Beckenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located three kilometres south of the city centre. The Heathcote River winds through this predominantly residential suburb, a section of which is often referred to locally as the "Beckenham Loop". Beckenham is bounded by Sydenham to the north, Somerfield to the west, Cashmere and Huntsbury to the south and St Martins to the east.
European settlement of Beckenham dates back to the first arrival of British settlers in Christchurch, and was part of the initial allocation of land to the new settlers. The Beckenham area, which was known as Middle Heathcote at the time, was divided into two plots of farmland - the first of which was purchased by brothers Stephen and James Fisher, with the other going to James' father-in-law.[4] Stephen Fisher named the area Beckenham after the English town of the same name, although the name Fisherton was also used in honour of the brothers.[5] The brothers and their family farmed the area until their deaths, at which point demand for residential land in Christchurch was growing. The farms were subdivided in 1906, forming the new suburbs of Beckenham and Fisherton in the process. The suburb grew in size as the Christchurch tramway system expanded into the area, down Colombo Street to Devon Street (1880), then Tennyson Street and finally to the Port Hills (1898), providing easy access from the suburb to the central city. During this process, the name Fisherton gradually fell into disuse, with the name Beckenham being applied to the whole area.[5] Electricity was provided to Beckenham in 1912 and a waste water scheme was provided in the 1920s.[5]
Amenities
The Beckenham shops which have now been demolished after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.
The Beckenham shopping area on Colombo St, had a number of buildings demolished as a result of the 2010–11 earthquakes, but overall the area continues to thrive, with a butcher, café, pharmacy and post shop, among other businesses. The Christchurch South Police Station is located on Colombo Street.
Beckenham is home to the Beckenham Methodist Church,[6] Beckenham Baptist Church[7] and St Peters Beckenham Catholic Church.[8]
Beckenham Park has duck ponds, is the home to the Southern Districts Cricket Club[9] and the Beckenham Tennis Club.[10] The Opawa-Saint Martins Toy Library is located in the former Beckenham Library on Sandwich Road.[11]
The former Beckenham library building. Now home to the toy library (November 2020)
Houses
There are many original houses built in the 1900s–1950s consisting of single- and the occasional two-storey villas, some brick single-storey dwellings, wooden bungalows, and a few Art Deco houses. There are a number of larger houses on Fisher Avenue. Many houses throughout the suburb have well established front gardens. The streets are relatively wide, with many mature street trees, including London Planes.[12] Some subdivision has occurred with new houses located behind the original houses with separate driveways and associated fencing. The trees on Fisher Avenue and Norwood Street contribute to Beckenham by creating a pleasant street appearance.[12]
Flooding issues
The Heathcote river in flood spilling into Eastern Terrace, Beckenham
Beckenham's location on the banks of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River means that streets along the river are prone to flooding during heavy rain events, like many suburbs in the lower reaches of the Ōpāwaho. The Christchurch City Council continues to implement flood mitigation strategies to lessen the impact of this.[13][14][15]
Demographics
Beckenham covers 0.88km2 (0.34sqmi).[16] It had an estimated population of 2,430 as of June 2023,[3] with a population density of 2,761 people per km2.
Beckenham had a population of 2,403 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 39 people (−1.6%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 48 people (−2.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 897 households, comprising 1,125 males and 1,275 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.88 males per female. The median age was 41.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 492 people (20.5%) aged under 15 years, 396 (16.5%) aged 15 to 29, 1,149 (47.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 363 (15.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 93.4% European/Pākehā, 6.2% Māori, 0.9% Pasifika, 3.4% Asian, and 2.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 24.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 61.7% had no religion, 29.8% were Christian, 0.7% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.0% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 747 (39.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 198 (10.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $39,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 483 people (25.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,005 (52.6%) people were employed full-time, 342 (17.9%) were part-time, and 48 (2.5%) were unemployed.[17]
Churches
Beckenham Baptist Church
Beckenham Baptist Church, having suffered damage in the 2011 earthquakes. It has subsequently been demolished.
The Beckenham Baptist Church was built on Colombo Street at a cost of 3600 pounds and could seat 210 people. It was opened by the Governor General, Lord Bledisloe. In 1981 a mezzanine floor was added to the church. At the same time, the choir stalls and the pipe organ were removed.[18] Damaged in the 2011 Christchurch Earthquakes, it was demolished soon after.[19]
Beckenham Methodist Church
Beckenham Methodist Church is located at 83 Malcolm Ave, Christchurch.[20]
Beckenham Methodist Church (2021)
St Peter's Catholic Church
St Peter's Catholic Church and St Peters school are located on Fisher Avenue. St Peter's school was opened in 1927 with the land for the school donated by the Fisher family.[21] It was proposed in 2019, that St Peter's Catholic Church could be closed in a reshuffle and amalgamation of parishes in Christchurch.[22]
St Peters Beckenham (2021)
Primary school
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto (2021)
Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto is a state, co-educational, primary school catering for school Years 1 to 8. The school opened as Beckenham School on Monday 8 February 1915[23] with 149 pupils and a staff of four, following lobbying to the Canterbury Education Board by the Beckenham Burgesses’ Association, who argued that it was too dangerous for Beckenham children to cross Colombo St tramlines to attend Somerfield School. The school roll and its buildings grew rapidly so that by 1928 the school roll reached 562. The roll in recent years (2020) has ranged from around 430 at the beginning of the school year and rising to around 510 by the end of the year. The Canterbury Earthquake of 22 Feb 2011 destroyed the school pool. A fire in January 2013 destroyed the library and multipurpose rooms. Approximately 13% of the school's population is Māori and there is a strong support for school te reo Māori and Tikanga Māori programmes within the community. Children of other ethnic backgrounds include Cook Island Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Indian, Russian, Hungarian, Dutch, German, African, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. The school has an attached satellite class from Ferndale School for moderately intellectually disabled children. The first school committee adopted the red, yellow and black colours of the Belgian flag as the school colours as a tribute to the bravery shown by that country in the 1914-1918 World War.[24] Beckenham is currently a decile 8 school.[25] Beckenham School changed its name to Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto on 1 January 2018 after the Ministry of Education approved the new name that was gifted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri rūnanga.[26] Literally translated as "The School of the Ponds", the name reflects the school's location near the ponds of Beckenham Park alongside the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River.
South Library
South Library (2021)
The South Library is located on Colombo Street by the Heathcote river. Designed by architects Warren and Mahoney and completed in 2003, The South Library provides 2400 square metres of space in a single story building. It was designed with numerous features that make it a particularly environmentally friendly building.[27] In 2004, the library received a supreme award at the New Zealand Institute of Architects award ceremony.[28] While it received temporary repairs following the 2011 earthquake, in 2022 it was decided to demolish and rebuild the library in 2024, at a projected cost of almost $25M.[29]
Ferrymead is a suburb south-east of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is the main thoroughfare for reaching the eastern sea suburbs such as Sumner, as well as home to a number of cliff-top residences and businesses along the estuary front. After the 2011 Canterbury earthquake, a number of prominent Christchurch businesses relocated to the Ferrymead area, making it into a secondary business hub.
The Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templeton Road, with a catchment area in wet weather extending as far west as Yaldhurst and Pound Road. It meanders around the base of the Port Hills from west to south-east.
Waltham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located approximately 2 kilometres south-east of the city centre. State Highway 76, part of Christchurch's ring road system, and known there as Brougham Street, runs through the suburb, as does the Lyttelton Line rail corridor. Amenities include Lancaster Park, Christchurch's former sports venue, now a community park, and Waltham pool.
New Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of the city centre. It is one of eastern Christchurch's main entertainment and tourist centres, with its architecturally unique pier and scenic coastline. The 2011 Christchurch earthquakes caused significant damage in the area.
Opawa is an inner residential suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located approximately 3.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre. Prior to European settlement, much of the area consisted of grasslands and mixed-use vegetation. By the 1860s, the area was sparsely populated by settlers and later became a rural-agricultural locality, with many of the early settlers of English descent. It developed little during its early years in becoming a residential suburb. As Woolston emerged as an industrial hub nearby, Opawa was heavily urbanised, transforming it into an upscale residential area with a population largely comprised of factory workers and businesspeople. Opawa also contributed in the development of Christchurch with its former brickmaking and clay industries.
Woolston is an industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated 3 kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to major arterial routes including State Highways 74 and 76 to Banks Peninsula. The Heathcote River flows through the suburb.
Heathcote Valley is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is named after Sir William Heathcote, who was secretary of the Canterbury Association.
Cashmere is a suburb which rises above the southern end of the city of Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island, on the north side of the Port Hills. It covers an area of 4.71 km2 (1.82 sq mi) and has a population of 6,453 as at 2018.
Sydenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, two kilometres south of the city centre, on and around the city's main street, Colombo Street. It is a residential, retail and light industrial suburb.
Seatoun is an eastern suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand and lies on the east coast of the Miramar Peninsula, close to the entrance to Wellington Harbour.
Bryndwr is a suburb in the north-west of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Spreydon is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-south-west of Cathedral Square. The most central street through Spreydon is Barrington Street. Spreydon is flanked by the suburbs Hoon Hay, Sydenham, and Lower Cashmere. State Highway 76 marks the northern boundary of the suburb, including the eastern end of the Christchurch Southern Motorway.
St Martins is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres south of the city centre.
Somerfield is a suburb in the south of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is nominally bordered by the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River to the south and west, Strickland and Colombo Streets to the east, and Milton Street to the north. The suburb includes Somerfield School, Somerfield Park and a small number of shops which service the local area, although it is predominantly residential. Somerfield is also known for its wide variety of trees, especially along the banks of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River.
Redcliffs is an outer coastal suburb of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Mount Pleasant (Tauhinukorokio) is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb is located on the northern flank of the mountain Tauhinukorokio/Mount Pleasant in the Port Hills. It takes its name from the English version of the mountain's name.
Hoon Hay is an outer suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located at the base of the Port Hills and about 5 kilometres southwest of Cathedral Square. The area was named by Captain Wickham Talbot Harvey, a captain of the British Royal 10th Hussars, who moved to the area in 1852 and named it after the farm in Hoon, Derbyshire where he grew up. Harvey only stayed in the area for four years, before a fire destroyed his property and prompted him to return to the United Kingdom. Further fires in the following years destroyed the woodland which was on the property, including several large tōtara, causing it to be converted into farmland. Remnants of this forest remain visible in the area, including with tree stumps being discovered during flood mitigation work on the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River.
The Avon River / Ōtākaro flows through the centre of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and out to an estuary, which it shares with the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River, the Avon Heathcote Estuary / Ihutai.
Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square. As with many other central Christchurch streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo, Sri Lanka in what at the time was known as Ceylon. Parts of the street which run through Sydenham were known as Addison Street during the 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road.
Hillsborough is a mixed industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south-east of the city centre.
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Beckenham
