It began in 1858 as a humble ferry crossing. Now the Canterbury town of Ashburton, made rich through agriculture, is in the midst of a large scale revitalisation project, with new buildings springing up around the town. An exhibition at the Ashburton Art Gallery brings together art, photography and objects that tell the story of this evolving townscape. Curator James Hope has ferreted through collections of the Gallery, the Museum and the Ashburton District Council in search of treasures for the show, many of them rarely seen. The town may have lost some of its grandest early buildings, but it's held onto other landmarks, like the Domain and iconic clock tower. Lynn Freeman asks James for more details of Ashburton's early settler years. Urban Ashburton opens at Ashburton Art Gallery today.