John Ferguson

The Christchurch Deaf Club members have a picnic at Diamond Harbour, with traditional sports and activities.

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

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.

Footage by Sue Penman, of members of the Deaf community and their families attending the centenary celebrations at Sumner School for the Deaf, and taking a tour of the school.

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!

The Fergusons are an average family of five who have fun, sometimes fight but mostly get along. The main difference is that three of them are deaf, and NZSL is the first language for the whole family. How does this work in a busy household with two teens and a toddler? We spend a few days with the Fergusons and discover it works remarkably well. Especially for the eldest Zoe who is exploring advocating for New Zealand deaf youth.

Deaf people share stories in NZSL of their experiences through the 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.

Members of the Auckland Deaf Society and friends attend the annual picnic at Orewa Beach in March 1969.

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

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!

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

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.

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

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!

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

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