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Public Displays of The New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt in the South Island
The first Unfolding of the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt
School displays in the North Island and the South Island
Public Displays in the North Island
International Displays which include the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt
The 1992 tour of Northland of the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt
Now that The Quilt is housed at Te Papa in Wellington, most of the following is for historical information only.
Since its inception, the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt has been displayed on many occasions, from one end of the country to the other.
Because of its size and the logistics involved in transporting it, (plus costs) the entire Quilt has only rarely been on display at the one location at the same time.
Sometimes, especially around World AIDS Day (on December 1st every year, and at the time of the International Candlelight Memorial (3rd Sunday in May each year), the requests to display The Quilt mean that some blocks are on display in one city while other blocks are on display in another part of the country, while other blocks could be somewhere else, with up to seven or eight displays being held at the same time.
On several occasions, one or two blocks at a time have been taken overseas for special displays, and for displays to mark a new Quilt Project in another country. Photos of some of these Displays can be seen here.
Below are photos from some of the many Displays of The Quilt held in the South Island. Some are from private photograph collections while others were taken by NZ Quilt Project personnel.
The photos are arranged in approximate chronological order.
Dunedin, August 1992
For The Quilt's first visit to the South Island, a display was held in the Marae at Otago Museum in Dunedin. In the photo below, the blocks are shown still folded during the speeches as part of the welcoming ceremony.
Dunedin 1993
The Quilt was back in Dunedin the following year when a display was held in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin for the week 1 - 6 December 1993.
Block 3 on display.
A part of a number of larger displays, is a 'Signature Panel'. This starts as a blank piece of cloth, the same size as a normal Quilt panel, and visitors are invited to sign it so it becomes part of our 'Visitors Book'. Here we see some of the visitors to the Dunedin Display signing the Signature Panel.
Ranfurly, December 1993
On 7 December 1993, The Quilt went into the Maniototo region where it was put on display at the Ranfurly Railway Station Museum.
Christchurch, October 1994
The Quilt was on display in Christchurch Cathedral for the week 2 - 7 October, 1994.
Nelson Cathedral, May 1995
This was the first time The Quilt had visited Nelson. 8 blocks were brought down from Auckland for the occasion.
Block 11, the first block of 8 to be hung.
The long, slow, heavy work of hanging a block, with limited space to move, lights shining in your face, and trying to keep the tension right so that it hangs level and evenly. About 15 to 20 minutes for each block.
The following photos of this visit have been scanned from colour transparencies (slides).
Christchurch, World AIDS Day, 1995
A few Blocks of The Quilt were on display in Cathedral Square in Christchurch to mark World AIDS Day (December 1st) 1995.
Christchurch, April 1996
The Quilt was back in Christchurch Cathedral again in April 1996. The photos below are from the Unfolding Ceremony on the 14th.
This photo and the next one show two of the blocks being carried into the Cathedral at the start of the Ceremony.
Block 3.
Block 4.
Block 2.
Block 14.
Block 7 partly unfolded.
Block 7 fully unfolded.
Block 10.
Block 13.
Block 12.
Block 9.
Takaka, Golden Bay, November 1996
On November 25/26 1996, 4 blocks were displayed in the Golden Bay Community Centre. A new panel for Stephen, a local man who was one of the first to die in the South Island with AIDS, was presented.
Stephen's Panel which was presented to The Quilt Project at this Display.
Motueka, November 1996
While 4 blocks were on Display in Golden Bay on 25th and 26th of November, 1996, 4 more blocks were on Display in Motueka. All of these blocks had been touring the schools in Nelson for the previous week before going on display in Nelson the following week.This small newspaper clipping photo of one of the volunteers with The Quilt is the only photo we have of this Display.
National Display, Copthorne Rutherford Hotel, Nelson, 1998
During the late 1990's, an effort was made to have a formal display of the entire Quilt together once a year, preferably in a different city each year. In 1998, it was held at the Copthorne Rutherford Hotel in Nelson.All of these photos have been scanned from colour transparencies (slides).
Christchurch Cathedral, possibly 1998
These photos are undated, but there is a strong possibility that they may be in late September/early October 1998.
The information/donations table is never too far away.
Westport, 2002
Westport was one of the centres on the West Coast of the South Island visited during a 'tour' of the West Coast in 2002. As is typical of most smaller centres, finding a suitable location to display The Quilt is difficult and The Quilt often ends up being displayed in a section of a sports stadium.
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