RURAL HISTORY GROUP FORMED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 8

RURAL HISTORY GROUP FORMED

The Society of Rural History (Canterbury) was formed at a meeting in Christchurch this week attended by about 30 persons. Mr C. J. Crosbie, who was elected the foundation president of the society, indicated that the scope of the new organisation would be wideranging seeking to include those with an interest in varying aspects of the rural history of the province. Mr Crosbie recalled that his own interest in old farm machinery dated back to the time of the Canterbury centenary when he had been deputised to write a section for the “Journal of Agriculture” on farm machinery. It had been then that he bad discovered people like the Keetley family, the first plough manufacturers, and had found the exercise most engrossing. At the same time it had been evident to him that there were magnificent exhibits of historic importance that needed preservation for posterity. The Ferrymead Museum of Science and Industry with more than 60 acres of land provided a magnificent opportunity for something to be done in this field. Already, he said, there were groups active in this field like the Case and Vintage Farm Machinery Club on the outskirts of the city, a group at Geraldine that were most interested in farm machinery, and another at Blenheim. The decision to form the new society was taken unanimously and subsequently, on Mr Crosbie’s nomination, Mr John Deans, as a member of one of Canterbury’s earliest

farming families, was elected patron.

Apart from Mr Crosbie other officers were elected as follows: secretary, Mr A. J. Ebert; treasurer, Mr N. C. Walsh; auditor, Mr J. P. J. Twomey; executive committee, Messrs G. R. Lyall and G. L. Kay (Christchurch) and A. A. Russell (Irwell). The following delegates from organisations are co-opted members—Messrs A. L. Mulholland (Federated Farmers), N. Pethig (Young Farmers' Club), B. R. Gillanders (Agricultural Engineering Club), M. Thacker (Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association), L, W. McCaskill (New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science), G. G. Lindsay (Lincoln College) and J. S. Dunn (New Zealand Agricultural Engineering Institute). Mr S. Wood, the president of the Ferrymead Museum of Science and Industry, assured members of the new society of the museum’s intention to provide a site for restored items or records or other historic items showing how man had overcome his environment.