Public holiday – Ara Library Blog

King’s Birthday celebration 2023

Monday the 5th June is the first official King’s Birthday celebration.

King Charles III, head of state of New Zealand

This is the first King’s Birthday Weekend since the ascension of King Charles III to the throne. It was decided in 2022 to keep the first Monday in June as a day of celebration of the sovereign. Previously this day was Queens Birthday Weekend so it is going to take some time to get used to the new name.

King Charles III’s birthday is actually on 14th November…he was born in 1948 so he is currently 74 years old.

All branches of the Ara Library will be closed for the day and our normal hours of operation will recommence on Tuesday 6th June at 7 am. From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a peaceful and productive long weekend and we look forward to seeing you when we reopen.

Jonathan Moake

Library Assistant

ANZAC Day 2023

All ARA Libraries will be closed on Tuesday the 25th April for the 2023 ANZAC Day commemoration. We will reopen on Wednesday 26th April at 7 am.

Originally a day to remember the losses from the Gallipoli Campaign during the Great War (1914-1919) ANZAC Day has gradually taken on a wider focus around those who have and continue to serve in our armed forces.

The landing at Anzac; April 25th, 1915, by Charles Dixon,1915. Alexander Turnbull Library. D-017-010

At this time there are over 50 000 veterans who have served in such campaigns as the Korean and Vietnam War, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. There are also many more who have served in peacekeeping missions around the world and those who may have served for many years but not deployed overseas.

My medal rack for service in the MFO, Sinai Peninsula in the 1990’s

FYI: here is a diagram showing the correct place to wear medals if you are thinking of wearing yours or a relatives this ANZAC Day. Note that a relative’s medal set should be worn on the right hand side of your body…people often get this wrong.

From all of us here at Ara Library and we wish you a pleasant and peacefully ANZAC Day holiday.

Library hours for Canterbury Anniversary Day 2023

The Library at Madras, Manawa and Woolston Campus will be closed on Friday the 17th November for Canterbury Anniversary Day. We will reopen at 10 am on Saturday 18th November.

Also known as Show Day this holiday celebrates the establishment of Canterbury as a province of New Zealand.

The annual Agricultural Exhibition held at the show grounds in Hillmorton will go ahead this year after being cancelled for the last two years. In 2019 over 100 000 people visited the Show over its three days.

It will be good to see its return!

The weather over Show Weekend is usually fine so some sort of outdoor activity is always a good alternate. Picnics, barbeques, camping, tramping, beach walks and family get togethers are other options…

Why not walk to one of the Canterbury Foothill peaks…?

From all of us here at Ara Library we wish you a very happy Anniversary Weekend.

Library closed on Monday 26th September for the Queen Elizabeth II Remembrance Day

The Library at all Ara Campus will be closed on Monday 26th September as we officially remember the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

This is a one off public holiday announced by the government last week and will be observed right across the country. There will be a national ceremony to remember the Queen in Wellington on that day.

Our normal hours of operation will resume at 7 am on Tuesday 27th September.

Celebration of Matariki in 2022

Ara Library will be closed on Friday 24th June as we celebrate the first Matariki public holiday. The Library will reopen at 10am on Saturday 25th June.

This year sees the first instance of the new public holiday to celebrate Matariki after it was passed into law in 2021. Going into the future there will be a public holiday in late June or early July to recognise Matariki.

Iwi across New Zealand understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways and at different times. For most it is time to remember those who have passed and give thanks for the harvest of the previous year.

Matariki is an abbreviation of ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea (‘The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea’) and refers to a large cluster of stars, known in European tradition as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year.

The new Matariki holiday is the first to specifically acknowledge the culture of Maori who are the indigenous people of Aotearoa-New Zealand.

From all of the staff here at the Library we wish you a safe and enjoyable day.

Queens Birthday Weekend 2022

All branches of the Library at Ara will be closed on Monday the 6th June 2022 for the Queens birthday weekend. Our usual services will resume on Tuesday 7th June.

Queen Elizabeth II was not born on this day…her actual birth date was the 21st April 1926. Queen’s Birthday holiday is celebrated in New Zealand on the first Monday in June so the date moves year by year.

We hope you have a peaceful day and look forward to seeing back on campus after the long weekend.

Cheers

Labour Weekend hours at Ara Library

Monday the 25th October is Labour Day so all Ara campus be closed on that day. The Library will reopen at 7am on Tuesday 26th October.

Labour Day has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1900 and commemorates the struggle over many decades for an 8 hour working day.

8 hour day — Slogan of the early Labour movement in New Zealand

Some people will still be working but many of us will be able to spend time with family and friends. Labour Day activities include camping, tramping, walks, visits to the beach or your favorite park. You might make a weekend of it and head off to some exotic location around New Zealand…

Why not tramp to one of our iconic backcountry huts over Labour Weekend

As always in the age of Covid-19 make sure you are following the guidelines for spending time together. Wear your face covering as appropriate, wash your hands and stay home if you are feeling unwell.

From all the staff here at Ara Library we hope you have a happy and restful Labour Day.

Our opening hours over Queens Birthday weekend

Monday the 7th June is the day we celebrate the Queens Birthday. All campus of Ara will be closed on that day and the Library will re-open at 7am on Tuesday the 8th June 2021.

We hope you have a peaceful day and enjoy the last public holiday until Labour Day in late October.

Cheers

Our opening hours over ANZAC Weekend 2021

Sunday 25th April is ANZAC Day here in New Zealand. All branches of the Ara Library be closed on Sunday the 25th April & Monday the 26th April. We will reopen at 7am on Tuesday 27th April.

ANZAC Day is the anniversary of the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at ANZAC Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. It is also our national day of remembrance for all those who have served or are serving in our armed forces.

The Memorial Garden at the Madras Campus, Ara Institute of Canterbury

ANZAC Day 2021 will be particularly poignant as people will once again be able to gather together to commemorate the day. The Returned Services Association (RSA) led service in Christchurch will start at Cranmer Square at 06.30 and should conclude around 07.30 in the morning. There will also be a citizens service at 10 am at the Transitional Cathedral.

The ANZAC Day parade in Christchurch in 2019

This Anzac Day is important to me personally as 2021 is the 100th anniversary of my old military unit the Royal New Zealand Corp of Signals. From June the 1st we have a series of events planned to celebrate this anniversary. New Zealand will also be commemorating the 175th anniversary of the formation of the Royal New Zealand Army this year.

From all of us at Ara Library have a peaceful ANZAC Day …lest we forget.

Waitangi Weekend opening hours

Saturday the 6th February is Waitangi Day, the day when New Zealanders commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, guaranteed Maori rights to their land and gave Maori the rights of British Citizens

A crowd gathers on the treaty grounds at Waitangi…

As Waitangi Day falls over a weekend this year the actual public holiday will occur on Monday the 9th February. All campus of Ara Institute of Canterbury will be closed on that day. We will reopen on Tuesday 9th February at 7 am.

On a related note we will be restarting our normal term times hours from Tuesday the 9th February. Our hours will be:

Monday to Friday 07.00 am-8pm

Saturday 10.00 am to 5 pm

Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm.

From all of us here in the Library we wish you a happy and restful Waitangi Day.