Beca Heritage Week fun day focuses on family history

Beca Heritage Week fun day focuses on family history

'Arrivals and Departures: the journeys that have shaped us' is the theme for Beca Heritage Week from 9 to 26 October.

Christchurch City Council Natural Environment and Heritage Unit Manager Helen Beaumont explains that Heritage Week is longer than a week so it can incorporate the historical festivities of French Fest on 9 to 11 October and the Orton Bradley Spring Fair on 25 October.

"Christchurch City Council is involved with both events as well as a family fun day to be held at Victoria Square on 18 October," she says.

The fun day focuses on family history and offers opportunities to engage with organisations including: Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa Unit staff, visit the library van to find your birth certificate or migration information, or collect an ancestry chart from the New Zealand Society of Genealogists.

"Children can collect an activity journal from our marquee and use it to find out about the journey their family took before settling in Christchurch," Ms Beaumont says.

The fun day also features cultural activities and games, food, entertainment, vintage machinery, and a stone mason demonstration.

Audio archives will play at the Dance-O-Mat, visual archives can be seen at the Isaac Theatre Royal, and family heritage seminars will be at the Christchurch RSA.

Canterbury Museum, Christ's College and Heritage Hotel are also involved, and a double decker bus will move people around the various activities on the fun day.

This is the 20th year the Council has held Heritage Week, Ms Beaumont says.

"It was on hold from 2011 to 2013 due to the earthquakes but it returned last year, and this year is one of our best," she says.

There are more than 70 community events across the city including open days, tours, seminars and exhibitions, competitions and quizzes, and music, dance and film events.

"All the information you need is in our booklet available at Christchurch City Council service centres and libraries or you can visit www.heritageweek.co.nz," Ms Beaumont says.

"There is something for everyone and we hope people will learn something about our community's built, social, cultural and environmental heritage as they get involved in Heritage Week," she says.

ENDS

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