'Godley Gifts' Limited Edition Book Set

A 2007 Limited Edition publication - Godley Gifts - brings together John Robert Godley, James Edward FitzGerald and Arthur Godley, in a substantial work of art.

The artists of Godley Gifts are James Edward FitzGerald, the early Canterbury entrepreneur par excellence, and the contemporary actor/writer David McPhail. FitzGerald wrote and illustrated two of Godley Gifts' three volumes, gifting one to Canterbury’s founder John Robert Godley, and the other to Godley’s little son Arthur. David McPhail has written the third volume of the set, a collection of brilliantly observed anecdotal essays. John Robert Godley, the gifted young Irish scholar-statesman, founded Canterbury, NZ, in 1850. Godley Gifts is among the most challenging examples of heritage-publishing ever attempted in New Zealand. Its centrepiece 'Seadrift', is one of two extraordinary gifts created by FitzGerald for the Godley family. The second such creation is presented as the third volume of Godley Gifts, 'Watercolours'.

Image above shows Mr Haydn Rawstron of the John Robert Godley Memorial Trust, then Prime Minister of New Zealand Rt Hon Helen Clark and National Librarian and Chief Executive of The National Library of New Zealand Te Puna o Aotearoa, Penny Carnaby on the occasion of the gifting of the book set 'Godley Gifts' to the National Library by the Trust.

Supporting the Cathedral Choir

12 copies of Godley Gifts have been generously gifted to the Cathedral by the John Robert Godley Memorial Trust so we can endow our Cathedral Choir. A number have already been gifted to donors who have made generous donations supporting The Godley Wakefield Scholars. A few remain.

Please contact the Cathedral if you are interested in supporting our choir through this special endowment scheme.