cententary 1894-1994: A History of the Pohangina Valley"

Manuscript of "Awahou School Cententary 1894-1994: A History of the Pohangina Valley" by Lois Hall, published in 1994. it was produced by the Awahou School's Centenary Committee.

The book covers chapters on: Setting the Scene; First Footsteps; Ge...

Creator:      Lois Hall for Awahou School's Centenary Committee
Place:          Pohangina Valley
Date:          1995

The House that Quality and Value Built: The C. M. Ross Co. Ltd story

A book written to commemorate 80 years of the Rosco building, charting the history of the C M Ross Company, and the building, built by the company in 1927-1928.

In 1883 Charles Ross bought the Bon Marche in Palmerston North and began trading as a...

Creator:      Lesley Courtney, for the Palmerston North City Library
Place:          4 The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          2008

A Brief History of Palmerston North

A short history of the city of Palmerston North and the local area, from inception to 2000.

Creator:      Palmerston North City Council
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          2008

Palmerston North War Memorial

Brief notes on the War Memorial, built 1926 in The Square of Palmerston North, and of resources held at the Ian Matheson City Archives

Creator:      Palmerston North City Council
Place:          Palmerston North

Council and Community: 125 Years of Local Government in Palmerston North 1877-2002

Local history of Palmerston North's development, from the establishment of the Borough of Palmerston North to 2002. Includes information on the area in pre european times and from inception of a town to open up the Manawatu.

Creator:      Ian Matheson
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          2003

‘Mather Papers: Horses’

Brian Mather delivered a series of lectures to the Palmerston North History Study Group from 1991 - 2005. 'Horses' was one of those lectures, with supplementary material provided by Garry O'Neill and Colin Rush. The book was published by the Palme...

Creator:      Brian Mather
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          2006

Some Placenames of Rangitikei – Manawatu – Horowhenua

This manuscript lists the meanings of some local place names. Ian Matheson, City Archivist, created a series of manuscripts on Local History in the course of his work. To view the full item, please click the download link.

Creator:      Ian Matheson - Palmerston North City Council
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1982

‘The Birth of Palmerston North’

A 100 page full size supplement to the Evening Standard newspaper published as part of Palmerston North's Centenary celebrations, marking 100 years since the arrival of pakeha settlers to Palmerston North. Covers a wide range of subjects related t...

Creator:      Manawatu Evening Standard
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          March 13, 1971

An Indeterminate Sentence. the Shannon Objector Camps 1942–1946

An article about Whitaunui and Paiaka camps for conscientious objectors during WWII, officially called military defaulter camps. The article is illustrated with images of camp life at the time.

This article was originally published in the 2016 "...

Creator:      Margaret Tate
Place:          Near Shannon, Horowhenua
Date:          2016