A midsummer festival named “Carnival of the Lake” was held on the Centennial Lagoon (Hokowhitu Lagoon), Palmerston North, January 17 – 20, 1964. A variety of activities ensured the public were well entertained during the four-day festival. In the photograph shows boys towing a ‘raft’ during a lull in the event. Note the gondola in the background. The Carnival of the Lake was organised by the Public Relations Organisation and held during Anniversary Weekend in 1963 and 1964.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Palmerston North 7th and 8th of January 1954. This image shows them standing at the back of a train, waving to the crowds who came to farewell them.

People, dressed in Japanese costumes, took part in a floral fete to raise funds for the Public Hospital in Palmerston North. Mr J A Nash is standing, fifth from the left in the back row. For an account of the event, see Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8801, 17 February 1909, Page 5. (Available online at paperspast.natlib.govt.nz)

In this photograph, pupils play sport outside Palmerston North Girls' High School. The school was opened in Fitzherbert Avenue in 1920. Previously girls and boys were educated together at Palmerston North High School.

"J" Battery was formed in 1911. This photograph was taken at Oringi Camp in 1913. The officers include Major Mounsey (centre front) and Lieutenant H M Garner.

This photograph shows two unidentified men transporting provisions by horseback, across the ford before "Black Ridge". Kahuterawa Valley is located near Palmerston North in the foot of the Tararua Ranges. One of the earliest European owners of the land was the Wellington - Manawatu Railway Company, which named the area the Fitzherbert Block. Originally the land had been granted to he company by the government in return for completing a railway from Wellington to Longburn. The Company sold the 20,000 acre valley for land settlement in 1885. During the early settlement and bush felling era, eight residences from a one room whare to three bedroom houses were built in the valley.

Adam Burges's Implement Works was situated on the corner of Rangitikei and Queen Streets, Palmerston North. Adam Burges established and operated the business 1892-1918. It was then run by his sons, Duncan and Alan, until 1942 when they closed and sold the property. From left: Jack Low; George Piercy, body builder; George Shannon, blacksmith; William (Billy) Fabling, blacksmith's striker; Harry Isaacs,blacksmith; George Kingsbeer,coach builder; Alan Burges (small boy); Adam Burges; George Bell (owned cordial factory on opposite corner of Rangitikei and Grey Streets)

The ficiticious Darktown Fire Brigade were supporting their Queen, Miss H Adair, and raising money for the Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Fire destroyed the cattle pavilion at the Showgrounds in Palmerston North in the early hours of 15 May. This photograph shows the destruction caused by the fire.

The Municipal Opera House of Palmerston North, designed by F J Wilson and built by J Trevor and Sons, was erected in 1904-1905 and opened 12 July 1905. In 1952 it was condemned unsafe by the Palmerston North City Council and was strengthened and remodelled both inside and out in 1955. It was sold by the PNCC to a businessman in 1996 and demolished.

Councillors at the meeting from left: M K M Wynks; Gordon A Brown (Chairman); Bernard J Forde; Joyce M Dunmore; J B Booth.

The buildings on Douglas Square from left to right are: Mrs Clarke's Transport Depot, Bakers shop, Baylis Shoe Shop and Tea Rooms. Behind the shoe shop is Gould's Drapers Shop.

This photograph shows a footbridge over the river associated with the power scheme workings. The Mangahao Power Station provides hydroelectric power and is situated near the town of Shannon. It serves Wellington, Horowhenua, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, and the Wairarapa. After being delayed by the first world war construction began in late 1919 and the station opened in November 1924.

Messrs Wilfred and Leroy Henson state that these reapers and binders were owned by their father “John Henson” and were photographed on his farm on Penny’s Line, Mount Stewart. The driver of the machine on the far right appears to be Wilfred Henson.

William Westcombe Corpe (1836 - 1923) was one of the pioneers of the dairy industry in the Manawatu. He arrived in the Feilding district about 1881 and was a sawmiller for some years before constructing a butter and cheese factory at Makino, near Feilding. Mr. Corpe was making butter by 1887 and continued in the industry until 1903, when he sold to Joseph Nathan and Co Ltd. of Wellington. Makino is a dairy farming area near Feilding. The employees are unidentified and W W Corpe is thought to be the man standing second from left.

The newly built Turitea Dam was officially declared open by the Mayoress, who cut the ribbon. After inspecting the dam the party were given afternoon tea. In July 1888, the Palmerston North Borough Council accepted a scheme to bring water from the Tiritea Stream to the city at a cost of £18,350. The contractors were Coates and Metcalf of Hamilton. This original dam was situated seven miles east of Palmerston North and the water was piped first to a reservoir on Tiritea Hill and then to the city over the Fitzherbert Bridge. The second dam was constructed in 1906-1907 and then was raised in height (shown here) and re-opened on 17th February 1913, submerging the original dam. The present dam was constructed in 1957.

A severe storm which crossed the North Island on 2 February 1936 caused substantial damage in and around Palmerston North, one of the hardest hit towns. Houses lost roofs, chimneys were blown over, the grandstands of the A&P Association, the Awapuni Racecourse and the sportsground were demolished, and a man was killed when he was blown off his roof as he tried to repair it. This photograph shows the damage to the Main Stand at Awapuni Racecourse. The Manawatu Evening Standard (3/02/1936) described the aftermath: "During the storm on Feb 2, the main grandstand, which faced a southerly direction, was unroofed for its entire length. Pieces of wood and iron sheets were scattered in all directions. Toward the western end of the man stand, part of the roof caved in and lay in tangled and twisted wreckage. The seating suffered comparatively little damage"

The “Matsubara” homestead of Mr G H Aldrich was located two miles out of Bunnythorpe, on the Bunnythorpe – Ashhurst road. The homestead was built about 1888 and destroyed by a fire in the late 1910s.

Mr Alex McDonald is driving the tractor and Mr "Snow" Stewart is spraying. They were sealing the reconstructed road between Foxton and Foxton Beach.

Bunnythorpe is a small community near Palmerston North. The Glaxo factory, seen left, was opened there in October 1904 and was operated by Joseph Nathan and Co. of Palmerston North. In 1920 the name was changed to the “Glaxo Manufacturing Company”. Then in 1937, it became “Glaxo Laboratories”. The name” Glaxo” was registered in 1914 as the trade name of the products of the company.

A group of senior pupils of the Technical School, that later became Queen Elizabeth College.

This photograph shows a group of women at an unknown civic reception. Back row, from left: Unknown; Mrs G. Tremain, Mayoress 1947 – 1956; Unknown x 2; Lady Oram, wife of Sir M H Oram, MP for Palmerston North 1943 – 1957; Unknown x 6. Front Row: Mrs F. J. Nathan, Mayoress 1923 – 1924; Mrs A.E. Mansford, Mayoress 1931 – 1947.

This photographs shows the flood waters on the "Main Road" (now State Highway 57), near the junction with Kara Road outside Shannon.

This is the third site of the Central School. There were four main incarnations of Central School - the Original School (corner of Main and Princess Streets, 1873-1890), Campbell Street School (1890-1922), Central School (Featherston Street, built 1922), Central Normal School (became a practice school for teachers college students in 1956).

A burst water main on the street caused flooding in the Palmerston North Municipal Library. This library building was built by the City Council on the corner of Fitzherbert Avenue and The Square, on the site of the Occidental hotel which was destroyed by fire. It opened in 1929. The Library was originally housed upstairs and offices and shops occupied the Ground Floor. In the late 1950s the library expanded downstairs.

The photograph was taken on Opawe Road, about one mile from the junction with Pohangina Valley East Road. The photograph is one of a series showing the supply of railway sleepers. The sleepers were cut from Crown Land (part of the Totara Reserve) to the right of the photograph and the wagon is about to transport them to the Ashhurst Railway Station. The men supplying the sleepers lived in the tents seen on the right of the photograph.

This photograph shows a large crowd at the winter meeting at the Awapuni Racecourse. The decision to begin race meetings in Palmerston North was made at a meeting of sportsmen in October 1880. D H McArthur was to be President. The first race couse was situated at the end of Park Road and met there from July 1883 until 1903 when the Awapuni Race course was brought into commission (due to erosion at the previous site). A branch railway was laid in 1905 to carry patrons from Palmerston North to the race course.

Shown here is the paddling pool in the Esplanade, paid for by the Returned Servicemen’s Association and presented to the children of Palmerston North in 1937. The paddling pool was presented to the children of Palmerston North by the local Returned Servicemen's Association branch, in 1937. It was built in the shape of an RSA badge, with art deco features.

A double photograph of the King Edward VII Memorial Fountain, often referred to as the Coronation Fountain. The monument was built to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward 7 August of 1902, but plaques were also added to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Borough of Palmerston North in 1902 and the conferring of city status on Palmerston North in 1930. It was originally sited in the middle of The Square but has been moved twice and now sits near the corner of Broadway and The Square. This view is from its original position and is looking from The Square Gardens up Rangitikei Street.

Shown here is the second gasworks, built by the Palmerston North Borough Council and opened 21 December 1923. The original gasworks were opened in 1889 on the corner of Cook and Main Streets. The Napier Road coal-based Gasworks went out of operation on November 1970, when Palmerston North was connected to a pipeline from the Kapuni gas field, Taranaki.