Lyttelton - From Pioneers to Pioneering spirit

December 16th 1850, the "Charlotte Jane" and the "Randolph", the first two of a total of eight ships arrive at the port of Lyttelton on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. On board are the founding pioneers of the port and later, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.
What brought them here to the other side of the world, having spent several months at sea, in often cramped and unpleasant conditions one can only speculate, but it's safe to assume that the prospect of a new, less populated home offered hope for a better future than England could offer them and somewhere that they each might be able to make their mark.
Jump forward 160 years to 2010 and the people of Lyttelton carry on that spirit in a settlement that is as widely diverse and eclectic as its colourful past.
At its heart has always been the port with its shipping trade, transporting goods and supplies to and from the district. Many a Russian sailor has found brief sanctuary in its hospitality at one of the large array of local drinking establishments with a "ship's girl" for company.
In the early 1900's the town played host to the Antarctic expeditions led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Lieutenant Ernest Shackleton and in 1996 the town was the backdrop for director Peter Jackson's film "The Frighteners".
Historically, the settlement boasts a great  number of pubs (taverns) for its small population, which does not begin to reflect the various coffee houses, cafes, and licenced performance venues that now dot the town's streets.
Modern homes sit amongst the historic cottages,  with million dollar views of the latest cruise ship coming in.

Perhaps the most telling aspect to Lyttelton is the melting pot that are its residents. Working class mix with  New Zealand's well known, and an abundance of writer's and artists live a bohemian like existence here. No where is this more apparent than at the Lyttelton festival and street party held in February every year. Just like the pioneers before them, these people have come here looking to a better future and hoping to leave their mark.


Text and Images (c) Leeann Apps 2010