News from the Valley

The Centre has a rich history. In 1973, the newsletter of the Dunedin Collective for Women reported: "On the local scene, a group of dedicated, energetic parents, frustrated by the scarcity of established and quality pre-school centres, is endeavouring to open an independent centre with a difference. Its function is two-fold – to provide a stimulating educative programme for pre-schoolers, while at the same time fulfilling an urgent daycare need for parents working outside the home and helping to free women from gender discrimination. The group envisaged housing the school in the Leith Valley." The Dunedin Collective for Woman …

"I think it was a success! Sarah seemed to get a lot of notes and contacts from those present. Interest seemed quite high." Peter Begg, Secretary of the Dunedin North Men's Probus Club, was pleased to see the community response to the second instalment of NEV history talks presented by local historian, Sarah Gallagher, and listing advisor, Alison Breese. "We are always working hard to become more involved in the community," Peter ensures.  It was a full house of 50-plus guests at last month's meeting which served as another 'step' in collaborations with Heritage New Zealand to rebuild our …

How about taking a ramble for the holidays? With the days becoming longer and warmer, I feel the pull of exploring the outdoors becoming much stronger. With the school holidays and warm spring weather, I find myself with some spare time to spend outside. Chingford Park up North Road offers plenty of opportunity to satisfy my craving for the outdoors. Lindsay Creek, running through the heart of Chingford Park and the Valley itself is particularly alluring as the sight and sound of the water flowing across the river-bed has a calming effect. The creek is also home to many …

Since the Dundas St bridge closure, many valley residents will have done a few more trips up Lovelock Avenue recently. The road curves – with a few hairpins – up through native bush, before levelling off over speed bumps near the stylish propagation building and offering glimpses of daffodils, dog walkers, rugby games and maybe some lawn bowlers. These views would have been different if a 2008 proposal to realign Lovelock Ave to have it run parallel to the cemetery had eventuated. The bowls green was scheduled to be a carpark. This stirred the Opoho community into action, and …

This month we explore how much has changed over 115 years on Chambers St in North East Valley. The picture from 1904 shows a horse-drawn carriage coming down the street, while the shot from the same perspective today shows cars coming up and down the street. While the cars aren't particularly interesting to look at now, in 100 years time they might be the most interesting part of the photo! This photo was published in the Otago Witness on 8 June 1904 and shows a horse-drawn wagon coming down Chambers St. The caption on the photo reads: This new …

How much has North East Valley changed in the past 100 years? I was on the hunt through one of our cupboards at the Valley Project recently when I came across a box full of old photographs of scenes of North East Valley. Before I knew it, two hours had gone by as I looked through the pictures trying to visualise what a particular scene would look like in comparison today. As a keen photographer I thought it would be a fun project to try to recreate old pictures in their modern context. This picture, taken on the corner …

As August rolls around with only the merest sprinkling of snow gracing our peaks this winter, we will have to make do with a story about snow, instead of the real thing. We’re going back 80 years to the worst snow storm of the 20th century – the Big Snow of July 1939 – when a series of freezing southerlies swept snow over the entire country. Even a very surprised lighthouse keeper at Cape Maria van Diemen at the top of the North Island reported snowflakes flying past his window! But the worst hit was coastal Otago. Flakes …