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.
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 cathedral was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Isaac Luck was a New Zealand architect. A professional builder, he arrived in Lyttelton on the Steadfast in 1851. He was the third chairman of the Christchurch Town Council. He was the brother-in-law of and in partnership with Benjamin Mountfort, and was the less well-known architectural partner for the design of the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings.
The Cathedral Grammar School is an independent, Anglican preparatory day school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The school is situated on a site covering two blocks in mid-Christchurch next to the Avon River and adjacent to Hagley Park, which it uses for its playing fields. It is in close proximity to Christ's College, the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Christchurch CBD.
Edward Sydney "Sidney" Luttrell and his brother Alfred Edward Luttrell (1865–1924) were partners of S. & A. Luttrell, a firm of architects and building contractors noted for its contributions to New Zealand architecture, both in terms of style and technology. The practice was established in Launceston, Tasmania in 1897 when Alfred who was operating his own architectural practice, went into partnership with his younger brother and former apprentice Sidney, under the original name A. & S. Luttrell. The brothers moved to Christchurch, New Zealand and by 1902 were submitting tender notices there. Sidney Luttrell was also noted for his keen interest in horse racing. He was a part-owner of Sasanoff, winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1916.
The Press Building located in Cathedral Square in Christchurch was the home of The Press between 1909 and February 2011. The building in perpendicular Gothic is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 302. The building suffered significant damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, with one staff member killed in the collapsed top floor. The building was demolished in July and August 2011.
The Lyttelton Times was the first newspaper in Canterbury, New Zealand, publishing the first edition in January 1851. It was established by the Canterbury Association as part of its planned settlement of Canterbury and developed into a liberal, at the time sometimes seen as radical, newspaper. A successor paper, The Star, is published as a free bi-weekly newspaper.
Warner's Hotel in 50 Cathedral Square, Christchurch is the site of a hotel established in 1863. The original building, extended on numerous occasions, burned down in 1900. A new building was built in 1901. Again, it underwent numerous alterations. A fourth storey was added in 1910 and the northern end of the building was demolished in 1917 and a theatre built in its place to create a noise buffer to the printing presses of the adjoining Lyttelton Times Building. The theatre was demolished in 1996 and patrons enjoyed a beer garden. In 2010, a high-rise Novotel hotel opened on the site of the beer garden and in the process, the historical and symmetrical 1901 façade was recreated.
The Chief Post Office or Christchurch Central Post Office, originally known as the Government Building, is located in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was initially a post office with other government services. Until the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, it was a Visitor Information Centre but has since been inaccessible, but is planned to reopen in 2023 as The Grand a mixed use building that will include restaurants, shops, an office & a Visitor Information Centre. It was the site of the first telephone exchange in New Zealand. The structure is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage building.
Clarendon Tower was a high rise building on Worcester Street at Oxford Terrace in the Christchurch Central City, New Zealand. Built on the site of the former Clarendon Hotel, the façade of the historic building was kept in the redevelopment and was protected by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category II heritage structure. Following damage from the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the 17-storey building has been demolished.
The Excelsior Hotel in 120 Manchester Street, Christchurch, originally the Borough Hotel, in recent years known as Excelsior Backpackers or New Excelsior Backpackers, was a Category I heritage building in central Christchurch. It was designed by then most prominent architect, William Armson, and was one of the few remaining examples of his work in the city. It was heavily damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and all but its western façade was demolished after the earthquakes. The remaining part was demolished in April 2016.
Linwood House was built as the homestead for Joseph Brittan, who, as surgeon, newspaper editor and provincial councillor, was one of the dominant figures in early Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb of Linwood was named after Brittan's farm and homestead. Brittan's daughter Mary married William Rolleston, and they lived at Linwood House following Joseph Brittan's death. During that time, Rolleston was the 4th Superintendent of the Canterbury Province, and Linwood House served for many important political and public functions.
Peter Jamieson Beaven was a New Zealand architect based in Christchurch, who lived for his last few months in Blenheim. He was a co-founder of New Zealand's first heritage lobby group, the Civic Trust.
Joseph Clarkson Maddison was a New Zealand architect. He trained as an architect in his native London and came to Canterbury at the age of 22. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, he was one of the most prominent architects in Christchurch, receiving commissions from all over the country. Until the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, 13 of his buildings were listed by Heritage New Zealand on their register, with three of those Category I listings, but many of the Christchurch buildings have been demolished since. His style was plain and utilitarian, and he specialised in the classical Italian mode.
Samuel Charles Farr was a 19th-century builder and architect in Christchurch, New Zealand. He intended to emigrate from England to Auckland, but significant shipping problems saw him end up in Akaroa in 1850 instead. From 1862, he lived in Christchurch. Farr has a number of firsts against his name: the first marriage in Canterbury, he designed Akaroa's first church, designed New Zealand's first iron verandahs, and he started Sunday schools in Canterbury. As a leading member of the Acclimatisation Society, he stocked almost every lake and river in Canterbury with fish and was instrumental in introducing the bumblebee to New Zealand. His most notable building was Cranmer Court, the former Normal School, in the Christchurch Central City; this building was demolished following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
The Odeon Theatre in Christchurch was the oldest masonry theatre in New Zealand, and one of only three remaining purpose-built 19th-century theatres in the country. The building has had different names over the years, and was put to many different uses. It was damaged beyond repair in the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and partially demolished in September 2012. The theatre was recognised as a Category I heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, with registration number 3140. One of its most notable aspects was its use as a public meeting venue of Kate Sheppard during her women's suffrage campaign.
Cranmer Court, the former Christchurch Normal School, was one of the most significant heritage buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand. Its demolition, due to some damage in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, was controversial.
Victoria Square is located in central Christchurch, New Zealand. Originally known as Market Place or Market Square, it was the site of market days, fairs, and trade before its redevelopment in 1896–1897 into a park. Subsequent to the February 2011 earthquake, the square was located in the Central City Red Zone and was closed, reopening in November 2012. Its notable landmarks include the Captain James Cook statue, Queen Victoria statue, H. L. Bowker Fountain, and the Victoria Square Poupou. It also features the country's oldest cast iron and stone bridge, now known as the Hamish Hay Bridge.
The Lyttelton Borough Council Chambers was the headoffice of the Lyttelton Borough Council from 1887 until the late 20th century, when the borough council moved to a number of other buildings. Civic use of the building stopped in 1999, when the building was sold for business and residential use. Registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 2003, the building was demolished in June 2011 following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
