Halswell Quarry Park Explained

Coordinates:43.6008°N 172.5783°W
Operator:Christchurch City Council
Location:Christchurch, New Zealand

Halswell Quarry operated between 1861 and 1990 before becoming the Halswell Quarry Park, one of many Christchurch City Council reserves. It offers a combination of walking and mountain biking tracks, historic sites, picnic areas, botanical collections, and six sister city gardens.[1] [2] [3]

Location

Halswell Quarry Park is located in the suburb of Kennedys Bush at 185 Kennedy's Bush Road in Christchurch, New Zealand.

History of Halswell Quarry

Halswell Quarry provided crushed stone for roading and cut stone for significant works including the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings, Durham Street Methodist Church, Cranmer Court formerly Christchurch Normal School and the Sign of the Takahe. The stone was a distinctive blue-grey colour. The rock formations were first noted by the Deans brothers, who named the outcrop Rock Hill. James Feather and James Forgan opened the quarry in c. 1861. They sold it to Guise Brittan, who took Grosvenor Miles and William White Sr (father of politician of the same name). Brittan sold to the Lincoln Road Tramway Company, and White and William Wilson managed the quarry operations. Wilson took over the quarry, and many important Christchurch buildings were constructed from its stone, including the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings, Sunnyside Hospital, Durham Street Methodist Church, Canterbury Museum, Normal School, Teachers' College Building, Sign of the Takahe, and the Robert McDougall Art Gallery.[4] In 1925 by the Christchurch City Council who managed it until 1990 when it became commercially unviable due to reduced stone reserves. It is thought to have been the oldest and longest continually operating quarry in Australasia.[5]

Halswell Quarry buildings

Three original buildings are still located in Halswell Quarry Park which are the crusher plant workshop (1912), the singlemen's accommodation barracks (1922), and the manager's residence which is listed in Heritage New Zealand as Halswell Quarry stone house and garden (1927).[6] All three buildings were renovated after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[7]

Halswell Quarry walks and tracks

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Christchurch City Council. 2 December 2014. District plan – Listed heritage place: Heritage assessment – Statement of significance – former Halswell Quarry – 185 Kennedys Bush Road, Christchurch. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210708030043/https://districtplan.ccc.govt.nz/Images/DistrictPlanImages/Statement%20of%20Significance/Christchurch/HID%20309.pdf. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council.
  2. Web site: February 2021. Halswell Ward profile. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709024116/https://www.ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Culture-Community/Stats-and-facts-on-Christchurch/2021-Community-Profiles/2021-Community-Profiles-Halswell-Ward.pdf . 9 July 2021. Christchurch City Council.
  3. Web site: Christchurch City Parks. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190128000641/https://www.ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Culture-Community/Christchurch/ChristchurchCityParks.pdf. 28 January 2019. 9 July 2021. Christchurch City Council.
  4. Book: Ogilvie, Gordon. The Port Hills of Christchurch. Phillips & King. 2009. Christchurch. 9780958331562. 2nd.
  5. Web site: Halswell Quarry walks and tracks. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210708032434/https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/explore-parks/port-hills/halswell-quarry. 8 July 2021. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  6. Web site: Halswell Quarry Stone House and Garden. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191221065144/https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7223. 21 December 2019. 8 July 2021. Heritage New Zealand.
  7. Web site: Historic Quarry building reopens to the public. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210708200228/https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/historic-quarry-building-reopens-to-the-public. 8 July 2021. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council Newsline. en-GB.
  8. Web site: Canterbury Wetland Walk. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  9. Web site: Cashmere Hill Loop. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  10. Web site: Cashmere Road shared use track. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  11. Web site: Findlay's Walk. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  12. Web site: Kennedys Bush Access Track. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  13. Web site: Quarry Rim Track. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  14. Web site: Quarry View. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.
  15. Web site: Sister City walks. 8 July 2021. Christchurch City Council. en-GB.

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