Civic, Christchurch
Encyclopedia
The Civic in Manchester Street, Christchurch Central City
, was one of the former civic buildings of Christchurch City Council
(CCC). Built in 1900, it was first used as an exhibition hall, a cinema and then a theatre. It burned down in 1917. The northern part of the building was purchased by CCC and opened as the civic office in 1924, and served this purpose until 1980. After that it had several uses, including a restaurant, bar and live music venue. The building was heavily damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, has had its frontage removed and is on the list of buildings to be demolished.
The Civic was a Category II heritage building registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
.
, the president of the New Zealand Industrial Association, called it "possibly the finest hall in New Zealand".
The building was formally opened on 1 November 1900 by the Mayoress, Mrs Reece. Later that afternoon, the Governor
, The Earl of Ranfurly
, opened the jubilee exhibition. The Premier's party consisted of Richard Seddon
, Joseph Ward
and families. The day was declared as a public holiday from noon.
The exhibition covered 74000 square feet (6,874.8 m²) and took up two thirds of the city block described by Manchester, Gloucester, Worcester Streets and Latimer Square. It closed on 31 January 1901, having been visited by nearly 250,000 people, with a surplus of £3000.
Erminie
on 28 August 1906. Fuller's leased the theatre for a period of ten years in early 1917, but tragedy struck on 11 November of that year when the building was gutted by fire. The building, valued at £21,000, was lost, with only the façade left standing. The city organ, which was donated by the Government after the 1906 New Zealand International Exhibition
, valued at £5,000 and insured for £3,750 was also consumed by the flames. The building had only recently been offered to the Christchurch City Council as a town hall.
, had become too small. CCC bought the northern part (194 Manchester Street) of the burned out shell in 1920 for their new municipal offices.
The southern half of the old building at 192 Manchester Street opened as the Civic Theatre on 17 March 1928. Dawe and Willis were the architects for the theatre. That building was demolished in 1983, truncating the impressive 1900 façade by half.
Greenstreet and Anderson were engaged as architects for the civic offices, and W. Williamson was engaged as a builder in 1922. Monica Thacker
, the mayoress, laid the foundation stone. The building was opened on 1 September 1924. The design was based on an American banking chamber, where one continuous desk in the form of a horseshoe in the main hall gave access for the public to every department of the council.
An imposing portico
was built over the footpath, but this was later demolished.
All council staff (apart from specialist services like the electricity department) were once again under one roof, but this lasted only until 1943. With an increase in the number of staff, and other municipalities amalgamating with Christchurch City Council, council started housing some staff in other buildings. By 1978, council staff were in nine different buildings.
The new Christchurch Town Hall
was built in Kilmore Street, over the Avon River from Victoria Square, and opened in 1972. Part II of this civic area were supposed to be new civic offices as a replacement for the building in Manchester Street. It was envisaged to build on the corner of Kilmore and Durham Streets, cutting Victoria Street off from going through Victoria Square, but this scheme did not proceed. Instead, the city council purchased Miller's Department Store in Tuam Street in 1978 and fitted this building out as the new civic offices, occupying the building in 1980. The City Council sold the Civic in 1982 for $760,000.
, Shapeshifter
, Elemeno P
and Anika Moa
. It also hosted night time performances of the annual buskers festival
. The Civic stopped hosting music events in 2009.
Following the earthquake, a time capsule was found in the building. It was opened on 12 April 2011 by mayor Bob Parker, together with two further capsules found in the plinth of the toppled Godley Statue
. The time capsule from the Civic contained newspapers, a book with photos and the council's balance sheet and statements for the year ended 31 March 1921.
Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City 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...
, was one of the former civic buildings of Christchurch City Council
Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
(CCC). Built in 1900, it was first used as an exhibition hall, a cinema and then a theatre. It burned down in 1917. The northern part of the building was purchased by CCC and opened as the civic office in 1924, and served this purpose until 1980. After that it had several uses, including a restaurant, bar and live music venue. The building was heavily damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, has had its frontage removed and is on the list of buildings to be demolished.
The Civic was a Category II heritage building registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
.
Agricultural and Industrial Hall
The Agricultural and Industrial Hall, also known as the Canterbury Hall, was built in 1900 at 192–194 Manchester Street. The foundation stone was laid by Mayor William Reece on 14 March 1900. William Albert Paxton Clarkson and Robert Anderson Ballantyne, architects trading as Clarkson & Ballantyne, designed the building for the 50th jubilee of Christchurch, celebrating the arrival of the First Four Ships in December 1850. The contractors were Rennie and Pearce. The Canterbury Industrial Association, a branch of the New Zealand Industrial Association, was the driving force behind the building. Together with the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, an Agricultural and Industrial Hall Company was formed that owned the building. Samuel BrownSamuel Brown (mayor)
Samuel Brown was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1887 to 1888.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1879 to 1885, and on the Wellington Harbour Board, the Wellington College Board of Governors and the Industrial Association which promoted the Industrial Exhibition of 1896.He was born...
, the president of the New Zealand Industrial Association, called it "possibly the finest hall in New Zealand".
The building was formally opened on 1 November 1900 by the Mayoress, Mrs Reece. Later that afternoon, the Governor
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, The Earl of Ranfurly
Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly
Uchter John Mark Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly GCMG, PC was a British politician and colonial governor. He was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1897 to 1904.-Early life:...
, opened the jubilee exhibition. The Premier's party consisted of Richard Seddon
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
, Joseph Ward
Joseph Ward
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, GCMG was the 17th Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century.-Early life:...
and families. The day was declared as a public holiday from noon.
The exhibition covered 74000 square feet (6,874.8 m²) and took up two thirds of the city block described by Manchester, Gloucester, Worcester Streets and Latimer Square. It closed on 31 January 1901, having been visited by nearly 250,000 people, with a surplus of £3000.
His Majesty's Theatre
The Canterbury Hall was then used as a cinema, seating 3,000. In 1906, the building was converted to a theatre with a seating capacity of 1,400, and the name was changed to His Majesty's Theatre. The remodelled building was opened with the premier of the comic operaComic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
Erminie
Erminie
Erminie is a comic opera in two acts composed by Edward Jakobowski with a libretto by Claxson Bellamy and Harry Paulton, based loosely on Charles Selby's 1834 Robert Macaire...
on 28 August 1906. Fuller's leased the theatre for a period of ten years in early 1917, but tragedy struck on 11 November of that year when the building was gutted by fire. The building, valued at £21,000, was lost, with only the façade left standing. The city organ, which was donated by the Government after the 1906 New Zealand International Exhibition
International Exhibition (1906)
The New Zealand International Exhibition opened 1 November 1906 in Hagley Park, Christchurch, New Zealand. Nearly two million people visited the exhibition during the next few months. A branch railway line was built across North Hagley Park to service the exhibition...
, valued at £5,000 and insured for £3,750 was also consumed by the flames. The building had only recently been offered to the Christchurch City Council as a town hall.
Municipal offices
Christchurch City Council started looking for new civic offices in 1919, as the existing offices, these days known as Our CityOur City, Christchurch
Our City, or more formally Our City O-Tautahi, is on the corner of Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace in the Christchurch Central City. It is a Category I heritage building registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust...
, had become too small. CCC bought the northern part (194 Manchester Street) of the burned out shell in 1920 for their new municipal offices.
The southern half of the old building at 192 Manchester Street opened as the Civic Theatre on 17 March 1928. Dawe and Willis were the architects for the theatre. That building was demolished in 1983, truncating the impressive 1900 façade by half.
Greenstreet and Anderson were engaged as architects for the civic offices, and W. Williamson was engaged as a builder in 1922. Monica Thacker
Henry Thacker
Dr Henry Thomas Joynt Thacker was a doctor, New Zealand Member of Parliament and Mayor of Christchurch.-Early life:...
, the mayoress, laid the foundation stone. The building was opened on 1 September 1924. The design was based on an American banking chamber, where one continuous desk in the form of a horseshoe in the main hall gave access for the public to every department of the council.
An imposing portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
was built over the footpath, but this was later demolished.
All council staff (apart from specialist services like the electricity department) were once again under one roof, but this lasted only until 1943. With an increase in the number of staff, and other municipalities amalgamating with Christchurch City Council, council started housing some staff in other buildings. By 1978, council staff were in nine different buildings.
The new Christchurch Town Hall
Christchurch Town Hall
The Christchurch Town Hall, since 2007 formally known as the Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts, opened in 1972, is Christchurch's premier performing arts centre. It is located in the central city on the banks of the Avon River overlooking Victoria Square. It is situated opposite the...
was built in Kilmore Street, over the Avon River from Victoria Square, and opened in 1972. Part II of this civic area were supposed to be new civic offices as a replacement for the building in Manchester Street. It was envisaged to build on the corner of Kilmore and Durham Streets, cutting Victoria Street off from going through Victoria Square, but this scheme did not proceed. Instead, the city council purchased Miller's Department Store in Tuam Street in 1978 and fitted this building out as the new civic offices, occupying the building in 1980. The City Council sold the Civic in 1982 for $760,000.
Post 1982
The Civic has had several owners and different uses. In 1984, it was the Civic Regency Restaurant. It was renamed The Civic in 1986 and was a bar, and then served as a live music venue, with acts by Salmonella DubSalmonella Dub
Salmonella Dub are a Dub/Drum n Bass/Reggae/Roots band from Kaikoura, New Zealand. They were formed in 1991 by Andrew Penman, David Deakins and Mark Tyler...
, Shapeshifter
Shapeshifter (band)
Shapeshifter are a live Drum & Bass act from New Zealand. They have been heralded as a musical phenomenon for their ground breaking live shows and unique blend of heavy soul with drum and bass...
, Elemeno P
Elemeno P
Elemeno P is a New Zealand rock band. The band's first album, Love & Disrespect was released on 4 July 2003, and reached number one on the RIANZ albums chart. Their second album, Trouble in Paradise was released on 24 November 2005 and includes the singles 11:57, Burn, One Left Standing and You Are...
and Anika Moa
Anika Moa
Anika Rose Moa is a New Zealand pop recording artist. In 2001 she signed to Atlantic Records in the United States and released her debut album, Thinking Room, the album reached the top of the New Zealand Singles Chart and was a commercial success.Moa was raised in Christchurch, New Zealand...
. It also hosted night time performances of the annual buskers festival
Buskers festival
A buskers festival is any festival in which street-shows or street-performers of music, theater, dance, juggling, etc., play a prominent role....
. The Civic stopped hosting music events in 2009.
Demise
The Civic was heavily damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Much of the façade collapsed into Manchester Street. The building is due for demolition.Following the earthquake, a time capsule was found in the building. It was opened on 12 April 2011 by mayor Bob Parker, together with two further capsules found in the plinth of the toppled Godley Statue
Godley Statue
The Godley Statue is a bronze statue situated in Cathedral Square in Christchurch, New Zealand. It commemorates the "Founder of Canterbury" John Robert Godley. It was the first statue portraying a person in New Zealand...
. The time capsule from the Civic contained newspapers, a book with photos and the council's balance sheet and statements for the year ended 31 March 1921.