A protest sign painted on a fence shows a bulldozer labelled "Govt." driven by a woman (presumably representing Education Minister Hekia Parata) running over a sheep labelled "Chch schools", next to the words "Every time you close a school you have to build a jail - Mark Twain." The photographer comments, "Due to the earthquakes in Christchurch and parents leaving the area to give their children a quieter and more education friendly life a lot of the local schools especially in the East of Christchurch are to be closed or amalgamated. This was a decision by the government without consultation with any other authorities. Mark Twain actually said 'Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail'".
At top left is text reading 'Christchurch pupils return to school...' The teacher has written the words 'Nosey', 'Bob', and 'Double' on the blackboard and says to the children 'Our first test today... Sort these into Parkers we love and Parkers we don't'... Context - the correct answers would be that we hate 'nosey parkers' and 'double parkers' but that we love 'Bob Parker'. Bob Parker is the Mayor of Christchurch and is generally considered to have done a remarkably good job of demonstrating calm and cheerfulness after the two earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, as well as having been able to chose fitting words to express grief and despair at so much loss. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In the first seven of eight frames astrologer Ken Moon predicts a 'black day ahead', a 'day of great shaking' and 'terror' and 'children crying' and 'people fleeing' and 'a day in May'. In the last frame people realize that he has seen, not an earthquake, but the budget. Context - After the two big earthquakes in Christchurch on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, the so-called Moon Man, Ken Ring, backed away from his prediction that Christchurch would be whacked by a huge earthquake on the 20th of March 2011. His claims terrified Cantabrians and led to people fleeing Christchurch. The 2011 budget will be announced in May and predictions are that it will be a cost-cutting one because of New Zealand's debt, partially caused by the Christchurch earthquakes. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man dozes in front of the television news which reports in four cameos 'Israel defies UN!, Israel assassinates Palestinian leaders!, land seized and homes bulldozed, Israel smashes Palestinian infrastructure!, Gaza shelled!', Israel blocks aid convoys! Nine die!, Palestinians children traumatised'. In the last cameo the newsreader says 'Israeli spies in NZ - maybe!' and the man wakes up and fully alert yells 'WHAT!' Context: We only care when the news is close to home! The Southland Times reported on 20th July that an Israeli national killed in the February Christchurch Earthquake was a Mossad spy. PM John Key has confirmed that an investigation into the four Israelis involved was carried out by police and the SIS but he said no evidence was found of a link between the group and Israeli intelligence. It would seem that the group were backpackers, not Mossad agents. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Photographically reproduced postcard shows a semi-humorous illustration by J L Martin of the Provincial Government buildings in Christchurch, seen looking southeast from across the intersection of Durham and Armagh Streets, imagined as warped and twisting in the Murchison Earthquake of 1929. Speech bubbles come from the mouths of some small figures: "Women & children first", "Order please", "Oh for the wings of a dove", "Stop that jazzing up there", "Wheres my puff box". The title below the picture is: "The camera cannot lie". The artist J L Martin has handwritten a message on the verso. In 1928, this building was occupied by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Receiver of Land Revenue, the Registrar of Deeds, the Lands Transfer Office and the Lands & Survey Department (See Wises directory 1928, page 214) Other Titles - Christchurch, Christmas Inscriptions: Verso - centre - With kind remembrances / From yours sincerely / J L Martin Quantity: 1 Other printed ephemera item(s). Physical Description: Photograph on postcard, 88 x 137 mm. Provenance: Ms McLean was the granddaughter of Arthur John Wicks, the Chief Draughtsman, Head Office, New Zealand Lands & Survey Department. He had worked with Crown Lands in Blenheim before moving to Wellington in 1917. The artist J L Martin sent the card to Mr Wicks.
