David Rutledge

A shipwreck themed fancy dress party – a basketball fundraiser – was organised by the Christchurch Deaf Basketball Club. There are pirates aplenty and dress parades with the best dressed going to Graham Hammond and Joyce Ferguson.

Members of the Canterbury Deaf community make for a picnic on a lovely day, with tug-o-war and running races.

The Christchurch team travel to Palmerston North for the NZ Deaf Sports Convention on Labour Weekend, 1976.

The Christchurch Deaf Club basketball team travels to Westport during Queen’s Birthday weekend 1975 to participate in the Matai Invitation Tournament. Games are played at the Westport Community Hall. Footage covers players travelling to the West Coast via cars, with a few stops on the way, and a compulsory stop at the pub!

The infamous Deaf Marching Girls reunite 45 years later, with a Friday spent practicing before showing their routine to supporters at van Asch on the Sunday.

Christchurch Deaf Club hosted its annual picnic at Amberley, north of Christchurch. As usual, there are games aplenty, with the Amberley swimming pool a perfect location to cool off.

A fancy dress party is held at the Canterbury Deaf Society’s clubrooms.

Members hustle and bustle around the Deaf Club’s kitchen on a Friday evening, taking care of orders, cooking, and payments - back in the days when meals were $5.00 and cans were only $1!

Christchurch Deaf Club Basketball ‘Deaf Boys’ Picnic at Spencer Park, Sunday 13th March 1977.

The Deaf community gather in Christchurch for the NZ Deaf Sports Convention in Labour Weekend, 1975.

The Christchurch Golf Club hosts a fundraiser at the Armagh Street Clubrooms, organising a social evening - with participants encouraged to come in Chinese Fancy Dress. Origami folding and calligraphy were some of the games on the night. Watch to see who won the compulsory fancy-dress parade!

Footage of the 1991 Christchurch Deaf Society's picnic day held at Spencer Park. On a progressively windy day the local Deaf community gathered to enjoy traditional Deaf community games including tug-of-war, egg throwing, welly throwing, and some less common games such as a dress-up relay.

A farewell party and awards evening is hosted by the Christchurch Deaf Club Basketball Club, with awards and prizes given out by Peter Downie.

The Christchurch Deaf Mens Basketball team travel to Greymouth, accompanied by the Deaf netball team.

The Canterbury Deaf Club Basketball & Netball teams travels to Greymouth, with the ‘Deaf Boys’ playing against the ‘Hot Shots’ and winning 67-54.