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Beverley Bolland ‘Farewell Breakfast’ Speech – 20 July 2025
Transcript of the speech given by our President, Beverley Bolland, at the lunch which was held to celebrate the ’30th July 1850 Farewell Breakfast in Blackwell, London’
We are celebrating today 175 years of settlement in Canterbury by the early Settlers and Pilgrims who came to start a new colony here in New Zealand. A Farewell Breakfast that was held in 1850 on board the ship Randolph in the East India Docks, Blackwall, just before it sailed, along with the Cressy, the Sir George Seymour and Charlotte Jane to New Zealand with the first of the Settlers for the new colony. It was to be based on the English system where everyone knew their place in society and worshiped in the Church of England.
Their minds and souls were to be taken care of by several ministers of the Anglican faith who sailed with them, something that must have been a great comfort. It is daunting to leave all that is familiar behind and start afresh in a new land, something that still applies to today’s immigrants. It takes courage.
This was the dream, it was as Robert Godley put it the colours of a Utopia. However being a practical man and later coloniser, and seeing how things were managed in fact, reality soon set in and he realised that being a pioneer was quite different. Adjustments and compromises were made. It wasn’t long before some of their lofty ideas were ignored by the Settlers, who struck out to start a new life on their own terms and land owners. Yet when he left two years later he did not regret nor was ashamed of the ideals of the scheme.
Those early original Pilgrims and Settlers having sailed to the other side of the world on a promise of a better life, then, having walked up the Bridle Path gazed with trepidation at the empty sweep of flat plains set out in front of them, all with a backdrop of Mountains. For a few it was a great adventure, for some an investment but for most it was for a better life for their family.
Those first four ships were but the start of many small ships of immigrants all arriving in Lyttelton up until 1876.
Our ancestors were not the first settlers in Canterbury, sealers and whalers, Maori and of course the French were getting a toe hold on Banks Peninsular. The Deans were here and had established themselves at Riccarton and were making a solid farming life there.
The local Maori tribes were still recovering from the depredations of Te Raupraha at Kaiapoi Pa. But by 1850 they were slowly returning. The local tribes were accomplished dealers; some had intermarried with Europeans and could converse in English. This was all to the benefit of both settlers and Maori, friendships were forged on both sides and certainly their knowledge in exploration of this land was respected by Europeans.
As we look back at 175 years of settlement here in Christchurch, a place we now call home, we can see the great strides that have been taken. The visions of the original Founding Fathers are still there. Christchurch is now a multi-cultural vibrant city of around 405,000 people. It is seen as a good place to live and have a family. The parks and gardens that were originally set out in the city plan have been enhanced and increased; there are little pocket parks all over the city. The foresight of those original Settlers still shines through.
While the earthquakes caused a lot of the old original stone buildings to be demolished, a few have been repaired and brought up to new standards. The Canterbury Museum being one of those with whom we still have a close connection with.
As a result we have a new central city and it is good to see that the new laneways have carried on the sense of ‘place’. While a lot of it seems to be ‘new’ even 15yrs later, plantings will settle in and grow, hopefully we will once again become known as the Garden City. The central city has retained its walkability. Who knows maybe in 100 years time our descendants will admire our foresight in planting trees.
As you stand on the Port Hills now and look across the plains you see the big changes that have occurred further out, gone are the pockets of native bush, small holdings of buildings have morphed into towns, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Rolleston, Lincoln to name a few. Large sheep stations have been sold over the years and turned into different productive units as times and families have become changed.
The Founding Fathers of this city who came here to settle and provide a new life for their families would be astounded to see what has been achieved, much of the central city street grid plan has been retained, the rail tunnel to Lyttelton a magnificent feat of engineering in its day is still functioning, albeit with commercial traffic for the Port and the Port of Lyttelton has become a bustling place bursting with overseas shipping imports and exports as well as tourists cruises. The name Radley Square is almost unheard of now but we all know it as Cathedral Square and the half rebuilt Cathedral would certainly looked familiar to those at the turn of the century who were still alive. Christ College shows that we still place a high value on education in this City as planned for by the original settlers. those original core values are still upheld by their descendants.
Our early Councillors were forward looking, unafraid to have building designs that were cutting edge in their day, the Municipal Chambers that have just been restored after the earthquakes is one, it was quite controversial at the time. This still continues today with our current Council. As they say the only constant is Change.
It still astonishes me that 175 years later I can see memories of those original Pilgrims here in this room today, old and familiar names are still here in this City, still carrying their family names forward as we honour them today for their foresight and vision for us.
Not everything went according to the original vision but as Robert Godley said “I am quite sure that without the enthusiasm, the poetry, the unreality (if you will) with which our scheme was overlaid, it would never have been accomplished”
It would be interesting to see what else is achieved in the next 175 years. Or in my case the next 5 years
Welcome
It gives me great pleasure today to welcome you all here as we celebrate 175 years of the Canterbury Settlement and the Foundation of our City of Christchurch.
A Special Welcome goes to our Christchurch City Mayor Phil Mauger and our Mayoress Chrissy Mauger, also the Reverend John McLister from the St Saviours Holy Trinity Church in Lyttelton; we are delighted to have you.
Our Patron Arthur Northcote sends his congratulations and good wishes for a wonderful Commemorative Lunch and sincerely hopes the Association will continue to flourish like the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed from England to establish the Plymouth Colony in North America in 1620 – and like Johnny Walker whiskey is still going strong!
Please charge your glasses and be up standing for the National Anthem as played in 1850.
Please raise your glasses for a toast to our reigning King Charles 3rd and Queen Camilla.
The King and Queen.
I will now ask our Mayor to say a few words.
Photos of top table
Christchurch Bells.
It now gives me pleasure to ask John if he would give us his blessing and say grace.