Summer learning Journey

A Period of Change (1870 - 1950)

Day 1 - The Early Years

Activity 1 | St Joseph’s Cathedral

At the turn of the century, there was a great deal of construction happening in New Zealand. Many of the new British settlers wanted to build homes and community meeting places, such as churches. One of the largest buildings to be constructed during this period was St Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin.

St Joseph’s Cathedral is just one of hundreds of beautiful cathedrals around the world.

Use your search engine to find a picture of another famous cathedral. Post a picture of the cathedral on your blog. Underneath the picture tell us: the name of the cathedral, where the cathedral is located, when it was built, and how long it took to build

Famous Cathedrals | Facts

Name: St Paul's Cathedral

Located: England London

Built: 1163

How many years did it take to build: 200 Years

Activity 2 | The Right to Vote

At the turn of the century, New Zealand elected its first ever government. Richard John Seddon served as the leader of the Liberal Party from 1893-1906. Prior to 1893, only men were legally allowed to vote. This all changed in the late 1800s when a woman named Kate Sheppard lead a suffragist movement in New Zealand calling for a change in law. Her hard work finally paid off when the Electoral Act was passed into law on 19 September 1893, giving women the right to vote. New Zealand was the first country to give all women the right to vote. There were still countries in the world (e.g. Saudi Arabia) who, until recently, did not allow women to vote.

On your blog tell us what you think about the fact that women were not allowed to vote in Saudi Arabia until 2015. Is it fair? Why or why not?

My Thoughts | Saudi Arabia

I think it was not fair for women to wait that long just to vote, it's just nonsense.

Women should be able to vote because their opinions count too, not just males.

But they did let women vote eventually which I think was the right choice.

Bonus Activity: In Flanders Fields

As the new century dawned, New Zealanders settled into a period of relative calm. The calm lasted for about 15 years but came to a sudden end in 1914 when World War I erupted in Europe. The war lasted for almost five years and claimed the lives of 18,000 New Zealanders.

It also claimed the lives of thousands of men and women from countries around the world. Every year, we remember these brave men and women on ANZAC Day (25 April). Many people go to a special Anzac Day ceremony where they read a special poem that was written for the fallen soldiers. The poem is called ‘In Flanders Fields’ by John McCrae.

Read the poem. On your blog, tell us what you think of the poem. Do you like it? How does it make you feel?

It makes me feel very lucky to live in a beautiful, safe country like New Zealand. It also makes me feel sad for those who died in the war and for their families. I think that we are very lucky that they went to war and fought for our freedom. What do you think?

How did it make me feel? | In Flanders Fields

I thought the Poem was heart touching, and I could visualise the crosses and poppies sprouting in the ground. It made me think about the people who fought for our country and their families, and the pain they felt. It also made me think about how strong our country actually is.