New Zealand Historic Places Trust Information Release
24 August 2009

The historic township of Lyttelton has made a name for itself over the past 160 years, and that has been formally recognised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT).

Following an extended consultation process that involved public meetings, letters and public submissions to include the township on its National Register, the NZHPT Board approved the Lyttelton Township Historic Area on 13 August 2009.

NZHPT Southern Region Manager Malcolm Duff said that Lyttelton is the 116th Historic Area on the National Register, and one of its largest. Thirty-nine streetscapes are included within the Historic Area, including the underground Victorian storm water barrel system that runs beneath the township. 

“The scope of the Lyttelton Historic Area was wide because all its streets and landmarks are related to each other.  The variety of buildings, streetscapes and features like the volcanic stone walls all combine to nestle together within a confined space.

“It really is like walking through a time capsule in certain parts of Lyttelton, yet the township has continued to move with the times while keeping its unique heritage.  If you look down from the Category I-registered Timeball Station you can really appreciate how each street and the landmarks on them fit in to a wider context.”

Mr Duff said registration was an advocacy tool intended to identify and inform people about New Zealand’s historic heritage.  There were no short or long-term legal obligations on property owners that directly arose from registration under the Historic Places Act 1993.

“Registration does not mean the town has to remain exactly the same, or that it would become like a theme park. What registration says is this town has something special – and if there is to be new development then consideration needs to be given to how to best fit in with what is already there.

“It’s a celebration of what has gone before, how it is being used now and how it can continue to be used and enjoyed in the future.”

For more information:

Malcolm Duff
General Manager Southern
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
tel: 03 365 2897
email: mduff@historic.org.nz