Historic Club To Be Renovated

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 16

Historic Club To Be Renovated

The premises of the Christchurch Club, built by Canterbury runholders in 1861, are having a face-lift.

The two-storey wooden building houses the oldest chartered club in New Zealand, and the alterations are designed to meet the changing needs of its 330 members.

The old staff wing and domestic quarters are being demolished and a new kitchen and domestic quarters are being built of concrete block. The club once had some 20 bedrooms, but these are being rebuilt to provide 10 large bedrooms, each with private bath. In the second stage of reconstruction, the smoke-room, billiards room, card room and other public rooms of the club will be renovated. “Thousands of dollars are being spent on reconstructing and refurbishing the building,” said Mi- Burdekin. “A lot of the old furnishings will be removed, but the club will keep its many good pieces of furniture, such as the beautiful dining table and grandfather clock given by Sir Heaton Rhodes.”

Plans had been made for replacing the old building at the corner of Worcester Street and Latimer Square with a new multi-storeyed block, but the Building Controller vetoed them. Now the clubrooms have had their life extended indefinitely, and the solidity of the timbers revealed during the partial reconstruction indicates that the building is still very sound. Mr A. G. Burdekin, the club’s secretary-manager, said the timber was mainly kauri, totara, matai and Baltic pine, secured with hand-made nails. “None of the timber has to be replaced,” he said. “When the club was built they used good stuff and plenty of it” Alterations began on May 7 and should be completed by the end of the year. At the moment much of the roof is covered by tarpaulins. The slates are being removed and will be fixed again.