Dunsandel !50th Celebrations

Kieran Heenan kph@meareswilliams.co.nz Anita Molloy-Roberts am@meareswilliams.co.nz W: www.meareswilliams.co.nz T: (03) 374 2547

Offices located at: Lincoln - 43 Gerald Street Rolleston - 80A Rolleston Ave Christchurch - 225 Papanui Rd The Dunsandel 150th Anniversary was held last weekend and this was the first time the Town has organised a celebration of its past. How many people to cater for? Will the weather be fine? How to publicise the event? Will there be enough people to help? Is there money to fund the event? Russell Dalzell (fresh from organising the construction of the Community Centre) and his small team of volunteers, faced all the difficulties mentioned above. The Selwyn District Council supplied funding, which was very much appreciated. This meant we were able to hire the Ellesmere Big Band, a bouncy castle, the Top Team crew and a face painting team, as well as having money to go towards publicity. It would be interesting to hear how towns in Malvern organise their internal publicity. It proved to be very difficult in Dunsandel, as very few people have a letterbox, and unaddressed OR unstamped items cannot be put in post office boxes. It is not like the old days when everybody met at the railway station, as the train came in with the mail and swapped news. As many of the former residents as could be remembered were contacted, and were offered the bonus of being able to park close to the event. We heard some people who now live in Wellington were coming, so that was cheering news. After months of meetings, things started to appear the day before the event (Friday, November 25th), with the Dunsandel Historic Society and some experts from the Ellesmere Historical Society helping to mount the display of historic photographs. A display of common items, up to 150 years old, were also set out in the hall. A plaque that had been specially commissioned to celebrate the event was mounted ready for unveiling the next day. By lunchtime, in the beautifully fine weather, the first of the tractors and a traction engine, each towing a whare, chugged in. Later, more came with the machines that are their pride and joy, and a little town sprang up on the rugby field.

See next week’s issue for a post-event piece.

Mike Noonan, on behalf of the organising committee.

Members of local historical societies assembling the display in the hall on Friday, November 25th.