Canterbury Area
Canterbury was reconstituted with Provincial status in 1955. Area status was recorded in the NHQ minutes of 3 October, 1961.
During the County and Provincial periods, when Sir Joseph Ward was Commissioner, many of the Canterbury districts were named after New Zealand flora and fauna. Christchurch urban districts were named after native trees or plants (trees being symbolic of Scouting and the outdoors). When Timaru was split in 1948, the districts were named after native birds. Districts in rural areas tended to be named after prominent rivers such as Conway, Hurunui and Ashley. Some of the names seem incongruous. For example, Kauri trees do not grow naturally this far south. The allocation of these names seems to have been reandom.
*Hisitory courtesy of The Histories Book
A History of New Zealand Scout District Badges - 3rd Edition
Badgers Club New Zealand
