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Kiwi of the Week

Godfrey Bowen

Bowen helped establish sheep shearing as a legitimate sport and a form of entertainment. He was one of the inaugural inductees into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

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Today in History

8 December

1942 Fire at Seacliff Mental Hospital kills 37

The fire that swept through Ward 5 of the Seacliff Mental Hospital, north of Dunedin, killed 37 female patients. Most of the windows in the ward were locked and could only be opened by a key from inside. more...

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New Zealand disasters timeline

External links

The Seacliff fire (1966 encyclopaedia)
NZ disasters: Seacliff fire (Chch city libraries)
Seacliff lunatic asylum (Wikipedia)

1941 New Zealand declares war on Japan

New Zealand's declaration followed the surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan also attacked Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaya. more...