In early May 1977, demolition workers were carrying out a run-of-the-mill job at 35 Oak Grove. A large wooden house which had previously been split into four flats was being pulled down due to problems with the age of the building and its maintenance. This house was once Warwick Hospital, also known as Warwick House... Continue Reading →
What remains of the quaint model village of Barrhill is undeniably unique, the few original buildings standing as a reminder of what was once a thriving settlement and a dream-come-true. Barrhill was laid out in the 1870s by John Cathcart Wason, owner of the Corwar Estate, to accommodate his workers and their families. Parents and... Continue Reading →
Brantwood Chapel is a beautiful historic building situated at Trott’s Garden on Racecourse Road, which can be hired as a wedding and events venue. At first glance, without knowing the history of the building you may assume that it had always been there. After all, it fits in perfectly amid the pristine scenery of the... Continue Reading →
Te Pātaka o kā Tuhituhi/Te Waharoa a Hine Paaka, Ashburton's new Library and Civic Centre, will unite the Ashburton Public Library and the Ashburton District Council under one roof - an idea that may give some of you a bit of déjà vu.
In late 2020 the Ashburton i-SITE information centre building rolled off in style to start the next chapter in its life as the new clubrooms for the Mid Canterbury Aero Club. This familiar building was the second of its kind, and its departure marked the end of an era for East Street and the CBD... Continue Reading →
Dotted around the old estates and stations lay the homesteads (or what is left of them) that housed many farming families throughout the district’s early history.
Tancred Street was once an entertainment hub for Ashburton – what is now a set of unassuming offices used to be the St James Theatre, formerly His Majesty’s Theatre. The theatre was popular and successful throughout most of its life, from His Majesty’s Friday night opening in August 1912 through to St James’ closing in... Continue Reading →
An early image of the Ashburton railway station entrance. The Ashburton Railway station was once a social hub of the town: a place where goods and people moved from one place to another. There were two earlier stations - the first was built in 1874, when it took 72 minutes to get from Christchurch to... Continue Reading →
At the Ashburton Museum we are always eyes-deep in interesting photographs. Amongst the more than six million images that the Ashburton Museum team care for, we have a pretty decent set of photographs of the two squares that show their transformation through the decades.
Albert Ager was an architect from Christchurch who briefly made his mark in Ashburton during the late 1890s and early 1900s. Ager trained at the School of Architecture at Canterbury College, Christchurch. It seems that before coming to Ashburton, he lectured at the School of Art. He delivered a series of lectures on the history... Continue Reading →
Ashburton Museum Blog 