Christchurch was established as a city by Royal Charter on July 31 1856, the first city to be established in New Zealand. Being ‘chartered’ as a city meant that a seat was established for a bishop in that region. This post which was first filled by Bishop Henry John Chitty Harper, who arrived in Christchurch later that year and was an influential force behind the building of the Christchurch Cathedral. The city was named by the Canterbury Association, which settled the surrounding province of Canterbury. The name of Christchurch was agreed on at the first meeting of the association on 27 March 1848. It was suggested by John Robert Godley, who had attended Christ Church, Oxford. Some early writers called the town Christ Church, but it was recorded as Christchurch in the minutes of the management committee of the association. John Robert Godley was an Irish statesman and bureaucrat who had been asked by the New Zealand Company to found a colony in New Zealand that would follow the beliefs of the Church of England. Despite founding Canterbury, Godley only lived in New Zealand for two years before returning to Britain.

The images presented here are from the National Publicity Studios Collection. At the end of the Second World War, publicity became the responsibility of the Information Section of the Prime Minister's Department. At the same time, the Miramar Studios were divided into two separate parts - the newly created National Publicity Studios and the National Film Unit. The Information Section of the Prime Minister's Department was comprised of a Reference Service, Journalist Service and Administration Service, the National Film Unit and the National Publicity Studios. In 1950 the functions of the Prime Minister's Department, Information Section were incorporated into the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts to form its Publicity Division. The Department was also renamed the Tourist & Publicity Department in 1950.

The purpose of the National Publicity Studios was to provide advice to government departments and state agencies on the provision of photographic, art, and display services and in particular to assist in the production of publicity material aimed at conveying a favourable image of New Zealand.

The National Publicity Studios was divided into two main sections:

1. Photographic - comprising photographers, a laboratory, a photo library and facilities for audio-visual productions. 2. Art - comprising graphic art, display art, display workshops and silkscreen.

In 1987, the National Publicity Studios was disestablished and replaced by Communicate New Zealand.

Prints of images from the National Publicity Studies can be seen in the Wellington Reading Room.

Print References: archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011720 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011766 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011765 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011764 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011747 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011542 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=21011445

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