EARLY HISTORY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 266, 22 August 1936, Page 8

EARLY HISTORY.

CHRISTCHURCH IN 1850. Christchurch was in 1880 a waste of high fern and tutu, through which the surveyors had cut rough tracks. Indeed, a year later it is said that a new arrival lost his way amongst the scrub in Cathedral Square, and was found plaintively asking to be shown the way to Christchurch. Behind the White Hart, in Lichfield Street, was a raupo swamp; another to the east extended nearly to the present Lancaster Park. These areas were the haunts of swarms of ducks and pukaki. Running diagonally across the site of the city was a deep gully, carrying water in winter time too deep to be forded. This gully left the river near St. Church —it can still be seen in the Vicarage Gardens —crossed Cashel Street, passed near the Bank of New Zealand corner, through Dr. Rrin’s garden, where the Canterbury Hall now stands, and flowed back into-the river near the Manchester Street bridge. In the first instance each man pitched his camp where he pleased, cutting down the fern and tutu to make a clearing, and it happened that the first group ol buildings grew up near “the Bricks wharf which was the landing place for goods transhipped from Lyttelton. Another centre was formed by the Land Office, on the site of the; present Municipal Buildings, also on the river, and nearby in Worcester Street Dr. Barker pitched bis tent. (From igram’s “Story of' Christchurch.”).