Commonwealth Games anniversary celebrated

The seaside suburb of New Brighton is attracting a lot of interest, after the opening of a major exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1974 British Commonwealth Games over the weekend.

Volunteers at the New Brighton Museum have painstakingly gathered hundreds of items over the past four months to help celebrate the city's hosting of what was known as the 'Friendly Games'.

Museum president Wayne Hawker said there has been huge interest in the exhibition as the Games were a significant moment in Christchurch's history.

"We're absolutely proud of what we've been able to achieve for the people of Christchurch who have come to see this event and have shared so many memories from the times that they actually had or were actually involved in the Commonwealth Games in some small way."

Hawker said the museum's call for Games memorabilia to display in the five week exhibition resulted in a wide range of rare items from all over New Zealand.

"We have some special treasures here, a lot of it which we get to keep has been donated permanently to the museum. But that's the role of the museum is to collect this heritage stuff and actually preserve it for the future."

The comprehensive collection includes old autograph books, event medals and uniforms from the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.

Also on display during the weekends will be a rare Holden Kingswood used by Games officials. The British Commonwealth Games exhibition runs through until mid-February.

- By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air