Park in Christchurch, New Zealand
Hagley Park
is the largest
urban open space
(164.637 hectares)
[1]
in
Christchurch
,
New Zealand
, and was created in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "
reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public.
"
[2]
Hagley Park is characterised by its trees and broad open spaces. Hagley Park was named after
Hagley Park
, the country estate of
Lord Lyttelton
, who became chairman of the
Canterbury Association
in March 1850.
[3]
Location
[
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]
The boundaries of the park, which is located to the east of the
central city
of Christchurch, are defined by both the
Avon River / ?t?karo
and the surrounding roadways. The longest road boundary is that along
Deans Avenue
, often regarded as one of
The Four Avenues
which delimit central Christchurch. On the western side adjacent is the suburb of
Riccarton
.
To the north and northeast, the natural path of the Avon River bounds the park.
Moorhouse Avenue
and Hagley Avenue form the south and south-eastern boundaries, respectively. Along the eastern boundary, the Park is defined by the two kilometre loop of the Avon River, which extends into the side of Hagley Park.
The
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
(21.14 hectares) are located within this loop and frequent bridges provide connections. The Botanic Gardens contain a collection of beautiful flowers and trees from around the world. The gardens attract many birds to the park, and sightseers frequently visit the park to view the plants and the wildlife.
The
Canterbury Museum
and
Christ's College
are the two other land uses that take up the balance of the land within the river's loop.
Two major avenues subdivide the park into three units. The northern unit is Little Hagley Park (6.96 hectares), with North Hagley Park (87.17 hectares) lying to the south of
Harper Avenue
. South Hagley Park (70.507 hectares) lies to the south of North Hagley Park, separated by Riccarton Avenue.
[1]
Road proposals
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At various times, it was proposed to build additional roads through the park. In the 1860s, it was considered to connect Armagh Street with the Great South Road (now called Riccarton Road).
[4]
Usage
[
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]
Cherry blossoms
flowering during springtime in Hagley Park
In its early days, Hagley Park was used for horse races.
[5]
Hagley Park has frequently been a site for gathering large crowds together: it served as the location for the
Great Industrial Exposition of 1882
and the
New Zealand International Exhibition
in 1906?1907. In 1906, the
Australasian tennis championships
(now known as the
Australian Open
) were held in Hagley Park as part of the
Grand Slam
.
[6]
The singles event was won by
Tony Wilding
, who defeated
Francis Fisher
in three sets.
[7]
In recent years, the park has hosted many visiting
circuses
and open-air
concerts
. The
Ellerslie Flower Show
has been held in North Hagley Park since 2008.
[
citation needed
]
The park has hosted the Electric Avenue Music Festival.
[8]
A
golf course
(Hagley Golf Club) is located in North Hagley Park.
[9]
South Hagley Park contains several
netball
courts, the
Hagley Oval
cricket ground and a
heliport
for
Christchurch Hospital
, although as of 2019 there are calls to build a helipad on the roof of the hospital itself.
[10]
Hagley Park was also the site of a national memorial service attended by 20,000 people to remember the 51 dead victims of the
Christchurch mosque shootings
at
Al Noor Mosque
and
Linwood Islamic Centre
which included the likes of
New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern
and
British
Muslim convert singer
Yusuf Islam
(aka Cat Stevens).
[11]
-
North Hagley Park, late afternoon in winter
-
Little Hagley Park (north of Harper Ave) in summer
-
Foggy morning, North Hagley Park
-
A
black swan
and
model yachts
on Victoria Lake
-
North Hagley Park in autumn
The weekly Saturday
parkrun
takes place at the North Hagley Park. Organised by volunteers, the 5km run welcomes all runners with all fitness levels.
[12]
[13]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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CCHL
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former assets
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Services
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Chairman (1862?1868)
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Mayors
(1868?present)
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elected at large
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Mayoral elections
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biennial term
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triennial term
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- † Elected unopposed
- ‡ By-election
- 1
appointed following death of incumbent
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