Carterton District Historical Society
Carterton District Historical Society
Carterton's High Street North (looking south) from State Highway 2, circa 1947
Who We Are
The Carterton District Historical Society (CDHS) was established in 1987 and is a voluntary organisation that is comprised of historical enthusiasts - all interested in uncovering, preserving and sharing the history of the Carterton District of rural Wairarapa, New Zealand.
We explore the buildings, businesses, events, people, places, social and sporting groups of Carterton and became an Incorporated Charitable Society (#CC10932) in 2006.
We hold firm to our organisational purpose to:
'Collect and preserve records and artefacts of the Carterton District and to foster community interest'
Our archive holds records of local historical artefacts, Clareville cemetery records, histories of individual local businesses, memorabilia, photographs, regional maps, school rolls and the history of Carterton’s early European settlers and churches.
Carterton's Cycling Club, circa 1897
What We Do
Our volunteer team works tirelessly to ensure that local heritage is felt by all who connect with us.
Our key areas of focus include:
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Collating, cataloguing and archiving of historical documents, as well as gathering knowledge and artefacts from around the Carterton district.
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Fostering care, preserving and using verified records and artefacts, for viewing on premises by local groups and individuals.
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We ensure a wide sharing of Carterton's local history and heritage to encourage community learnings and develop a sense of local pride - including planned in-school visits.
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We seek relevant public and community funding to allow Carterton’s legacy to continue and to ensure the ongoing safe storage of our treasured collection.
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​​​​The Carterton District Historical Society hosts local events and activities including Carterton’s Heritage Trail Walk as part of the hugely popular Wairarapa Walking Festival. We have a presence at local annual Carterton events such as Daffodil Festival, ANZAC Parade, Family Heritage Month and Members receive opportunities to hear from guest speakers and attend social engagements, we are seeking out historical excursions outside of the district so keep an eye on our social media posts and ongoing advertisements.
Follow us on Facebook: #Cartertondistricthistoricalsociety, read our column in the Carterton Crier or become a member to receive our quarterly society newsletters - they're hugely informative and well worth the read.
Carterton's original Courthouse, circa 1884
Visit our Society Rooms
Visit the showrooms to see our collection of artefacts, photographs or to speak with one of our volunteer team.
Do you have any interesting items at home that you may want to donate to our collection? Get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!