Ferrymead Heritage Park facts for kids
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Ferrymead Heritage Park is a special museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. It's home to many groups that love history, especially old transport like trains and trams. The park started in 1964 and is built on the site of New Zealand's very first public railway. It's a great place to learn about the past and see amazing old machines!
Contents
Park History
How the Park Began
The park was first called the Museum of Science & Industry. In the early 1960s, different groups wanted to create a museum. They aimed to show how science and industry developed in New Zealand. One big group was the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. They were keen on preserving old trains. After looking at a few places, they decided the Ferrymead area was perfect for their museum.
The Ferrymead Trust's Role
The Ferrymead Trust was set up in the late 1960s. Its job was to help all the different history groups work together. For many years, the Trust managed the park. They often got money from the government to help build things. Sometimes, unemployed workers helped with construction. By the mid-1980s, the Trust changed how it worked. It became more like a business, with managers running the daily tasks.
In the 1990s, the park faced some money problems. It was expensive to keep it open seven days a week with paid staff. To save the park, the Christchurch City Council (CCC) stepped in. They took over the park's debts and helped manage it. They also sold some extra land to help out.
Ferrymead Park Today
The Christchurch City Council saw that having many separate groups running the park was tricky. So, in 1998, they created Ferrymead Park Ltd. This is a special company owned by the Ferrymead Trust. Now, Ferrymead Park Ltd manages and runs the whole park. The CCC still provides important funding. The different history groups still own their own collections and items.
Since Ferrymead Park Ltd took over, more visitors come to the park. The number of volunteer groups helping at the park has also grown. Paid staff mostly look after the grounds and buildings. A small team from IDEA Services Ltd also helps out. They are part of IHC, an organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities.
Park Groups and Societies
Many different groups, called societies, are active at Ferrymead Heritage Park. Each one focuses on a different part of history. They help bring the park to life with their amazing collections and displays.
Here are some of the groups you can find:
- Canterbury Centre for Historic Photography & Film Inc. (They love old photos and movies!)
- Canterbury Railway Society Inc. (They run the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge Ferrymead Railway trains.)
- Diesel Traction Group Inc. (They focus on diesel engines and trains.)
- Ferrymead Aeronautical Society Inc. (All about old airplanes and flying!)
- Ferrymead Post and Telegraph Historical Society Inc. (They show old telephones and communication gear.)
- Ferrymead Printing Society Inc. (Learn how newspapers and books were printed long ago.)
- Fire Services Historical Society Inc. (See old fire engines and equipment.)
- Friends of Ferrymead Fraternity Inc.
- Garden City Model Railroad Club Inc. (They have cool model trains!)
- Heathcote Studios Theatrical Society Inc. (They put on plays and shows.)
- Lions Club of Ferrymead Inc.
- Radio Preservation Society of New Zealand (Ferrymead) Inc. (They run Radio Ferrymead.)
- Society of Rural History Inc. (Learn about farming and country life.)
- Tramway Historical Society Inc. (They operate the standard gauge Ferrymead Tramway.)
Park Location and Environment
The park is located in the Heathcote Valley, which is close to the sea. Because it's low-lying, the area used to flood often. A big flood happened in 1968 during the "Wahine Storm". A large part of the park was underwater back then. Luckily, this isn't a big problem anymore. Since the mid-1990s, the Christchurch City Council has worked hard to manage floods. They have filled in parts of the site and improved stormwater systems. There are also plans to create wildlife areas and plant native trees.
Years ago, part of the park was used as a rubbish dump. A raised area called "Woods Hill" was created from all the compacted rubbish. This land isn't very stable. Some buildings built there without strong foundations have been damaged. In 2007, the Tamaki Brothers from Rotorua built a tourist Māori village on this site.
Radio Ferrymead
Radio Ferrymead is a special radio station at Ferrymead Heritage Park. It's run by the Radio Preservation Society (RPS). This group collects, saves, and displays old radios and related items. The station usually broadcasts from Friday morning until Monday night. It also plays music during public holidays. You can visit the studio on weekends from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Volunteers do live shows during the day, and automated music plays at night.
The station plays a mix of old music from the 1930s to the 1980s. You'll hear songs from dance bands, movies, and old radio and TV shows. Radio Ferrymead broadcasts on 1413 kHz AM. Its old call sign was 3XP. They play music from all sorts of old formats, like 78rpm records, vinyl LPs, cassette tapes, and even reel-to-reel tapes!
See also
