Chief Post Office, Christchurch

Last updated

Chief Post Office
Chief Post Office, Christchurch, New Zealand 10.jpg
The former Chief Post Office after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake (photo from 2019)
Chief Post Office, Christchurch
General information
TypeGovernment, with some commercial enterprises
Architectural styleItalianate style with classical and Venetian Gothic elements
Location Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City
Address31 Cathedral Square
Town or cityChristchurch
CountryNew Zealand
Coordinates 43°31′54″S172°38′09″E / 43.5316°S 172.6358°E / -43.5316; 172.6358
Current tenantsNone
Construction started24 May 1877
Completed1878
Renovated1907
OwnerGordon Chamberlin
Technical details
Floor countTwo
Design and construction
Architect(s) William Henry Clayton
Main contractor Dan Reese
Designated2 April 1985
Reference no.291
References
"Chief Post Office (Former)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.

The Chief Post Office or Christchurch Central Post Office, originally known as the Government Buildings, [1] is located in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was initially a post office with Immigration, Customs and Public Works departments. The Government Buildings were later replaced by the new Government Buildings [2] opened in 1913, [3] and the Chief Post Office remained on-site. In 1881, New Zealand’s first telephone exchange was installed in the building. Post services were offered from the building until 2000 when it was re-purposed to house a Christchurch tourist information centre and a restaurant, café and offices. [4] Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the building closed. In the early 2020s repairs and strengthening [5] took place. The building was planned to reopen in 2023 in stages, and eventually include a restaurant, shops, and a visitor information centre, under the name "The Grand". [6] The structure is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage building.

Contents

Geography

The building's setting within Cathedral Square in 2009 Cathedral Square Christchurch NZ cropped.jpg
The building's setting within Cathedral Square in 2009

The building is located at 31 Cathedral Square, [7] and is situated in the Square's southwest corner. [8] Footpaths and a cabstand were added after the post office opened. [9] During the 1992 redesign and redevelopment process of the Square, the road in front of the former Chief Post Office was closed. [9]

History

In 1863, the New Zealand House of Representatives noted an important change was to take place in Canterbury, in that Christchurch would replace Lyttelton as the principal post town. [10] The General Government was renting several government buildings in Canterbury, some of which were inconveniently situated or badly constructed. [11] Christchurch's first post office was very small, and located at Market Square, these days known as Victoria Square. [12]

Chief Post Office prior to the 1907 extension, still with two symmetrical facades Chief Post Office, Christchurch, 1900s.jpg
Chief Post Office prior to the 1907 extension, still with two symmetrical façades

The Canterbury Provincial Council, with the sanction of the General Government, agreed to erect government buildings in Cathedral Square, opposite the Anglican Church's building site. A Bill passed in 1873 vested the site in the Crown. Plans were drawn by William Henry Clayton, [13] [14] the first (and only) Colonial Architect to New Zealand. [15] [16] Clayton had previously designed the (former) post office in Lyttelton, and that building, smaller but similar in style, is regarded as his "trial run" for the building in the Square. [13] The building was at the time referred to as the new Government Buildings. [8] While it was agreed that the new building should accommodate the General Government, opinions differed on whether the construction should be ornamental. A prevailing motion approved that some regard ought to be paid to a little architectural finish. [11]

The construction contract was awarded to Dan Reese. [8] The foundation stone was laid by Hon Edward Richardson, a Christchurch member of parliament who until earlier in the year had been the first Minister of Public Works, [17] on Queen's Birthday on 24 May 1877. The event was poorly attended, partly because no programme had been arranged beforehand. In his speech, Richardson reflected on the lengthy delay of starting construction, owing to the controversy about the building site. The mayor, Fred Hobbs, then used his address to lobby the attending members of parliament for a Resident Magistrate's Court (which was built in 1880/81 [18] ). Since nobody came forward to speak afterwards, the crowd dispersed. Attendees of the ceremony were Bishop Harper, MHR William Rolleston, MHR Edward Stevens and MHR William Montgomery. [19] [20]

William Clayton in 1860 William Clayton, 1860.jpg
William Clayton in 1860

Soon after laying the foundation stone, Clayton died and the work was supervised by his assistant Pierre Finch Martineau Burrows. [12] The building was completed in 1878. It opened behind schedule on 14 July 1879. [8]

The building originally housed the postal department as well as other Government and administration offices. In 1881, New Zealand's first telephone exchange was installed in the building. [12] The building was extended in 1907 to the west by adding a third gable; up until that point, it had two symmetrical façades. The extension was designed and supervised by Burrows. [12] When the new Government Building opened at the eastern end of the Square in 1913, the postal services remained and the building became known as the Chief Post Office. [13]

In the 1930s, the post office was threatened by demolition, as more space was required. Construction of a new post office didn't start until 1989, immediately to the south of the existing building. The seven-storey building dominates and impairs the historic structure, and parts of the old building had to be demolished to make way for the high rise. [12] [13]

The building suffered minimal damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, and only minor damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The landlord, Gordon Chamberlain, director of Chrystal Imports, feared that necessary repair to or demolition of nearby high-rise buildings would restrict access to his buildings for "years". [21] Of the four other central city buildings owned by Crystal Imports, two were demolished, including Warner's Hotel on the opposite side of the Square. [22] [23]

It was announced in 2020 that the building would be restored into a hospitality and visitor complex called The Grand which would occupy the entire building it hoped to open in 2021. [24] The opening of the complex was delayed due to COVID-19 and failed fundraising but in June 2022 the crowd funding goal was met and would open in August 2022 but that date was pushed back again and it was planned to open sometime after March 2023, but failed to open by then. [25] [26] [27]

Architecture and fittings

The clock tower with the UK royal coat of arms Clocktower in Christchurch.jpg
The clock tower with the UK royal coat of arms
Architectural detail with the dominant Telecom high-rise in the background Christchurch Chief Post Office detail.jpg
Architectural detail with the dominant Telecom high-rise in the background

Built of brick, the design is Italianate style with classical and Venetian Gothic elements. The upper windows feature pointed arches. A later renovation brought a third gabled bay to the north frontage. [12] The building is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 291. [12]

Clock

Reputed to be a replica of London's Great Clock of Westminster, [8] [28] a working, free standing, four faced turret clock was installed in 1879 within a clock tower. [29] Underneath the east facing clock face is the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. [12] Notable for being unreliable, an electric clock was eventually installed to control the visible faces as slave clocks. While at one time it chimed on the hour and at the quarters, [30] after the mechanisms were damaged in a 1980s fire, the clock became silent. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch</span> City in Canterbury, New Zealand

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of 415,100, and a metropolitan population of over half a million. It is located in the Canterbury Region, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by the ancient volcanic complex of the Banks Peninsula. The Avon River (Ōtākaro) winds through the centre of the city, with a large urban park along its banks. With the exception of the Port Hills, it is a relatively flat city, on an average around 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. Christchurch has a reputation for being an English city, with its architectural identity and nickname the 'Garden City' due to similarities with garden cities in England, but also has a historic Māori heritage. Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate with regular moderate rainfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyttelton, New Zealand</span> Settlement in Christchurch, New Zealand

Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō, at the northwestern end of Banks Peninsula and close to Christchurch, on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time ball</span> Time-signalling device

A time ball or timeball is a time-signalling device. It consists of a large, painted wooden or metal ball that is dropped at a predetermined time, principally to enable navigators aboard ships offshore to verify the setting of their marine chronometers. Accurate timekeeping is essential to the determination of longitude at sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Square, Christchurch</span> Square in Christchurch, New Zealand

Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located. The square stands at the theoretical crossing of the city's two main orthogonal streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street, though in practice both have been either blocked off or detoured around the square itself. The square was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch, who is in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Clayton (architect)</span>

William Henry Clayton was a Tasmanian-born colonial architect who practised initially in Tasmania and then in New Zealand. He was New Zealand's first Colonial Architect, serving in the position from 1869 up until his death. In this role, he and his office were responsible for the design of numerous government buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Arts Centre</span> Arts, culture, education, creativity and entrepreneurship in Christchurch, New Zealand

TheArts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora is a hub for arts, culture, education, creativity and entrepreneurship in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the Gothic Revival former Canterbury College, Christchurch Boys' High School and Christchurch Girls' High School buildings, many of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort. The centre is a national landmark and taonga as it is home to New Zealand's largest collection of category one heritage buildings with 21 of the 23 buildings covered by Heritage New Zealand listings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Mountfort</span> English architect, emigrant to New Zealand (1825–1898)

Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort was an English emigrant to New Zealand, where he became one of the country's most prominent 19th-century architects. He was instrumental in shaping the city of Christchurch's unique architectural identity and culture, and was appointed the first official Provincial Architect of the developing province of Canterbury. Heavily influenced by the Anglo-Catholic philosophy behind early Victorian architecture, he is credited with importing the Gothic revival style to New Zealand. His Gothic designs constructed in both wood and stone in the province are considered unique to New Zealand. Today, he is considered the founding architect of the province of Canterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch City Libraries</span> Library system for Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch City Libraries is a network of 21 libraries and a mobile book bus. operated by the Christchurch City Council and Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the previous Christchurch Central Library building was demolished, and was replaced by a new central library building in Cathedral Square, Tūranga, which opened in 2018. A number of community libraries were also rebuilt post earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Central City</span> Central area of Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch Central City or Christchurch City Centre is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the Four Avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green space including Hagley Park, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and the Barbadoes Street Cemetery.

Daniel Reese was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Christchurch, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombo Street</span> Main road in Christchurch, New Zealand

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizens' War Memorial</span> New Zealand war memorial

The Citizens' War Memorial in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, is one of the two major memorials in the city to World War I. It is located immediately north of ChristChurch Cathedral. The annual Anzac Day service was held there until the February 2011 earthquake; since then the memorial has been behind the fence around the cathedral. It is a Category I heritage structure registered with Heritage New Zealand. Between 2021 and 2022, the memorial was repaired and shifted 50 metres (160 ft) to the west. The Citizens' War Memorial was used for the 2023 ANZAC day dawn service in Christchurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cranmer Square</span>

Cranmer Square is an urban park in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located 800 metres (870 yd) northwest of the city's centre, Cathedral Square. The major arterial route of Montreal Street skirts the edge of the square. The square is grassed and crossed by concrete paths and edged by mature trees. It covers an area of 1.9 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Square, Christchurch</span> Public place in Christchurch, New Zealand

Victoria Square is a public park located in central Christchurch, New Zealand. Originally known by European settlers as Market Place or Market Square, it was renamed to Victoria Square in 1903 in honour of Queen Victoria. It was one of the four squares included in the original plan of Christchurch when the city was laid out in 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latimer Square</span> Park in Christchurch, New Zealand

Latimer Square is an urban park in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located 400 metres (440 yd) east of the city's centre, Cathedral Square. Many commemorative events take place in Latimer Square. The square lies between the major urban thoroughfares of Gloucester Street and Worcester Street. Madras Street runs north and south to Latimer Square. The square is grassed and crossed by concrete paths and edged by mature trees. It covers an area of a little over 1.8 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Central Recovery Plan</span> Plan for rebuilding Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake

The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, often referred to as the Blueprint, is the plan developed by the Fifth National Government of New Zealand for the recovery of the Christchurch Central City from a series of earthquakes, in particular the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act 2010 required the Christchurch City Council to develop a recovery plan for the central city. The plan, known as Share an Idea, was presented to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, in December 2011. Brownlee rejected the city council's plan, established the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), and tasked that organisation with developing a plan based on the city council's draft. The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan was published in July 2012 and defined 17 anchor projects. All projects where a timeline was specified were to have been finished by 2017; none of the 17 projects have been delivered on time and some have not even been started yet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester Street, Christchurch</span> Street in Christchurch, New Zealand

Worcester Street is a road in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It runs from the intersection of Rolleston Avenue in the west, and terminates in the east at the intersection of Woodham Road in Linwood. Between Rolleston Avenue and Cambridge Terrace, it is known as Worcester Boulevard.

References

  1. ↑ "Star (Christchurch), Issue 2852, 24 May 1877, Page 2". 24 May 1877.
  2. ↑ "Papers Past".
  3. ↑ "Star (Christchurch), Issue 10883, 25 September 1913, Page 6". PapersPast. 25 September 1913.
  4. ↑ "The Chief Post Office".
  5. ↑ "Funded project: Former Chief Post Office".
  6. ↑ "The Grand: New development in Christchurch's Cathedral Square to open in August".
  7. ↑ "Chief Post Office (Former)". zenbu.co.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Chief Post Office". Christchurch City Council handbook. Christchurch City Libraries. 1998. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  9. 1 2 "The Squares of Christchurch". Christchurch City Libraries . Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  10. ↑ New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives (1863). Appendix to the journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand. p. 4.
  11. 1 2 New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives (1875). Parliamentary debates. s.n. pp.  564–565. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lovell-Smith, Melanie (11 December 2001). "Chief Post Office (Former)". New Zealand Historic Places Trust Pouhere Taonga. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Wilson, John (2007). City and Peninsula : The Historic Places of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. Christchurch: The Christchurch Civic Trust, The Akaroa Civic Trust. pp. 67, 132. ISBN   978-0-473-12239-3.
  14. ↑ "Christchurch Post Office". christchurchcitylibraries.com. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  15. ↑ Crighton, Anna. "Clayton, William Henry – Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  16. ↑ "History- Treaty Onwards". russellnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  17. ↑ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 36.
  18. ↑ "Magistrate's Court". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.
  19. ↑ "Local and General". The Star . No. 2852. 24 May 1877. p. 2. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  20. ↑ "Christchurch". Manawatu Times. Vol. II, no. 64. 30 May 1877. p. 2. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  21. ↑ Heather, Ben (6 April 2011). "Quick fixes ruled out for ChCh buildings". The Press . Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  22. ↑ Heather, Ben (19 May 2011). "Landlords may be forced to sell at loss". The Press . p. A3.
  23. ↑ McDonald, Liz (20 November 2015). "Warner's Hotel could rise again in Christchurch's Cathedral Square". Stuff. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  24. ↑ McDonald, Liz (1 November 2020). "Bold new plan for old chief post office would bring life back to Square corner". Stuff. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  25. ↑ Kenny, Jake (2 June 2022). "The Grand: Cathedral Square development hits $150,000 fundraising goal". Stuff. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  26. ↑ Kenny, Jake (22 July 2021). "Old Post Office revamp taking shape in Christchurch's Cathedral Square". Stuff. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  27. ↑ McDonald, Liz (6 January 2023). "2023 is the year Christchurch's Cathedral Square will come alive". Stuff. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  28. ↑ "City Heritage Walks" (PDF). Christchurch City Council. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  29. ↑ "Chief Post Office Clock – Christchurch, New Zealand". waymarking.com. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  30. ↑ Grundy, Elaine (1968). Who'd marry a doctor?: A Chatham Islands casebook. Whitcombe and Tombs. p. 12. ISBN   9780723301141.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.