103-528: Opawa ( / oʊ p ɑː w ɑː / ) is an inner residential suburb of Christchurch , New Zealand. It is located approximately 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) south-east of the city centre . Prior to European settlement, much of the area consisted of marshlands and mixed-use vegetation. By the 1850s, the area was sparsely populated by settlers and became a dairying locality, with many of the early settlers being farmers and people of English descent. Opawa had little development in its early years as it transitioned into
206-555: A city by royal charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand. Christchurch was heavily industrialised in the early 20th century, with the opening of the Main South Line railway and the development of state housing saw rapid growth in the city's economy and population. Christchurch has strong cultural connections with its European elements and architectural identity. Christchurch
309-612: A few months later in December 1856. In 1862 the Christchurch City Council was established. By 1874, Christchurch was New Zealand's fourth-largest city with a population of 14,270 residents. Between 1871 and 1876 nearly 20,000 immigrants arrived in Canterbury, and through the 1880s frozen meat joined wool as a primary export. The last decades of the nineteenth-century were a period of significant growth for
412-405: A few months later, which occurred directly under the city centre and also caused widespread damage, but this was less severe. Nearly two months later, on Tuesday 22 February 2011, an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 struck the city at 12:51 pm. Its hypocentre was located closer to the city, near Lyttelton, at a depth of 5 km (3 mi). Although lower on the moment magnitude scale than
515-752: A former landfill site (rubbish dump), there were later plans to transform the landfill site into a recreational park in 1959. This park features two rugby fields, two football fields, and houses the clubrooms of the Port Hills Athletic Club. Another park located in the suburb is Risingholme Park, adjacent to the Risingholme Homestead. Opawa is home to the Opawa Bowling Club and the Opawa Lawn Tennis Club. Both of these sporting clubs have existed in
618-463: A former student of Opawa School. Thomas drowned in Waikuku Beach in 1932 and his parents bought this site and gifted it to the city in honour of his life. Hansen Park, a recreational area in the suburb, frequently hosts rugby , cricket , and athletics events. It is named in honour of Dr. David Ernest Hansen, recognised for his work in the local community. The area was initially the site of
721-554: A grid pattern, centred on Cathedral Square . Growth initially took place along the tramlines, leading to radial development. Major expansion occurred in the 1950s and 60s, with the development of large areas of state housing . Settlements that had originally been remote, such as Sumner , New Brighton , Upper Riccarton and Papanui eventually became amalgamated into the expanding city. The Christchurch functional urban area , as defined by Statistics New Zealand, covers 2,408.1 km (929.8 sq mi). Towns and settlements in
824-595: A number of minor natural disasters during this period. Heavy rain caused the Waimakariri River to flood Christchurch in February 1868. Victoria Square (known as Market Place at the time) was left underwater with "the whole left side of the [Avon] river from Montreal-street bridge to Worcester street was all one lake, as deep as up to a horse's belly". Christchurch buildings were damaged by earthquakes in 1869 , 1881 and 1888 . The 1888 earthquake caused
927-435: A period when there was also slow subsidence in the eastern coastal plains of Canterbury and Christchurch. The result has been the deposition of sequences of mostly fluvial gravel (occurring during periods of low sea level and glaciation), and fine deposits of silt, sand and clay, with some peat, shells and wood (occurring during interglacial periods when the sea level was similar to the present). The layers of gravel beneath
1030-425: A population density of 1,370 people per km . Linwood, New Zealand Linwood is an inner suburb of the city of Christchurch , New Zealand. It lies to the east of the city centre , mostly between Ferry Road and Linwood Avenue, two of the major arterial roads to the eastern suburbs of Christchurch. It is one of the city's older suburbs, established in 1850. Linwood is one of Christchurch's older suburbs which
1133-645: A population of 9,783 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 1,161 people (13.5%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 768 people (8.5%) since the 2006 census . There were 3,873 households, comprising 5,043 males and 4,743 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female, with 1,563 people (16.0%) aged under 15 years, 2,559 (26.2%) aged 15 to 29, 4,593 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,074 (11.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 64.5% European/ Pākehā , 16.9% Māori , 6.9% Pasifika , 21.3% Asian , and 3.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
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#17327930361511236-498: A residential suburb. An early sign of an emerging European community in the area was the arrival of Rev. William Willock, an early settler area who built a cottage titled "Opawaha Cottage", a reference to the Māori name of the area. Another early European settler, Joshua Strange Williams , addressed his property as "Opawa Farm". Eventually Opawa became the recognised name for the area. As Woolston emerged as an industrial hub nearby, Opawa
1339-480: A total area of about 380 acres (about 150ha). He called the farm Linwood, as he was from Linwood, Hampshire . Brittan built Linwood House at 30 Linwood Avenue in 1857, which stood there until demolition following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake . Christchurch lacked an accessible port before the construction of the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel in 1867. This posed a significant problem for
1442-527: Is also home to a number of performing arts centres and academic institutions (including the University of Canterbury ). Christchurch has hosted numerous international sporting events, notably the 1974 British Commonwealth Games at the purpose-built Queen Elizabeth II Park . The city has been recognised as an Antarctic gateway since 1901, and is nowadays one of the five Antarctic gateway cities hosting Antarctic support bases for several nations. Christchurch
1545-534: Is also home to an Anglican primary school called St Mark's School, a name it shares with St. Mark's Anglican Church which is located on Opawa Road. The school is located on Cholmondeley Avenue and is a state-integrated full primary school for years 1 to 8. It has a roll of 235 students. All these schools are co-educational . Rolls are as of August 2024. There are two kindergartens in the suburb, one located on Cholmondeley Avenue and another kindergarten located on Butler Street. The Opawa Community Church (formerly known as
1648-404: Is centred on Opawa Road, which was developed on one of the earliest settled routes, at the intersection of Hawford and Reeves Roads. Opawa Road is no longer the primary thoroughfare through to Lyttelton and Heathcote Valley. Opawa contains several landmarks and locations of historical interest, known for their connection with the early European settlers in the area: Opawa was incorporated in to
1751-556: Is defined as the area centred on Cathedral Square and within the Four Avenues (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue). It includes Hagley Park , and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens . The design of the central city with its grid pattern of streets, city squares and parkland was laid out by 1850. The central city was among the most heavily damaged areas of Christchurch in
1854-508: Is known as Eastgate Mall (formerly Linwood City) and also contains a Christchurch City Council community centre and a library. It covers an area of 30,500 m . It is on two levels but used to encompass a much larger area prior to the 22 February 2011 earthquake, it has 1100 carparks and 37 shops, including The Warehouse , Woolworths , Warehouse Stationery , Number One Shoes and Lincraft . The largest parks in Linwood are Bromley Park and
1957-671: Is one of the oldest schools in North Canterbury which was established in 1872. At the present time, Opawa School is a full-primary school for years 1 to 8, with a roll of 343 students. Another school in Opawa is the Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School, it is a state-integrated composite school for years 1 to 13, it is located on Ombersley Terrace and has a roll of 318 students. The school opened in 1975 and became state-integrated in 1989. The suburb
2060-712: Is recorded. The lowest temperature recorded in Christchurch was −9.4 °C (15 °F) in the suburb of Wigram in July 1945. On cold winter nights, the surrounding hills, clear skies, and frosty calm conditions often combine to form a stable inversion layer above the city that traps vehicle exhausts and smoke from domestic fires to cause smog. While not as bad as smog in Los Angeles or Mexico City, Christchurch smog has often exceeded World Health Organisation recommendations for air pollution. To limit air pollution,
2163-568: Is served by the Christchurch Airport in Harewood , the country's second-busiest airport. The city suffered a series of earthquakes from September 2010 , with the most destructive occurring on 22 February 2011 , in which 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings across the city suffered severe damage, with a few central city buildings collapsing, leading to ongoing recovery and rebuilding projects. Christchurch later became
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#17327930361512266-467: The Lyttelton Times . "Opawa" eventually becoming the recognised name for the area. A number of opulent houses were initially built on large sections and was considered a desirable suburb at the time because of its location surrounded by the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River, which attracted many to settle here. Opawa developed little during its early years in becoming a residential suburb, the centre of
2369-564: The 2010 Canterbury earthquake . A section of shops along Opawa Road had been closed due to the damage, while the other shops remained operating as usual, and several homes had been damaged by collapsing chimneys . In the February 2011 earthquake , two churches in the suburb had some structural and surface damages. In the 19th century, much of the area consisted of grasslands and mixed-use vegetation. Its surroundings largely consisted of marshlands and swamplands which were heavily connected to
2472-599: The 2013 census , and a decrease of 69 people (−4.8%) since the 2006 census . There were 504 households, comprising 642 males and 723 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female. The median age was 47.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 219 people (16.0%) aged under 15 years, 186 (13.6%) aged 15 to 29, 621 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 342 (25.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 90.8% European/ Pākehā , 6.6% Māori , 1.3% Pasifika , 5.1% Asian , and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
2575-487: The Ballantynes department store on the corner of Cashel and Colombo Streets unexpectedly burned out of control, resulting in New Zealand's worst fire disaster . Despite being initially thought to be under control, the fire suddenly spread to the upper floors and consumed the entire building within minutes. The speed of the fire trapped 41 staff members on the upper floor, all of whom were killed. The department store
2678-659: The Bridle Path because the path was so steep that pack horses needed to be led by the bridle . Goods that were too heavy or bulky to be transported by pack horse over the Bridle Path were shipped by small sailing vessels some 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) by sea around the coast and up the Avon Heathcote Estuary to Ferrymead . Overturned boats at the Sumner bar were a frequent cause of new arrivals to
2781-589: The Charlotte Jane was the first to arrive on 16 December 1850. The Canterbury Pilgrims had aspirations of building a city around a cathedral and college, on the model of Christ Church in Oxford . Transport between the port and the new settlement at Christchurch was a major problem for the early settlers. By December 1849, Thomas had commissioned the construction of a road from Port Cooper, later Lyttelton , to Christchurch via Evans Pass and Sumner . By
2884-540: The Christchurch Central parliamentary electorate. As of 2024, the current member of parliament (MP) is Duncan Webb of the Labour Party . Opawa covers 0.81 km (0.31 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 1,330 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1,642 people per km. Opawa had a population of 1,365 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 63 people (4.8%) since
2987-585: The Halswell River begins north-west of the Port Hills on the periphery of Christchurch and flows to Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora . As a consequence of the flat terrain and spring-fed streams, large parts of the area now occupied by Christchurch City were originally a coastal wetland, with extensive swamp forests. Much of the forest was destroyed by fire, mostly likely by the earliest inhabitants, from around 1000 CE . When European settlers arrived in
3090-728: The second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand . Christchurch has an urban population of 415,100, and a metropolitan population of over half a million. It is located in the Canterbury Region , near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains . It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay , and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean and to
3193-482: The 'Garden City' due to similarities with garden cities in England, but also has a historic Māori heritage. Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate with regular moderate rainfall. The area of modern-day greater Christchurch was first inhabited by the historic Māori iwi Waitaha in the mid-thirteenth century. Waitaha, who occupied the swamplands with patchworks of marshland , were invaded by Kāti Māmoe in
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3296-486: The 19th century, the area was a mixture of swamp and tussock grasslands, with only remnant patches of forest. An early European visitor was William Barnard Rhodes , captain of the barque Australian, who climbed the Port Hills from Lyttelton Harbour in September 1836 and observed a large grassy plain with two small areas of forest. He reported that "All the land that I saw was swamp and mostly covered with water". Most of
3399-485: The 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Following the second earthquake, the Central City Red Zone was set up as an exclusion zone for public safety reasons, and many parts remained closed to the public until June 2013. A large number of heritage buildings were demolished following the earthquake, along with most of the city's high rise buildings . The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan was developed to lead
3502-867: The Blessed Sacrament was opened in February 1905. It was designed by Francis Petre with inspiration from the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Paris. In 1906, the New Zealand International Exhibition opened in Hagley Park, which had over a million visitors. In 1908, the city experienced its first major fire which started at the Strange's Department Store and destroyed buildings in central Christchurch on High St, Cashel St and Lichfield Streets. Christchurch
3605-546: The Chief Censor, making the footage illegal to possess and distribute within New Zealand. On 2 June 2020, the attacker pleaded guilty to multiple charges of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism. On 27 August, he was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole, the first time such a sentence was handed down in New Zealand. Christchurch is halfway along the east coast of the South Island , facing
3708-658: The Christchurch urban area , 3,310 people in the Lyttelton urban area, 1,720 people in the Diamond Harbour urban area, and 6,770 people in rural settlements and areas. Christchurch City had a population of 391,383 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 22,377 people (6.1%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 49,914 people (14.6%) since the 2013 census . There were 192,684 males, 196,557 females and 2,139 people of other genders in 150,909 dwellings. 4.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age
3811-653: The Greater-Christchurch city area in October 1916. Its neighbouring suburb of Woolston remained a self-governing borough until amalgamation with the city in November 1921. The Christchurch City Council administers Opawa, it is part of the Heathcote Ward for Christchurch City Council local body elections. As of 2024, the current city councillor is Sara Templeton. At a national level, Opawa is part of
3914-653: The North Island and invaded the Christchurch basin, ultimately gaining control of much of Canterbury. Kāi Tahu arrived a century later, and the two ultimately absorbed Waitaha through a mixture of conflict and marriage. For these early Māori, the area of Christchurch was an important foraging ground and a seasonal settlement. Several Māori settlements were within Christchurch during the early-nineteenth century, such as Pūtarikamotu in modern-day Riccarton , and Papanui . In both cases these were located in areas of surviving tall forest. In South New Brighton there
4017-499: The Opawa Methodist Church) is another place of worship in the suburb, in addition to Saint Marks Anglican Church on Opawa Road. The Methodist church is located at the intersection of Opawa Road and Aynsley Terrace, and was built in 1907 for the wider Methodist community in Christchurch. A small park located in the corner of Garlands Road and Opawa Road, called Monro Park is named in honour of Thomas Hugh Erie Monro,
4120-458: The Port Hill almost reaching Governors Bay in the south-west. Eleven houses were destroyed by fire and over 2,076 hectares (5,130 acres) of land was burned. In 2024, a second fire on the Port Hills burned 700 hectares (1,700 acres). The fire was also started under similarly suspicious circumstances. Lessons from the 2017 fire contributed to a more effective emergency response, and the fire
4223-571: The South Pacific Ocean. With the exception of the Port Hills on Banks Peninsula to its south, the city sits on flat land, on average around 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. The present land mass of New Zealand split from the super continent of Gondwana around 85 million years ago. Prior to that time, mudstone and hardened sandstones commonly known as greywacke was deposited and deformed by tectonic movement. Following
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4326-517: The Tautahi in question was the son of the Port Levy chief Huikai. Prior to that, Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana , an anglicised version. "ChCh" is commonly used as an abbreviation of Christchurch . In New Zealand Sign Language , Christchurch is signed with two Cs. Prior to European occupation of the modern-day greater Christchurch area, the land
4429-526: The adjacent Linwood Cemetery , followed by Beverley Park and the North Linwood Community Park. As there are no defined suburb boundaries in Christchurch, post code boundaries are sometimes used for suburb boundaries (e.g. by Google Maps ). According to Google Maps, most of Woodham Park is located in Linwood whilst only part of Linwood Park belongs to the eponymous suburb. Most commonly, Aldwins Road and Linwood Avenue are considered
4532-455: The area begins in approximately 1250 C.E., with evidence of prolonged occupation beginning no later than 1350 AD. These first occupants lived in coastal caves around modern-day Sumner , and preyed upon local species of moa . The early settlers and their descendants became known as the historic Waitaha iwi. Around c. 1500 the Kāti Māmoe iwi migrated south from the east coast of
4635-683: The area in 1849 and 1850. Working with his assistant, Edward Jollie , they named the various ports and settlements in the area, and chose a simple grid pattern for the streets of Christchurch. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour in 1850. These sailing vessels were the Randolph , Charlotte Jane , Sir George Seymour , and Cressy . The journey took three to four months, and
4738-479: The area is Ōpāwaho , a name it shares with its neighbouring river . It is a combination of Ō which means 'a part of' and pā and waho which means 'outer' or 'outside a defined area'. A kāinga (Māori settlement) was located near the present-day Vincent Place and Judge Street intersection. It was also a resting place for travellers between Kaiapoi Pā and the Banks Peninsula . The land in this area
4841-539: The area was the arrival of Rev. William Willock, an early settler in the Canterbury Region who arrived to Lyttleton Harbour in 1850. Willock built a cottage (located much closer to St. Martins hill than present day Opawa) and used to hold church services at his home, known as "Opawaha Cottage". His cottage was still standing in Albert Terrace 100 years later and was used as a stable . St. Martins
4944-514: The area. Notable instances of significant flooding in the area occurred in August 1941, April 1962, and January 1980. In 1986, the Woolston Cut began to allow flood waters to bypass a long loop of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River. In recent times, noted flooding incidents in Opawa occurred in 2014 and 2017. The suburb's main roads are Opawa Road and Ensors Road, and the suburb's main retail precinct
5047-763: The census question. At the 2018 census, Europeans formed the majority in all sixteen wards, ranging from 57.7% in the Riccarton ward to 93.1% in the Banks Peninsula ward. The highest concentrations of Māori and Pasifika people were in the Linwood ward (18.3% and 9.0% respectively), followed by the Burwood ward (15.5% and 6.6%), while the highest concentrations of Asian people were in the Riccarton ward (34.9%) and Waimairi ward (26.7%). Christchurch urban area covers 294.43 km (113.68 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 403,300 as of June 2024, with
5150-544: The central city remaining relatively unchanged between 1914 and 1960, Christchurch grew rapidly during the 20th century in part due to the construction of many state houses . The earliest state houses were built in Sydenham in the 1900s, to house workers that were employed in nearby factories, with more houses built in 1909 near the Addington Railway Workshops . In November 1947, a basement fire at
5253-518: The centre of the country's rubber industry in the twentieth century. Subsequently, Opawa was urbanised as factory workers and businesspeople from Woolston's industrial areas relocated after being unable to find housing within Woolston itself. A number of brickmaking and clay industries were formerly based in Opawa, Hillsborough and the surrounding hills, which contributed in the industrial development of Christchurch. Opawa suffered some damage in
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#17327930361515356-613: The city, despite the national economic depression. Many of the city's stone Gothic Revival buildings by provincial architect Benjamin Mountfort date from around this period, including Canterbury University College , ChristChurch Cathedral , Canterbury Museum , and the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings , among others. Mountfort oversaw construction of a prison on Lincon Road in 1874, which operated until 1999. Christchurch experienced
5459-444: The clubrooms of a local athletics club. Its population largely consists of European New Zealanders , and contains numerous landmarks known for their connection with the early settlers in the area. Notable individuals associated with the suburb include politician William Pember Reeves , wartime women's labour administrator Noeline Baker , and Anthony Wilding , one of New Zealand's most successful tennis players. The Māori name for
5562-533: The colony losing all their luggage. The Sumner Road was completed in 1857, though this did not alleviate the transport problems. In 1858 the provincial superintendent William Sefton Moorhouse announced that a tunnel would be dug between Lyttelton and Christchurch. While the tunnel was under construction, New Zealand's first public railway line, the Ferrymead Railway , opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch in 1863. Between 1853 and 1876 Christchurch
5665-459: The eastern Canterbury plains and Christchurch area form an artesian aquifer with the interbedded fine sediments as an impermeable layer, or aquiclude. Water pressure from the artesian aquifer has led to the formation of numerous spring-fed streams. In Christchurch, the Avon River / Ōtākaro and Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River rivers have spring-fed sources in the western suburbs of Christchurch, and
5768-464: The eastern, southern and northern parts of the city were wet areas when European settlement began. Over the period since European settlement commenced, land drainage works have enabled development of land across the city. There are now only small remnants of wetland remaining, such as Riccarton Bush , Travis Wetland , Ōtukaikino wetland, and the Cashmere Valley. Christchurch Central City
5871-435: The ecosystem of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River. At present time, State Highway 76 (Brougham Street) and the Main South Line traverses through the suburb. Other suburbs nearby include, Murray Aynsley Hill , Huntsbury , St. Martins , Waltham , Hillsborough , and Linwood. Most of Opawa lies within a U-shaped bend in the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River. Opawa's proximity to the river has resulted in numerous flooding incidents in
5974-495: The first, of magnitude 5.8 according to the US Geological Survey, 26 km (16 mi) north-east of the city at a depth of 4.7 km (2.9 mi), at 13:58, followed by several aftershocks and another earthquake of magnitude 6.0 and similar location 80 minutes later. On 13 February 2017, two bush fires started on the Port Hills . These later merged and the single large wildfire extended down both sides of
6077-489: The fledgling city. A barge service along what is now Linwood Avenue was mooted prior to this tunnel but was never completed. The Linwood Islamic Centre was the site of a mass shooting during the Christchurch mosque shootings on 15 March 2019. Linwood covers 2.85 km (1.10 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 11,260 as of June 2024, with a population density of 3,951 people per km . Linwood had
6180-463: The functional urban area include: Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with a mild summer, cool winter, and regular moderate rainfall. It has mean daily maximum air temperatures of 22.6 °C (73 °F) in January and 10.9 °C (52 °F) in July. Summer in the city is mostly warm, but is often moderated by a sea breeze from the north-east. A notable feature of
6283-619: The highest 7.8 metres of the Christchurch Cathedral spire to collapse, many chimneys were broken, and the Durham Street Methodist Church had its stonework damaged. In November 1901, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake , centred near Cheviot , caused the spire on top of ChristChurch Cathedral to collapse again, but this time only the top 1.5 metres fell. On this occasion, it was rebuilt with timber and metal instead of stone. The Catholic Cathedral of
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#17327930361516386-506: The highest for the Christchurch metropolitan area was 42.4 °C (108 °F) recorded in Rangiora on the same day. In winter, subfreezing temperatures are common, with nights falling below 0 °C (32 °F) an average of 50 times a year at Christchurch Airport and 23 times a year in the city centre. There are on average 80 days of ground frost per year. Snowfall occurs on average three times per year, although in some years none
6489-431: The locality was reportedly the corner of Locarno Street and Opawa Road. Opawa was established around a U-shaped bend of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River. Up until the 1890s, the only regular means of transportation, was a stagecoach which ran along Opawa Road. As Woolston emerged as an industrial hub nearby, the population of Opawa grew considerably, transforming it into a fashionable residential area. Woolston developed as
6592-538: The mountains carried alluvial gravels over the area that is now the Canterbury Plains , covering the underlying rock to depths of between 200 and 600 metres. Continuing tectonic movement created faults that penetrate from the greywacke rock into the layers above. These faults remain beneath Canterbury and Christchurch. The glacial/interglacial cycles of the Quaternary Period led to multiple rises and falls in sea level. These sea level changes occurred over
6695-447: The one-way system running through central Christchurch was established. The first two streets to be made one-way were Lichfield and St Asaph streets. They were followed by Barbadoes, Madras, Salisbury and Kilmore streets. A police station opened in 1973 on Hereford street, it was imploded and demolished in 2015. Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games at the purpose-built Queen Elizabeth II Park . The sports complex
6798-464: The planned new city, including its own cathedral, the smallest in England. Other possibilities are that it was named for Christchurch, Dorset , or for Canterbury Cathedral . Many of the early colonists did not like the name, preferring instead the name Lyttelton, but the Colonists' Council resolved to stick with the name of Christchurch in 1851, because it had been used by surveyors and distinguished
6901-420: The population of workers in the city, which soon spread industrialisation to Sydenham . As central Christchurch grew, many cottages were demolished to make way for light-industrial and retail premises near Moorhouse Avenue as they expanded south. Many churches were also built to compensate for its growing Christian population. The population of Christchurch exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 1919. Despite
7004-418: The previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be IX ( Violent ) , among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area, which killed 185 people. On 13 June 2011 Christchurch was again rocked by two more large aftershocks . This resulted in more liquefaction and building damage, but no more lives were lost. There were further earthquakes on 23 December 2011;
7107-575: The rebuild of the city centre, and featured 17 "anchor projects". There has been massive growth in the residential sector in the central city, particularly in the East Frame development. There are currently no legal definition of the boundaries of suburbs in Christchurch. The suburb boundaries are largely defined by third-party agencies, such as Statistics New Zealand and New Zealand Post , and may differ between agencies or sources. The earliest suburbs of Christchurch were laid out with streets in
7210-446: The regional council banned the use of open fires in the city in 2006. Christchurch City covers a land area of 1,415.15 km (546.39 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 415,100 as of June 2024, with a population density of 293 people per km . This is the second-most populous area administered by a single council in New Zealand, and the largest city in the South Island . The population comprises 403,300 people in
7313-406: The retail business of the central city moving out to urban shopping malls. These typically included large car parking areas to suit the growing shift towards personal car ownership, and away from public transport. Hornby became a significant industrial suburb in the 1960s, with industrial and residential premises expanding westwards. The Lyttelton road tunnel between Lyttelton and Christchurch
7416-671: The sandhills to the kāinga in South New Brighton ( Te Kai-a-Te-Karoro ). Later, Tūrakipō was the Opawa settlement's chief. A hapū of Ngāi Tahu built the Poho-Areare village in the 18th century and the name given to this hapū was Ō-Roto-Repo meaning 'swamp dwellers'. Early European settlement began in the 1850s and Opawa sparsely populated by European settlers and the area south of modern-day suburbs Linwood and Woolston became an agricultural (dairying) locality. An early sign of an emerging European community in
7519-585: The settlement from the port. The Māori name for modern-day Christchurch is Ōtautahi , meaning ' the place of Tautahi ' . It was adopted as the Māori name for the city in the 1930s. Ōtautahi precisely refers to a specific site by the Avon River / Ōtākaro in Central Christchurch. The site was a seasonal food-gathering place of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Pōtiki Tautahi. A different account claims
7622-511: The site of a terrorist attack targeting two mosques on 15 March 2019. The name Christchurch was adopted at the first meeting of the Canterbury Association on 27 March 1848. The reason it was chosen is not known with certainty, but the most likely reason is it was named after Christ Church, Oxford , the alma mater of many members of the association, including John Robert Godley . Christ Church college had similarities with
7725-470: The sixteenth century, and then were absorbed by Kāi Tahu a century later. Ōtautahi was inhabited seasonally, and a major trading centre was established at Kaiapoi Pā . British colonial settlement began in the mid-nineteenth century. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the Canterbury Pilgrims from Britain to Lyttelton Harbour in 1850. It became
7828-408: The south by the ancient volcanic complex of the Banks Peninsula . The Avon River (Ōtākaro) winds through the centre of the city, with a large urban park along its banks. With the exception of the Port Hills, it is a relatively flat city, on an average around 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. Christchurch has a reputation for being an English city, with its architectural identity and nickname
7931-548: The split from Gondwana, during the period between 80 and 23 million years ago, the land became eroded and subsided below sea level. Marine and terrestrial sediments were deposited, leaving the greywacke as the oldest and deepest layers ( basement rock ). Around 11–6 million years ago, volcanic eruptions created the Banks Peninsula volcanic complex . Over the last two million years as the Southern Alps were rising, there were multiple periods of glaciation . Rivers flowing from
8034-622: The suburb for over one hundred years, with the Tennis club established in 1908 and the Bowling club established the same year. The Opawa Public Library is situated on Richardson Terrace. It was established in 1936 and the building was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch Earthquakes. It was subsequently rebuilt. It is run independently to the Christchurch City Council Library Service. Another amenity located in
8137-476: The suburb is the Alpine Ice Sports Centre . It is located on Brougham Street and was established in 1985. Notable people with Opawa connections include many of whom were born in the suburb and some were the suburb's early settlers. Christchurch Christchurch ( / ˈ k r aɪ s . tʃ ɜːr tʃ / ; Māori : Ōtautahi ) is the largest city in the South Island and
8240-516: The time that John Robert Godley arrived in April 1850 all of the funds for public works had been used up in constructing the road. Godley ordered that all work on the road should stop, leaving the steep foot and pack horse track that had been hastily constructed over the hill between the port and the Heathcote valley as the only land-access to the area of Christchurch. This track became known as
8343-427: The weather is the nor'wester , a hot föhn wind that occasionally reaches storm force, causing widespread minor damage to property. Like many cities, Christchurch experiences an urban heat island effect; temperatures are slightly higher within the inner-city regions compared to the surrounding countryside. The highest temperature recorded in Christchurch was 41.6 °C (106.9 °F) on 7 February 1973, however
8446-414: Was marshy and covered with raupō and tussock . Māori lived in the marshy regions of Opawa and used its surrounding swamps and the river as a source of lamprey and eels . The name of the Māori village itself was Poho-Areare (meaning piegon breasted). It is also the name of an early rangatira (chief) of the settlement and the name is also applied to a walking track that led from the village over
8549-415: Was $ 33,300, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 222 people (19.4%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 501 (43.7%) people were employed full-time, 180 (15.7%) were part-time, and 30 (2.6%) were unemployed. Opawa contains no secondary schools, although it does contain three primary schools and two kindergartens . Opawa School located on Ford Road
8652-647: Was $ 40,400, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 35,010 people (10.7%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 163,554 (50.1%) people were employed full-time, 47,463 (14.5%) were part-time, and 8,913 (2.7%) were unemployed. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 75.9% European ( Pākehā ); 11.2% Māori ; 4.3% Pasifika ; 17.1% Asian ; 1.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
8755-411: Was 21.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.7% had no religion, 37.8% were Christian , 0.9% were Hindu , 1.1% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 363 (31.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 195 (17.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
8858-564: Was 31.8, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 45.9% had no religion, 32.0% were Christian , 1.1% had Māori religious beliefs , 5.9% were Hindu , 1.7% were Muslim , 1.2% were Buddhist and 4.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,503 (18.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,635 (19.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 636 people (7.7%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
8961-449: Was 37.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 64,722 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 84,633 (21.6%) aged 15 to 29, 178,113 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 63,912 (16.3%) aged 65 or older. Of those at least 15 years old, 70,764 (21.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 160,440 (49.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 73,659 (22.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income
9064-721: Was a crucial factor in the decision of where to place the settlement of Christchurch, as it proved that the swampy ground could be farmed. The Deans brothers named their farm after their former parish in Ayrshire , Scotland; they also named the river near their farm after the Avon Water in South Lanarkshire , which rises in the hills near to where their grandfather's farm was located. The Canterbury Association 's Chief Surveyor, Captain Joseph Thomas , surveyed
9167-421: Was a major Māori settlement named Te Kai-a-Te-Karoro , this was an important food-gathering area to Ngāi Tūāhuriri that had kelp gull presence and mānuka scrub. Te Ihutai (The Avon Heathcote Estuary ) was an important food source for local iwi and hapū , the estuary providing food such as, flounder and shellfish. Kaiapoi Pā was the most important trading area, and the centre of a thriving economy. The pā
9270-482: Was actually a combination of seven or eight different buildings, joined to form a "perplexing maze" with no sprinklers or alarm system. A subsequent Royal commission of enquiry resulted in changes to the building code to improve fire safety. Thousands of mourners, including the Prime Minister, attended a mass funeral in the aftermath. During the 1960s Christchurch experienced urban sprawl , with much of
9373-582: Was amalgamated in to the Greater-Christchurch city area in October 1916. At a national level, the suburb is part of the Christchurch Central parliamentary electorate. Locally, it is part of the Heathcote Ward for local body elections. The suburb contains three primary schools and two kindergartens. The suburb hosts two local sports clubs; the Opawa Bowling Club and the Opawa Lawn Tennis Club. Additional sporting amenities are located in Hansen Park which accommodates two rugby fields, two football fields and
9476-481: Was established in 1850. "Linwood" was given its name by Joseph Brittan , who purchased rural section 300 in Avonside. The adjoining rural section 301 was to be part of the farm, but the right was sold but probably farmed with rural section 300 and was eventually bought back by his son in 1874. To this was added a small part of section 30 to give access in 1855 and 21-year lease for the adjoining sections in 1862 giving
9579-419: Was heavily industrialised in the early 20th century, particularly the suburbs of Woolston and Addington , with Woolston housing a large amount of New Zealand's rubber industry. Many warehouses, factories and large premises of railway workshops were built along the Main South Line . There was notable development of breweries, flour mills , and light-commercial in Christchurch. This significantly increased
9682-404: Was heavily urbanised. This transformed it into an upscale residential area with a population largely consisting of factory workers and businesspeople. Opawa and its neighbouring suburb of Hillsborough were also formerly home to multiple brickmaking and clay related-industries. The suburb is predominantly residential, and lies mostly within a U-shaped bend of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River . Opawa
9785-547: Was located at the nexus of the major rivers of Christchurch, the Avon River / Ōtākaro, Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River and the Styx River . It was the likely richest eel fishery in the country at that time. Sugar was produced from plantations of cabbage trees . European settlement of the Canterbury Region was largely influenced by brothers William and John Deans in 1843. The Deans farm located in Riccarton Bush
9888-432: Was more-quickly contained. On 15 March 2019, fifty-one people died from two consecutive mass shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre by an Australian white supremacist . Forty others were injured. The attacks have been described by then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as "one of New Zealand's darkest days". Just days after the attacks the live-streamed footage became classified as objectionable by
9991-471: Was open in 1973, one year before the games. On Saturday, 4 September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Christchurch and the central Canterbury region at 4:35 am. With its hypocentre near Darfield , west of the city at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), it caused widespread damage to the city and minor injuries, but no direct fatalities. This was followed by the Boxing Day earthquake
10094-493: Was opened in 1964. Television broadcasts began in Christchurch on 1 June 1961 with the launch of channel CHTV3, making Christchurch the second New Zealand city to receive regular television broadcasts. The channel initially broadcast from a 10-kilowatt transmitter atop the Gloucester Street studios until it switched to the newly built 100-kilowatt Sugarloaf transmitter in the Port Hills on 28 August 1965. In 1969,
10197-501: Was originally swampland with patchworks of marshland, grassland, scrub and some patches of tall forest of mostly kahikatea , mataī and tōtara . The inner coastal sand dunes were covered in hardier scrub bush, including akeake , taupata , tūmatakuru , ngaio , carmichaelia , and coprosma . Christchurch was rich in birdlife prior to European colonisation, as they burned down forests and introduced predators, it led to local extinction of native birds. Evidence of human activity in
10300-598: Was originally part of Opawa, before the St. Martins district began to acquire an importance of being its own. Many settlers in Opawa were farmers and people of English descent, many of whom came from relatively wealthy families. Prominent early settlers in the Opawa district included Edward Richardson, Edward Steane Harley, and Thomas Tancred. Various names represented the area (such as Opawako and Opawaha) until 1862, when an early European settler, Joshua Strange Williams , addressed his 50 acres (20 ha) property as "Opawa Farm" to
10403-557: Was spoken by 95.8%, Māori language by 2.4%, Samoan by 1.3% and other languages by 16.8%. No language could be spoken by 2.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 27.8, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 31.6% Christian , 2.1% Hindu , 1.3% Islam , 0.4% Māori religious beliefs , 1.0% Buddhist , 0.5% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 2.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.9%, and 6.3% of people did not answer
10506-461: Was that 4,215 (51.3%) people were employed full-time, 1,101 (13.4%) were part-time, and 459 (5.6%) were unemployed. A long established retail section is on Stanmore Road around the intersections with Gloucester and Worcester Streets. It underwent significant upgrading in the 2020s and has been described as an urban village . Linwood's main commercial area is concentrated around the intersection of Linwood Avenue, Aldwins Road and Buckleys Road. It
10609-472: Was the administrative seat of the Province of Canterbury . While slow at first, growth in the town began to accelerate towards the end of the 1850s, with a period of rapid growth between 1857 and 1864. Christchurch became the first city in New Zealand by royal charter on 31 July 1856, and Henry Harper was consecrated by the archbishop of Canterbury as the local Anglican bishop. He arrived in Christchurch
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