As an alumnus of the House (1968), and a New Zealander from our eponymous Christchurch (NZ), I write these lines to Crankstart undergraduates of the House, to inform you that much work, in Christchurch, has recently been invested into developing Crankstart Internships, to be published on the University of Oxford Careers Services Crankstart Internship website.

The already significant historical and current links between the House and Christchurch, in the province of Canterbury, are constantly being developed and expanded. There are, for instance, scholarship links, established thirty years ago, linking musicians from the two Christ Church Cathedrals (of Christchurch and of Oxford). Similarly, there have been on-going scholarship links between the college side of The House and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, for the past twenty years. 

Since 2024, links between Oxford and Christchurch now include The Crankstart Internship programme, with the development of ever increasing numbers of Internship possibilities for 2025 and also, surely for future years.

History credits John Robert Godley, alumnus of the House (1832-35), with being 'The Founder of Canterbury'. He co-conceived, he co-planned and he went in person to found the new settlement in 1850. He also proposed that the name of the settlement be called 'Canterbury' with 'Christchurch' in its midst, thus mirroring the House's Henrician creation. 

Godley did not work by himself.  He put together, with the help of his co-partner Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a London-based association to carry through the complex negotiations required to be able to transplant, 12,000 miles away, a balanced slice of British composite society, lock, stock and barrel, and thus produce the ingredients for instant civilisation.

The association was called The Canterbury Association. Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford, made up the largest quorum, thirty percent, including many of Godley's college friends. A further twenty percent were alumni of our sister college, Trinity College, Cambridge. Oriel alumni made up the third largest quorum.

The new settlement, planned 'to live under congenial, civil institutions', was developed around a 'cathedral & college'. At the end of its first generation, Sir Gilbert Scott's Cathedral was consecrated and The Canterbury College was well established as the first constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The new settlement had become a remarkable success and had already, or shortly was to pioneer, many social, engineering and academic 'firsts': summa summarum, it was arguably the best ever planned settlement in the history of The British Empire. 

Canterbury is not only a proud rugby province. Much of its pride also derives from its beginnings. The importance of the 26 Christ Church graduates, within the membership of the founding Association, has not been forgotten down under, where members of The House are always guaranteed a fine welcome, as yesterday, so also today and tomorrow.