# The Story of Christchurch, New Zealand/Appendix

Appendix.
Canterbury Provincial Council
Superintendents.
Deputy-Superintendents.
Speakers.
Note.—Charles Simeon was a member of the Executive Council as well as Speaker.
Executive Councils.
September 27, 1853, to October 13, 1854.
Henry John Tancred.
October 23, 1854, to May 12, 1855.
John Hall.
May 12, 1855, to July 27, 1855.
Joseph Brittan.
July 27, 1855, to February 12, 1857.
Henry John Tancred
February 12, 1857, to July 27, 1857.
Richard Packer.
(R. Packer, Prov. See.; President not stated.)
July 27, 1857, to October 3, 1857.
Charles Bowen.
October 3, 1857, to December 8, 1857.
Thomas Cass
(C. Bowen had become Deputy Superintendent.)
December 6, 1857, to February 10, 1858.
Henry John Tancred
February 10, 1858, to November 8, 1859.
Thomas Cass
November 8, 1859, to November 15, 1859.
Richard James Strachan Harman.
November 21, 1859, to December 21, 1859.
John Ollivier
December 29, 1859, to February 1, 1861.
Charles Robert Blakiston.
February 1, 1861, to December 4, 1863
Robert Wilkin.
November 10, 1863, to December 4, 1863.
Thomas Cass.
December 4, 1863, to June 8, 1866.
Henry John Tancred.
June 8 1866, to October 17, 1866.
Henry John Tancred
October 17, 1866, to November 27, 1866.
Francis Edward Stewart.
November 29, 1866, to December 14, 1866.
Edward Jollie
December 14, 1866, to March 3, 1868.
Francis Edward Stewart.
March 3, 1868, to June 4, 1869.
Edward Jollie
June 4, 1869, to June 5, 1869.
Arthur Charles Knight.
June 5, 1869, to October 2, 1870.
Edward Jollie
October 26, 1870, to August 7, 1871.
John Hall
August 7, 1871, to January 2, 1874.
Walter Kennaway.
January 2, 1874, to April 15, 1875.
William Montgomery.
April 15, 1875, to abolition of provinces (September 28, 1876).
John Cracroft Wilson.
Membership.
There were twelve members of the first Provincial Council. In 1854 the number was increased to twenty-four. In 1857 to twenty-six, and in 1861 to thirty-five.
The membership of the Provincial Council was enlarged again by the Provincial Council Extension Ordinance of 1866, the number of members being increased to forty-four, including five members from the West Coast. The West Coast members ceased to sit in the Canterbury Council at the end of 1867, on the separation of Westland, and the number remained then at thirty-nine until the abolition of provinces. The distribution of seats varied at intervals with the movement of population.
Meeting Places of Provincial Council.
The Provincial Council met first in a house in Chester Street, near the river. The building had been used previously as the office of the “Guardian and Advertiser” newspaper. During 1866 the Council moved to a building in Oxford Terrace, opposite the land Office and behind the Lyttelton Hotel (subsequently known as the Clarendon Hotel). One session during 1858 was held in the Town Hall, and then, on September 26, 1859, the Council met for the first time in its own chamber, now the Land Board room in the Provincial Buildings. The stone chamber which formed the permanent home of the Council was used for the first time in November, 1865.
Christchurch City Council.
Chairmen.
| 1862–3 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | John Hall |
| 1863–4 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | John Ollivier |
| 1865 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | Isaac Luck |
| 1866 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | E. B. Bishop |
| 1867 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | W. Wilson |
Mayors.
| 1868 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | W. Wilson |
| 1869 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | J. Anderson |
| 1870 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | A. Duncan |
| 1871 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | J. P. Jameson |
| 1872 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | H. Sawtell |
| 1873 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | E. B. Bishop |
| 1874 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | M. B. Hart |
| 1875–6 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | F. Hobbs |
| 1877 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | J. Gapes |
| 1878 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | H. Thomson |
| 1879–1880 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. T. Ick |
| 1881 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | J. Gapes |
| 1882–3 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | J. G. Ruddenklau |
| 1884–5 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. P. Hulbert |
| 1886-7 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | A. Ayers |
| 1868–9 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. Louisson |
| 1890 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | S. Manning |
| 1891 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. M. Gray |
| 1892 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | W. Prudhoe |
| 1893 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | Eden George |
| 1894 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | T. Gapes |
| 1895 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | W. H. Cooper |
| 1896 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | H. J. Beswick |
| 1897 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | W. H. Cooper |
| 1898–9 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. Louisson |
| 1900 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | W. Reece |
| 1901 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | A. E. G. Rhodes |
| 1902 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | H. F. Wigram |
Greater Christchurch, Constituted 1903.
| 1903 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | H. F. Wigram |
| 1904–5 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. M. Gray |
| 1906 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | Hon. Sir John Hall, K.C.M.G. |
| 1907 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | Geo. Payling. |
| 1908–9–10 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | C. Allison |
| 1911 (May to July) | 1911 (May to July) | 1911 (May to July) | . . . | . . . | . . . | T. E. Taylore |
| 1911–12 (July to April) | 1911–12 (July to April) | 1911–12 (July to April) | . . . | . . . | . . . | J. J. Dougall |
| 1912–16 | 1912–16 | . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . | H. Holland |
Municipal Reserves.
The Christchurch Municipal Eeserves, comprising parks, recreation grounds, endowments and various areas of land connected with the city services, have a total area of some 6758 acres.
Within the City—
    Cranmer Square 4-1-24
    Latimer Square 4-0-0
    Victoria Square 3-3-21
       Reserved in the original plan of Christchurch, Victoria Square being then Market Square. Vested in the City Council under the Christchurch City Reserves Act, 1877.
       Subsequently the eastern portion of Market Square, now occupied by the band rotunda, was made a reserve for the purposes of a town hall and municipal offices, while the Council was given leasing powers in connection with the western portion, occupied by the Victoria statue, with a view to the establishment of a municipal market. Nothing was done in this direction.
The river bank reserves, the fire brigade station in Oxford Terrace, the Godley statue block in Cathedral Square and various small portions of land used for fire tanks, cab stands and ornamental purposes were also vested in the Council by the Act of 1877.
The Cathedral Square Act, 1883, gave the City Council certain additional land in Cathedral Square for the purposes of a roadway.
Public Parks.
Hagley Park and the Botanical Gardens (495 acres) were reserved in the original plan of Christchurch. They are controlled by a Domains Board.
Linwood Park (21 acres), and St. Albans Park (15 acres 1 rood 37 perches) were acquired by the Linwood and St. Albans Borough Councils before amalgamation, primarily for use as sports grounds.
Sydenham Park (14 acres roods 1 perch), acquired by the Sydenham Borough Council, was originally the show ground belonging to the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association.
The Jerrold Street Recreation Ground (5 acres) was vested in the Sydenham Borough Council by Crown grant on June 6, 1884.
The Beckenham-Fisherton Eecreation Ground (11 acres 1 rood 24 perches) acquired by purchase during 1910.
Victoria Park (189 acres) was originally a quarry reserve, on the slopes of the Port Hills overlooking the city. In 1883 it was converted into a recreation ground, and placed under the control of a Board.
Various Reserves and Endowments.
The more important reserves and endowments outside the city are as follows:—
* Bottle Lake, 818 acres, vested in city November 2, 1878, in trust for sanitary purposes, under the Christchurch City Reserves Act.
* Bromley reserves (cemetery, small-pox hospital, slaughter-house and municipal purposes), total 76 acres (plus 7 acres of freehold attached to cemetery), vested in city by Provincial Council under Municipal Corporations Reserves Ordinance, 1870.
* Cairnbrae endowment, 847 acres, vested in Borough of Sydenham. June, 1882, as “an endowment in aid of the borough funds.”
* Geraldine endowment, 1998 acres, vested in city as endowment in aid of the borough funds, July 27, 1882.
* Lyndhurst endowment, 345 acres, granted to Borough of Sydenham, October, 1882. ​
* Chaney's Sewage Reserve, 1136 acres; of this 936 acres were vested in the city in 1879, and 200 acres in the Sydenham Borough Council in 1884.
* New Brighton planting reserve, 516 actes, vested in the city, August 28, 1884. “in trust for plantation purposes.”
* Rakaia shingle reserve, 100 acres. vested in city, April 19, 1887.
A Provincial Ordinance of December 3, 185%, vested in the City Council the site of the present municipal chamber (sixteen perches) in Oxford Terrace, also the corresponding section on the opposite side of Worcester Street, and two small additions to Market Square.
Other areas of freehold land have been acquired and are being acquired from time to time in connection with the various city services.
Lyttelton Harbour Board.
The harbour works at Lyttelton were begun by the Canterbury Association, and the first jetty had been built under the direction of Captain Thomas, agent for the Association, before the first four ships arrived. Its site was reclaimed in later years. A private wharf, known as Peacock’s Wharf, was constructed soon afterwards. When the Provincial Government came into existence in 1853 it took over the harbour works from the Association and gradually extended them The progress made was not rapid, owing to the fact that the transport of goods to Christchurch, and the plains generally, was undertaken mainly by small craft, plying from Lyttelton to Heathcote, via Sumner. But in 1863, when the tunnel works were in progress, the Government decided to proceed with the equipment of the port on an adequate scale, and in February of that year, a Commission was appointed to prepare a report upon the subject. At that time there were two wharves in Lyttelton, the Government Wharf, opposite Oxford Street, and Peacock's Wharf, situated some twenty-five chains further west, beyond the entrance ta the tunnel, The Commission made recommendations, which resulted in the construction of a new jetty close to the Government Wharf, and later of breakwaters. Between 1853 and 1876 the Provincial Government spent some £141,100 from Provincial revenues upon the provision of breakwaters and jetties, and the reclamation of the land required for the purpose of railway sidings and stores. After the abolition of provinces, in 1876, a Harbour Board was constituted by Act of the General Assembly, to control the shipping facilities at lyttelton. The Board came into existence in 1877, and took over the Provincial works, as well as Peacock’s Wharf.
The inner harbour has a water area of 105 acres, and can accommodate vessels drawing 30 feet. The depth of the basin is being gradually increased, and the spoil used to reclaim adjacent land, which it is hoped will in the future become exceedingly valuable as a site for factories and stores.
The constitution of the Lyttelton Harbour Board has been amended on several occasions. The present Board is constituted as follows:—
The electoral roll used in each election is the one used in the election of members of the County, Road Board or Borough concerned.
Christchurch Domain Board.
The story begins in 1864 at the time of the foundation of the Acclimatisation Society. This Society proposed ta undertake the acclimatisation and cultivation of useful trees, shrubs and flowers, as part of its work. The Provincial Council voted a sum of £1,000 to assist in these objects, and set up a commission “to promote the cultivation and planting of the Government Domain in connection with the objects of the Acclimatisation Society.” The commission met for the first time on March 19, 1864; ifs members were Messrs. John Hall (Chairman), Henry Sewell, B. W. P. Miles and J. R. Hill. The commission was later converted into an advisory board, without much authority, to assist the Provincial Council in the management of its reserve. In case of difficulty, it appealed to the Government; for instance, on March 47, 1868, when it was reported that some of the grazing tenants had allowed pigs and turkeys to he at large, to the detriment of the plantation and permanent pasture, it was “ordered that the Government be written to on the subject.” Even in those days, however, the Board did much useful work, particularly by exchange of collections of Indigenous New Zealand plants for these of other countries. Among other instances may be noticed an exchange of this kind arranged in 1869 by Dr. von Haast, with his correspondent, Dr. Hooker, of Kew Gardens. It was about that time also that the plantation of Hagley Park was begun, and the Minute Book, carefully kept by Colonel A. Lean, the secretary of the Board, is a record of the trouble and consideration which was bestowed. It was in 1869 that the trees on the present Rolleston Avenue were planted. The strip of land on which they stand was originally a mill race reserve, situated between the Government Domain and the public thoroughfare. It was intended to convey water from the river at the Armagh Street bridge, and secure a good fall by returning it immediately below the Hospital. This reserve has since been placed under the control of the Domain Board.
The Minutes record the planting in 1870 of the pine plantation near Victoria Lake, and of the avenue leading to the Plough Inn at ​Riccarton in the same year, and of other plantations which have since become land marks.
Complaints appear in the Minutes of damage by trespass from the Board’s neighbours—hares and pheasants on the one side from the Acclimatisation Society, and College boys on the other.
The Canterbury Public Domain Act was passed by the Provincial Council in 1872, vesting the control of the Domain in the Superintendent, with power to delegate. By proclamation under that Act, January 16, 1873, the first authorative Domain Board was constituted under the chairmanship of Mr. W. Guise Brittan. About that time, the Board began to distribute many thousands of surplus trees amongst the public bodies of Canterbury. The distribution was very wide-spread, extending us far as Temuka. The Board was thorough in its methods, and sometimes enquired before making a grant whether the land on which it was proposed to plant had been properly trenched, and at what distance apart it was intended to plant. The railway came in for large grants of trees to make its plantations.
Another public service performed by the Board deserves record. The Provincial Council, in 1874, proposed to alienate a portion of the Domain as a site for Canterbury College. The Board carried its protest to the length of resigning en bloc, and the Government abandoned the proposal.
After the abolition of provinces, the Canterbury Public Domain Act was superseded by the Public Domains Act, 1881, the Board being thereafter appointed by the General Government.
The question of finance has always been a matter of some difficulty. An attempt was made after the formation of Greater Christchurch to put it on a fair footing, the City Council and Selwyn County Council contributing equal amounts, and the Riccarton Road Board assisting. The Christchurch Domain Act, of 1904, did not provide for finance, but, by the amending Act of 1913, the Board was given power to make levies on certain neighbouring local authorities.
Mr. John Mall was first Chairman of the Board; he was succeeded by Mr. Cyrus Davie, who held office till his death in 1871, The later Chairmen have been:—
    William Guise Brittan, July 21, 1871–October, 1874,
    R. J. S. Harman, November 3, 1874–September, 1881.
    Leonard Harper, September 14, 1881– 1892.
    H. P. Murray-Aynsley, February 8, 1893–January 13, 1897.
    Wm. Jacques, January 13, 1897–January 16, 1902.
    H. P. Murray-Aynsley, January 16, 1992–February 12, 1906.
    H. J. Beswick, February 12, 1906–Still in office.
It is very generally recognised that there is nothing south of the Line which so closely resembles an English Park as does Hagley, and this is due, firstly, to the manner in which the original planting was carried out, but even more to the constant thinning of the plantation. The Board has constantly been accused of vandalism in cutting down trees, but has steadily maintained its policy, and the end has justified its actions.
Christchurch Drainage Board.
The first Christchurch Drainage Hoard was elected on December 17, 1875, under the Christchurch District Drainage Act of that year. Prior to that time the various local bodies had controlled drainage matters within their own areas. No sewage system had been established, and the division of authority delayed the adoption of a comprehensive ​scheme. The Board was given control of the surface and underground drainage over the whole Christchurch district, comprising an area of some 32,000 acres, extending eight miles inland from the sea. It has provided the city and suburbs with a system of sewers and storm-water drains, worked in conjunction with a sewage farm near the coast. The revenue of the Board is provided by rates, collected through the various local bodies. The Board is composed of twelve members, each member being elected by a sub-district for a three years’ term. The total expenditure on works up to March 31, 1916, has been £386,310.
Canterbury Philosophical Institute.
The Canterbury Philosophical Institute (originally the Canterbury Philosophical Society), was founded on July 24, 1862, largely as a result of the efforts of Sir Julius von Haast, then Dr. Haast. The young Society received friendly greetings from Charles Darwin, Tyndall and Hooker, and its members busied themselves from the first in the study of the geology and natural history of Canterbury. It assisted in the establishment of the Canterbury Museum. In 1868 the organisation became affiliated with the New Zealand Institute, and so secured a medium for the publication of papers. The Canterbury Institute has undertaken many important local investigations, and it has been connected, through its more prominent members, with wider spheres of science. Undoubtedly, it has had an influence upon the higher education of the province and of the Dominion, and it has made its contributions to the standard literature of science.
Canterbury Jockey Club.
The first step towards the foundation of the Canterbury Jockey Club was taken at a meeting held in the Christchurch Reading Room on September 13, 1851.
The meeting was presided over by Edward Jerningham Wakefield, and the following Provisional Committee elected:—J. R. Godley, G. D. Lockhart, Hon. J. Stuart Wortley, T. Hanmer, J. C. Watts Russell, E. M. Templar, W. G. Brittan and E. J. Wakefield.
Riccarton was at that meeting suggested as a suitable site for the racecourse. A resolution was carried “That a Jockey Club, to be called the Canterbury Jockey Club, be formed, and that such Club consist of those gentlemen who shall, before the 15th of October, 1851, intimate their desire to become members, and to pay an entrance fee of one guinea, and a yearly subscription, payable in advance, of one guinea.”
The proposed Club did not come into immediate existence, but horse races formed part of the programme at the first anniversary celebrations, on December 16, 1851. Four races were run on a course in Hagley Park, at the north end. There were races again at the two succeeding anniversary days on the same course, and on November 4, 1854, another meeting was held at the Golden Fleece Hotel, presided over by Mr. J. Cracroft Wilson, to consider a proposal to form a Canterbury Jockey Club “for the purpose of encouraging excellence in the breed of horses, promoting the adoption of fair and useful regulations for horse racing, keeping a registry of the pedigree and performances of all racing stock, acquiring and preparing a suitable racecourse, and superintending the details of all necessary arrangements for the above objects.” The Club was then formed, and a memorial was ​sent to the Governor asking that a reserve should be made for a racecourse, the neighbourhood of the present site being suggested.
The rules of the Club, drafted by a committee, were adopted at a meeting on December 2, 1854, and officers were appointed, Mr. J. Cracroft Wilson becoming the first Chairman of the Canterbury Jockey Club, Mr. E. Jerningham Wakefield, Secretary, and Mr. W. Guise Brittan, Treasurer.
No races were held that year, the Club deciding that the usual anniversary meeting should be postponed until the following March.
The Government made the reserve as desired (the present site of the course at Riccarton), and two days' racing were held on March 6 and 7, 1855. The chief race was the Canterbury Cup of 50 sovs., which was won by Mr. G. H. Lee's “Tamerlane” (his colours, yellow jacket and black cap, became famous in after years under different ownership). The General Government by deed dated March 31, 1857, and signed by Governor Gore Browne, vested some 300 acres of land at Riccarton in the Superintendent of Canterbury, in trust for the purpose of a public racecourse, and by the Racecourse Lease Ordinance, passed by Provincial Council in October, 1859, this land, the site of the present racecourse, was leased to Isaac Thomas Cookson, the Chairman of the Canterbury Jockey Club (he had succeeded Mr. Cracroft Wilson, who had returned to India), or to the Chairman for the time being; the rent to be not less than £15 per annum, and the term 28 years. The security of tenure afforded by this Ordinance enabled the Club to proceed with permanent improvements, and in 1860, two members of the Club (Messrs. A. R. Creyke and H. P. Lance) guaranteed the cost of erecting a grand stand, a stone building capable of holding 400 people, which was used for the first time at the meeting in March, 1864.
Railway communication to the course was opened on November 3, 1877, and a telegraph office in 1879, since abolished in the interests of public morality.
By the Christchurch Racecourse Reserve Act, 1878, a Board of Trustees was constituted, with perpetual succession, to whom control of the course was granted.
The totalisator was introduced at the Autumn meeting in 1880.
Space does not admit of detailed reference to the long list of “improvements” by which the Club's magnificent property at Riccarton has been gradually built up since the inception of the Club in 1854, when it was considered necessary to enact as one of the rules a proviso that “bullock drays will not be admitted to the course.”
At the Jubilee Meeting of the Club on May 27, 1904, Mr. George Gatonby Stead, the Chairman, took occasion to review the progress made in the fifty years of the Club's existence. In doing so, he paid a well-deserved tribute to the splendid efforts of the several committees which had carried on the affairs of the Club since its inception. The Club in fact, has been singularly fortunate in securing the services of a succession of men of character and capacity to act as stewards and committee men. But it will probably not be thought invidious to single out the name of Mr. Stead himself for special reference.
Mr. Stead was well known as the leading racehorse owner for many years in Australasia. As such he commenced his career in 1877 when, under the racing name of G. Fraser, he won the Derby with “Trump Card.” But it is not as a horse owner that he need here be referred to. For more than thirty years he acted as Honorary Treasurer to the Club, and subsequently for some time as Chairman. During the whole of that long period he gave freely to the Club his fine abilities as a business man, and his powers of organisation, and to him is largely ​due the wonderful success of the Canterbury Jockey Club. To his knowledge of character is due the selection of the last two Secretaries of the Club—Mr. C. J. Penfold, 1882–1890, and Mr. W. H. E. Wanklyn, 1890, (still in office), who have both proved themselves admirable officers, and greatly assisted in the prosperity of the institution.
The Canterbury Society of Arts.
The Canterbury Society of Arts was founded on July 8, 1880, under the presidency of Hon. H. J. Tancred. The early success of this society was greatly due to the energy and enthusiasm of Captain Garcia, who, besides being a generous patron himself, was an energetic organiser and canvasser. Thanks to his efforts and the support he received from an art-loving public, the Society now owns a fine gallery in Durham Street, in which is housed a permanent collection of pictures, valued at over £5,000, containing examples of the work of many good artists. The surplus assets of the Society over liabilities amount to the substantial sum of about £7,000, and the annual exhibition, usually held in March, is not only of value in encouraging local talent, but has done much to promote art education in Canterbury.
In addition to a large general membership, the Society has more than a hundred working members,
The Christchurch Beautifying Association.
The Christchurch Beautifying Association was formed in 1897 at a meeting called by the late Dr. Irving. A similar Association had then recently been formed in Dunedin under the title of an “Amenities Society;” its objects, expressed in general terms, were the artistic and scenic improvement of the city, and the cultivation of all that is beautiful. By its constitutions, the Christchurch Beautifying Association was placed under the presidency of the Mayor of Christchurch for the time being, and has since been recognised by the City Council, which has not only made contributions in cash, but has assumed the care and maintenance of many of the plantations made by the Association.
The work done by the Association includes the planting of the river banks and various waste places with trees and flowers, notably the mill island at the Hereford Street Bridge, Barker’s Avenue, called after the late S. D. Barker, an active member of the Association; also Victoria Square has been planted with flowers and shrubs, and Rugby Street, Moorhouse and Linwood Avenues with trees.
The Society can also take credit for instituting an active crusade against ugly hoardings, sky signs and other advertising eyesores, Mr. Albert Kaye, one of the original members, is now its Vice-President, a position he has occupied for several years past.
The Summit Road Association.
In the early days of Canterbury, very little attention was paid to the scenic beauties of the Port Hills. These hills—they would be classed as mountains in England—were regarded as obstacles to traffic, to be tunnelled through or traversed by costly roads. The only public reserve then in existence in that locality, now known as Victoria Park, was originally set aside as a public quarry. It was due to the Hon. W. Rolleston that in 1883, the purpose of this reserve was changed, and it became a scenic and recreative reserve under the ​control of a special Board. Prior to the advent of the electric trams, there had been some small settlement on the lower spurs of the Cashmere Hills, but by the arrival of electric cars, a great impetus was given to this settlement. It was due mainly to the public enterprise of one of the city members of Parliament, Mr. H. G. Ell, that the people of Christchurch were brought to recognise the recreative and scenic value of the hills so near the city.
It was in 1909 that the Summit Road Association was formed; its aim being to make a carriage road along the lip of the vast crater within which lies Lyttelton Harbour. Partly by the generosity of owners of the land, and partly by public support, the land was acquired and a great portion of the Summit Road has now been made. It runs nearly on a level, swinging round the contours of the hills, sometimes on the side of the plains, with glorious views of the Southern Alps, and sometimes almost overhanging the land-locked expanse of Lyttelton Harbour. Finding its efforts appreciated by the public, the Association has gradually extended its programme, and has secured for the public various public reserves along its line of route. Some of these include the few remaining patches of native bush which still exist as objects of beauty, and give shelter to some of the indigenous birds which are unfortunately fast disappearing.
It is also intended to continue the Summit Road on the Peninsula side of Lyttelton Harbour, and to connect it with that other great volcanic crater which forms the splendid harbour of Akaroa.
It is difficult to over-estimate the value of such an asset as Christchurch possesses in its Summit Road. Older cities highly prize similar possessions; witness the pride taken by the people of Edinburgh in their drive round Arthur’s seat. The Right Hon. James Bryce, at that time H.B.M., Ambassador to the United States, and now Viscount Bryce, visited Christchurch in June, 1912. He was driven to the Summit of Dyer’s Pass, and shown the panorama of the range extending from the Kaikouras in the north till it melted into blue distance in the southern horizon. Mr. Bryce was a great mountaineer and a member of the Alpine Club. His enthusiasm was unbounded; he stood bareheaded: “I take off my hat,” he said, “to that view.”
Christchurch Club.
The Christchurch Club was founded in 1856. The first Minute Book is still in existence, and records a meeting held on March 16, 1856, those present being Captain B. Woollcombe, R.N., and Messrs. John Hall, Edward Jollie and George E. A. Ross.
The meeting was held at a lodging-house kept by Mr. G. B. Woodman, which stood at the corner of Peterborough and Durham Streets, on the site of the present Gladstone Hotel. Captain Woollcombe was elected as first President, and Mr. Ross as Secretary and Treasurer. Various other gentlemen were invited to join as original members, and Mr. Woodman’s house was leased furnished.
The Club was founded by country residents, or “squatters,” to provide them with a town home during their visits to Christchurch, and soon after its formation an unsuccessful attempt was made to vest the control entirely in the hands of country members. In February, 1858, an acre of land on the corner of Latimer Square and Worcester Street was purchased from the late Mr Samuel Bealey. The money for building was raised chiefly from members, who took shares of £50, bearing interest. Plans for the club house were prepared by Messrs. ​Mountfort and Luck, and were approved and accepted at a meeting held on September 21, 1859, the estimated cost being £3,158, and on May 1, 1862, the general meeting of the Club was held for the first time in the present building.
Town Hall.
Mr. FitzGerald proposed, in 1853, that a private company should be formed to build a Town Hall, which was much wanted. He suggested placing it on Mr. Wakefield's section where the United Service Hotel now stands—an excellent central position. The proposal fell through for want of financial support. A later attempt to form a company was successful, and a wooden building was created, and opened on October 1, 1857. It stood where Messrs. Strange and Co.’s premises are new situated, but the name of Town Hall was scarcely warranted, as, except for a subsidy of £300, the cost of the building was provided by shareholders. The Government had the use of a front room, and the privilege of the first claim to the use of the Hall in return for the subsidy. A session of the Provincial Council was afterwards held there, and it was also used for a polling place and for other public purposes. The Hall was rebuilt in stone in 1862–3, and afterwards added to, but was so damaged by the earthquake in June, 1869, that it was condemned as unsafe, and was sold in March, 1871, to Mr. L. E. Nathan for £3,900. For some reason the transaction does not appear to have been completed, and the property was again offered on September 29, 1873, under instructions from the directors of the Christchurch Town Hall Company, Ltd. By this time, the value of city property had increased, and the “Press,” on September 30, 1873, announced that “The sale of the Town Hall property, consisting of the freehold land fronting on High Street, the debris of the building and the old Town Hall and adjoining room, took place yesterday. . . . Mr. E. Strange, for Messrs. W. Strange and Co. then bid £7,000, at which price, after a little delay, it was knocked down amid loud cheers. The principal bidders were Messrs. W. D. Wood, Strange, Harris, Oram, etc. . . . The total amount realised by the sale of the property was £7,300, a very satisfactory result as far as the shareholders were concerned.”
Since that time, Christchurch has been without even a nominal Town Hall.
The Sumner Canal.
The rivers Avon and Heathcote effect a junction not very far from Sumner, forming a large shallow lagoon, the greater portion being mud flats at low water. The water from this lagoon finds an outlet to the sea at Sumner, but the joint action of sea and river forms a sand bar across the mouth, which at low tide is sometimes only about two feet below water level. Until the tunnel was built, all goods landed at Lyttelton and intended for Christchurch had to be taken across this bar, and much loss occurred in the process.
It was in those early days that certain canal reserves were made, so that instead of discharging lighters at the “Bricks,” the goods might be carried on to Christchurch. The construction of the tunnel ended the project, as goods ceased to be lightered since they could be safely carried by rail direct to Christchurch. But in later years an agitation broke out in favour of making an entrance from the sea into Sumner Estuary, and excavating a harbour there. The arguments most commonly used to support the idea were that Christchurch was handicapped as a manufacturing and commercial centre by double handling of its goods at ​Christchurch and Lyttelton, and by extortionate “tunnel” rates; that the level land available for business purposes at Lyttelton was too cramped owing to the hills descending so steeply into the sea. That in any case Lyttelton Harbour was becoming inadequate to cope with its trade, and expensive harbour works on a large scale would have soon to be undertaken, and that at present the whole commerce of Canterbury passed through the Lyttelton Tunnel, and would be utterly disorganised if it were to be destroyed or seriously damaged. Another argument often used was that by the sale or lease of the reclaimed land as sites for stores and factories, the Harbour Board could recoup itself for a considerable portion of the expense of construction. No doubt if Lyttelton were abandoned and a new port formed at Woolston or even nearer to Christchurch, the frontages on that part would become exceedingly valuable, but such increases of value would be really at the expense of those who now possess sites and buildings in Lyttelton, which would suffer a similar decrease in value. The arguments used on the other side were that Lyttelton was a natural harbour, easy of access from the sea to vessels of the greatest draught, but that there was no knowing what the cost might be of maintaining the entrance to the Sumner harbour, even if the initial difficulties of its construction were successfully surmounted, and that in bad weather it would be extremely difficulty of access from the sea. Opponents of the canal also claimed that by a different arrangement of the wharves and sidings, the capacity of the present Lyttelton Harbour could be increased sufficiently to meet all requirements for a great many years.
It was decided to obtain expert advice from Messrs. Coode, Son and Matthews, whose representative came out for the purpose. His report was claimed as favourable by both sides. It was to the effect that a harbour in the estuary could be formed, but at great expense. The matter then rested with the Lyttelton Harbour Board, a composite body representing various interests. Lyttelton, of course, was represented, and naturally was against the proposal. The Government also was against it, as it would mean the loss of the revenue of the most payable short line of railway in New Zealand. The country districts were against it, as it would mean a large expenditure of money, for which the country would be proportionately liable, while the benefit, if any, would fall to the share of the business people of the city. The opponents of the canal were in a majority, and in 1909, two reports on it were published. The majority report, against the proposal, was signed by five members, and the minority report by four.
This did not end the agitation, and it was then agreed to appoint three commissioners, whose decision should be final. The men selected as commissioners lived outside the province, so would not be liable to be influenced by local consideration. They were men of approved business knowledge and capacity. Mr. William Ferguson, late Engineer of the Wellington Harbour Board, was chairman. The commissioners reported in favour of the retention of Lyttelton as the harbour.
Beaten on the main question, the supporters of the canal are now asking that a supplementary harbour, suitable only for coastal boats carrying timber and coal, should be established in the estuary.
As the question is still in a controversial stage, it is not intended to discuss its merits in these pages. It is probably common ground to both parties that so long as the whole produce of North Canterbury depends for an outlet on a single tunnel one mile and three quarters in length, the commerce of that portion of the province is exposed to grave risk.
Some Census figures for comparison.
| | | | | Canterbury. | Christchurch. | Lyttelton. |
| December, 1856 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 5,347 | 710 | 765 |
| | | | (At this time 70,148 acres of land had been sold in the province, and 1,100 buildings erected. The number of sheep in Canterbury was 220,788.) | (At this time 70,148 acres of land had been sold in the province, and 1,100 buildings erected. The number of sheep in Canterbury was 220,788.) | (At this time 70,148 acres of land had been sold in the province, and 1,100 buildings erected. The number of sheep in Canterbury was 220,788.) | (At this time 70,148 acres of land had been sold in the province, and 1,100 buildings erected. The number of sheep in Canterbury was 220,788.) |
| March, 1857 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 6,230 | 953 | 770 |
| | | | (For the first time the population of Christchurch exceeded that of Lyttelton. Dwellings, 1,192; sheep, 276,089. Ages of population: Under forty years, 5,577 persons; forty years to sixty years, 611 persons; over sixty years, 42 persons.) | (For the first time the population of Christchurch exceeded that of Lyttelton. Dwellings, 1,192; sheep, 276,089. Ages of population: Under forty years, 5,577 persons; forty years to sixty years, 611 persons; over sixty years, 42 persons.) | (For the first time the population of Christchurch exceeded that of Lyttelton. Dwellings, 1,192; sheep, 276,089. Ages of population: Under forty years, 5,577 persons; forty years to sixty years, 611 persons; over sixty years, 42 persons.) | (For the first time the population of Christchurch exceeded that of Lyttelton. Dwellings, 1,192; sheep, 276,089. Ages of population: Under forty years, 5,577 persons; forty years to sixty years, 611 persons; over sixty years, 42 persons.) |
| March, 1859 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 8,967 | 1,443 | 1,135 |
| December, 1861 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 16,040 | 3,205 | 1,135 |
| December, 1864 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 32,347 | 6,423 | 2,436 |
| | | | (Christchurch figures are for the electoral district of Christchurch city from 1664 onwards). | (Christchurch figures are for the electoral district of Christchurch city from 1664 onwards). | (Christchurch figures are for the electoral district of Christchurch city from 1664 onwards). | (Christchurch figures are for the electoral district of Christchurch city from 1664 onwards). |
| February, 1871 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 46,801 | 12,466 | 2,551 |
| March, 1874 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 58,770 | 16,945 | 2,902 |
| | | | (By this time the Avon, Heathcote and Kaiapoi electorates contained a portion of what properly was city population.) | (By this time the Avon, Heathcote and Kaiapoi electorates contained a portion of what properly was city population.) | (By this time the Avon, Heathcote and Kaiapoi electorates contained a portion of what properly was city population.) | (By this time the Avon, Heathcote and Kaiapoi electorates contained a portion of what properly was city population.) |
| December, 1902 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 135,858 | 42,286 | 4,023 |
| April, 1915 | . . . | . . . | . . . | 187,905 | 58,169 | 4,396 |
                   Area of City (31st March, 1915), 5278 acres.
                   150 Miles of Streets, aggregating 966 acres.
                   Capital Value at Last Valuation, £12,027,372.