Reach high, take on challenges and dig deep to overcome fear. Never let anyone or any experience bring you down.
The reinstatement of Christchurch’s historic Citizens’ War Memorial reached a significant milestone on Saturday when the cross was re-established atop the central structure. The restoration of the memorial on its new site in Cathedral Square – near where the Police Kiosk used to be is – is well progressed, and work to reattach the bronze…
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but last year’s winner of the Christchurch Photo Hunt competition is worth a lot more than that. The image Balloonist in Lancaster Park was taken in 1899, mere weeks before the turn of the century during a parachute display by famous daredevil Captain Charles Lorraine. Hours…
Take a trip down memory lane as Christchurch Heritage Festival 2022 throws open the doors to some of our most cherished historical landmarks. As well as our built heritage the festival, which runs from 7 – 24 October, is a chance to learn about places and events that have helped shape the diverse communities here…
New Zealand’s oldest operational steamship – the tug Lyttelton – will get a new electrical boiler, thanks in part to a heritage grant from Christchurch City Council. The Council has agreed to give the Tug Lyttelton Preservation Society $58,000 to help them pay the $116,000 cost of installing a new boiler in the 112-year-old tug….
Some important relics of Akaroa’s whaling days are being returned to a prime spot on the township’s waterfront. Three whaling try pots that date back to the early 1800s are about to be reinstated on Beach Road after being carefully restored. The pots have been a distinctive feature of Akaroa’s waterfront for decades and countless…
Some important relics of Akaroa’s whaling days are being returned to a prime spot on the township’s waterfront. Three whaling try pots that date back to the early 1800s are about to be reinstated on Beach Road after being carefully restored. The pots have been a distinctive feature of Akaroa’s waterfront for decades and countless…
The Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement (CCRL) has hit a major milestone with the first human entry into the Cathedral since Urban Search and Rescue in 2011 post-earthquake. The highly controlled entry was made through the northern side of the building by the CCRL Site Manager and Senior Engineer. This first inspection was to check for…
Rolleston House will get a new lease on life as a space for local artists. The heritage-listed building at 5 Worcester Boulevard was set to be disposed of by Christchurch City Council as part of last year’s Long Term Plan. However, today Councillors decided to retain the property for use as a community arts venue…
On what would have been Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh’s 101st birthday, a Memorial Grove dedicated to his memory was officially opened today. The Memorial Grove commemorates the work of the Duke who was the founder and patron of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. Located near the Christchurch Gondola on the Port Hills…
The west rose window at historic St Michael’s and All Angels Church will be repaired with the help of a $26,288 Heritage Incentive Grant. The nine-panelled rose window was installed in 1872, the year the church first opened. It sits above the porch at the main entrance and is in poor condition due to the…
The restoration of the Citizens’ War Memorial will be completed in time for this year’s Armistice Day commemorations. Christchurch City Council originally intended to have the earthquake-damaged memorial restored and back in Cathedral Square in time for Anzac Day 2022 but the complex project has encountered some unexpected delays. “When you start restoring an historic…
With news that the iconic Dux de Lux may be restored by summer 2024, we’re looking for your help in bringing your favourite stories and photos of Christchurch’s favourite pub back to life. Do you have fond memories of Christchurch’s favourite pub the Dux de Lux? Our Christchurch City Libraries team want to capture your…
Akaroa Museum director Lynda Wallace is hoping the discovery of the wreckage of the Endurance will reignite public interest in the legendary ship’s captain Frank Worsley. Worsley was born in Akaroa in 1872 and served as both captain and navigator on Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship, Endurance. The wooden vessel was crushed by…
The house and garden that once belonged to celebrated Christchurch artist Bill Sutton have been nationally recognised for their heritage value. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has listed Bill Sutton House and Garden, at 20 Templar Street, Richmond, as a Category 1 property on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. It is the first listed…
Not many streets have been the subject of a concert overture – which makes Christchurch’s Papanui Road extra special. Local composer John Ritchie’s 1987 ‘Papanui Road Overture’ makes reference to tram bells and car horns, church music and marching bands. A wedding party outside St Mary’s Church, Papanui Road, 1910. Canterbury Stories, CCL-PH15-001 But the…
Streets provide a way for us to commemorate important events in history, through names – and in one special instance through trees. On June 1st 1945 St James Avenue in Papanui became the first of fifteen streets in the suburb to be made into a living memorial for Cantabrians who lost their lives during WWII….
We have a number of key arterial routes in Christchurch but the one with arguably the longest and most interesting history is Ferry Road. It was one of our first roads and began to be formed in 1851, just months after settlers from the first four ships of the Canterbury Association arrived in Lyttelton Harbour….
A new lookout opposite the Sign of the Bellbird featuring stone walls and native plantings will be under construction by February. The Banks Peninsula Community Board today approved a proposal to build the lookout and upgrade the current sealed parking area on a mix of Christchurch City Council and Summit Road Society land. The Summit Road…
An important part of Te Hapū o Ngati Wheke history will be preserved for future generations with the help of a $71,000 Heritage Incentive Grant. Rāpaki School was constructed around 1874, part of a network of village primary schools established by the Native Department to provide education for children in Ngāi Tahu communities. A grant…
A clubhouse completed in 1923 for the Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Club is one step closer to finding a new, permanent home beside the Governors Bay Jetty. It comes after a grant of $58,500 was made today by the Christchurch City Council Sustainability and Community Resilience Committee. The money will help with the cost…
Work on implementing the first stage of a landscape master plan for Takapūneke Reserve gets under way today. Developed jointly by Christchurch City Council and Ōnuku Rūnanga the master plan looks to acknowledge the cultural and historical importance of the site, which was the scene of a massacre in 1830. Stage one will be undertaken…
Banks Peninsula hosts a range of exciting events at this year’s Christchurch Heritage Festival. The theme this year is People and Place – our stories revealed. Council Head of Urban Design, Regeneration and Heritage Carolyn Ingles says it’s a celebration of the diverse people who have made their home on the peninsula over time. “There…
Do you have a box of photos at the top of the wardrobe or under the bed? Do you think no-one would be interested in your old photos? Think again! Christchurch City Libraries is running the annual Christchurch Photo Hunt this October. The popular event is part of the Christchurch Heritage Festival which runs from 9-25 October. …
More than 20 rare taonga are on display at Tūranga library, as part of a new exhibition celebrating the special relationship Ngāi Tahu has with wetlands. Curated by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Christchurch City Libraries, Whakaata mai te Kūkūwai – Reflections from the Wetlands opens Sunday and runs until February. The exhibition, which…
Some of the city’s most significant historical buildings will open their doors to the public as part of the Christchurch Heritage Festival. The festival runs from 9 – 25 October and this year’s theme is “People and Place – our stories revealed.” A number of buildings with historical, social and architectural significance will be open…
From cemetery cycle tours to exhibitions and Irish melodies, the upcoming Christchurch Heritage Festival has many highlights. The theme of this year’s Heritage Festival which runs from 9 to 25 October is “People and Place – our stories revealed.” Christchurch City Council Head of Urban Design, Regeneration and Heritage Carolyn Ingles says the popular annual festival…
Ten years after being pulled from earthquake rubble the huge front doors of St Paul’s Trinity Pacific church remain in storage. They’re one of many fragments retrieved from buildings demolished after the earthquakes and now being offered to their previous owners. The doors of St Paul’s Trinity Pacific church just prior to salvage. Following the…
The owners of two quake-damaged historic buildings in the central city are being given extra time to complete the restoration works required to access previously approved grants from Christchurch City Council. In February 2020, the Council approved a Central City Landmark Heritage Grant of $600,000 for the former State Insurance Building at 116 Worcester Street….
Canterbury’s taonga (treasures) will be safer and more accessible thanks to a project aiming to help up to 40 of the region’s heritage organisations improve the care of their collections. The Canterbury Museum-led project received $209,033 in the most recent round of funding from Manatū Taonga Ministry of Culture and Heritage’s Te Tahua Whakakaha Capability…
A name change for Avonhead Park Cemetery will reflect its significant location as the interment site of the unidentified victims of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Following the February 2011 earthquake, the Christchurch City Council designed an interment site for victims at Avonhead Park Cemetery. The central feature was a gift from the city to…