Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The Remote Area Power Supply Systems (or RAPS) project in the late 1990s aimed to establish a small-scale independent energy system capable of powering a family home in a remote location. The article describes how this specific project for a property in the Kahuterawa Valley grew into an extended programme setting up the growth of this alternative energy industry in New Zealand.

The Palmerston North Rotary Club formed in 1904. These annual summaries cover 22 years, from year ending 1999:
1998 – 1999: Follow Your Rotary Dream, President Vern J Chettleburgh
1999 – 2000: Rotary 2000: Act With Consistency, Credibility, Continuity, President Ian D Rowden
2000 – 2001: Create Awareness – Take Action, President Richard O Hay
2001 – 2002: Mankind Is Our Business, President Stuart C Schwartz
2002 – 2003: Sow the Seeds of Love, President John Livingstone
2003 – 2004: Lend A Hand, President Maureen Ax-Doolan
2004 – 2005: Celebrate Rotary, President Olga Barrett
2005 – 2006: Service Above Self, President G. J. Martin Townend
2006 – 2007: Lead the Way, President W Ian Cruden
2007 – 2008: Rotary Shares, President Stuart C Schwartz
2008 – 2009: Make Dreams Real, President John Freebairn
2009 – 2010: The Future of Rotary Is in Your Hands, President Ken S Milne
2010 – 2011: Building Communities – Bridging Continents, President Bessy Rasmussen
2011 – 2012: Reach Within to Embrace Humanity, President David Jopson
2012 – 2013: Peace Through Service, President Garry R Goodman
2013 – 2014: Engage Rotary – Change Lives, President Lyn G Gregg
2014 – 2015: Light Up Rotary, President David Petre
2015 – 2016: Be A Gift to the World, President Morva Croxson
2016 – 2017: Rotary Serving Humanity, President Ron Schalkwijk
2016 – 2017: Rotary Making a Difference, President Bruce Wilson
2018 – 2019: Be the Inspiration, President G. J. Martin Townend
2021 – 2022: Serve to Change Lives, President Liam Hehir

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The history of Wellington anniversary day and a case for celebrating Palmerston North anniversary separatedly.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The earliest that Pākehā women arrived in Palmerston North was believed to be in 1866, when some travelled through totara forest from Foxton. Although Louisa Snelson has been recognised as the third Pākehā women in Palmerston North in 1873, a group of Scandinavian women came before her. This article tells the immigration story of these earliest Scandanavian settlers. It also includes the stories of Lydia Burr née Hoskins, Matilda Perrin née Montgomery, Louisa Snelson, Sarah Linton née Kibblewhite and Harriette Cole née Durrant.

Manawatū Standard article about the 1981 Springboks tour and the role protesters played in the anti-our movement. The Springboks vs All Blacks game on 1 August 1981 in Palmerston North was marred by protest, conflict between rugby supporters, anti-tour protesters and the police. Thousands of people demonstrated, clashing with rugby supporters in several locations. National anti-tour protest groups Hart and Mast organised local protest marchers. The showgrounds were barricaded with large containers and fences topped with barbed wire to keep out opposition to the game.

The game was attended by more than 20,000 spectators. It was a close game, won by the visitors 31-19.

Many felt the game should not have gone ahead. A week earlier, the game in Hamilton had been stopped by protesters marching on the rugby field. Police wanted no repeat of a stopped game. Those opposed to the tour included activist Penny Poutu, local councillors, local All Black Bob Burgess, and unionist Roger Middlemass.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Stephen Berg recalls the tensions in Palmerston North between rugby supporters and anti- Springbok tour protesters, July and August 1981.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The story of the dog Tiger, a great dane, mascot of the Māori Battalion during World War 2. Tiger was the companion dog of Captain Harding Waipuke Leaf (Ngā Puhi). Tiger stayed in New Zealand when Captain Leaf departed for service overseas. Sadly he died in Crete in 1941.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The Hokowhitu Transit camp was a temporary housing initiative by council and government 1945-1959. Post World World 2, the government was challenged with a housing crises nationwide as soldiers returned from service abroad. The camp houses were made up from former army huts, surplus after the war. These were established on the site later occupied by Teachers' College. It was a community, a social housing response to meet the shortage of suitable housing for young families.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Life story of Helen Urquhart, later Helen Zander (1905-1994). Born in Scotland, Helen was one of about 4500 British domestic servants who were sponsored free passage to travel to New Zealand in the 1920s.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Special "Regent Street" London made street lights celebrated both the Palmerston North centennial and Christmas in 1970. The lights were hung in Broadway Avenue, Rangitikei Street and in the streets around Te Marae o Hine/The Square. The lights were displayed each festive season until 1975.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The oldest part of Terrace End Cemetery is called Public Reserve Number 1 and dates back to 1875. There are only a handful of headstones and plaques in this large flat area of the cemetery. It is believed that up to 2000 people are interred here. Most are unidentified people who could not afford a marked plot and includes the remains of stillborn babies, infants and children.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. The collection of shops and houses between St Mary's Church and number 89 Ruahine Street holds special memories for many citizens. In the 1950s and 1960s, there has been a dairy, a cakeshop, a coffee shop, a haberdashery, a butcher and a hairdresser on this block opposite the hospital.
Christopher's Hairstylists, owned by "Mr Christopher" Paskins occupied number 89 Ruahine Street for many years. Today, Georgies Wigs and Hair Design lease the front shop space, whilst the back is a residential home.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. This article marks the 10th anniversary of Palmerston North Library's heritage archive going digital. It started in 2008 with the launch of Pataka Ipurangi/Manawatū Memory Online, a project to digitise photos held in the Ian Matheson Community archives. By 2016 the technology had become outdated and was replaced with the interactive Manawatū Heritage website. A much wider range of materials was able to be added. The website now includes maps, plans, photo albums, film and oral history interviews. The site can be accessed from all over the world on a digital device for finding, downloading and sharing most of the content.

The library's Heritage team encourages contributions of local history material from the public and also welcomes additional information about material already published on Manawatū Heritage.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. Background stories of some of the graves at the historic Terrace End cemetery on Napier Road. One of the oldest remaining headstones is that of Meritini Te Panau, who died in 1888. She was the wife of Kerei Te Panau (died 1908, age 103), a prominent Rangitāne kaumatua. Also buried here are Palmerston North's first mayor and his wife, George and Louisa Snelson.

The Napier Road cemetery is the burial grounds for almost 10,000 people. The land for the cemetery was gifted by Rangitāne in 1875. A new cemetery in Kelvin Grove was opened in 1927 and the older cemetery has been closed for many years. However the descendants of those buried at the Terrace End cemetery can be buried with their relatives if there is room.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. Local history enthusiast Graeme Liggins shares an album of historical images of buses used in and around Palmerston North and the Manawatū. The photos date from the 1950s and 1960s, a time when not every family owned a car and many people were dependant on the bus service.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. A snapshot of life in Palmerston North in December 1953. The city was looking forward to a visit from the new Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Local History Week and History Month this year is inspired by the whakatuakī (proverb) "Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua".
Fifty local history organisations and enthusiasts responded to the City Library's Heritage team invitation to contribute to a rich programe of historic whenua (land) related events and activities. More than 80 activities will be held during March. This article outlines a programme that highlights the history of the Manawatū and Palmerston North. Talks, tours and workshops are mostly free to attend. The popular programme, co-ordinated by the Palmerston North City Library, has been held annually since 2008.

This photograph shows Reginald Bridewell (Reg), Master Baker, with his bakery van outside the business's first address on the corner of Main Street and Victoria Avenue, around 1935. Reg was the original owner of this family business. Not long after the photograph was taken, the bakery moved to 487 Main Street (later renumbered 729 Main Street, one of several Terrace End shops) where it remained operating until the 1980s.

This image shows a collection of objects pertaining to Reginald (Reg) Bridewell, Master baker, the original owner of Bridewell's Bakery.

The medals were awarded to Reg from London for Best Loaf of Bread 1919, 1921 and 1924. The photograph shows Reg with his bakery van outside the business's first address on the corner of Main Street and Victoria Avenue, around 1935. Not long after this photograph was taken, the bakery moved to 487 Main Street (later renumbered 729 Main Street, one of several Terrace End shops) where it remained operating until the 1980s.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard. History of the A-MU-C-UM (pronounded "A Musuem" or "Amuse-um"), a collection of mechanical and static museum displays. When publicly displayed, it attracted large crowds in the 1970's and was reported to be one of the best attractions of its type in New Zealand.
Dating back to 1928, Erland McKay Patterson's hobby was building miniature mechanical clowns. The collection of miniature circus objects, fairytale figures and animated scenes grew to thousands. It was displayed around the city and on special occasions, including the 1971 centenary celebrations. It was housed for many years at 280 Church Street (now Centrepoint Theatre) until 1974, when the building was sold. Finding a new home for the large collection was a problem, and it disappeared from public view.
In 2012, A-MU-C-UM was acquired by the Feilding Rotary Club. After many hours of voluntary restoration work, the historic collection was again on public display at the Feilding Christmas cave.

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. The story of Cuba Street and surrounding streets from Palmerston North's early days. The street was on the original Palmerston town plan. Its commercial heyday was arguably in the first half of the 20th century, when it was predicted that it could rival Te Marae o Hine/The Square in importance. However, this importance did not endure and Cuba Street is now mostly used as the main route leading to the Showgrounds.