Antigua Boatsheds

NZHPT

While many visitors to the Antigua Boat Sheds are keen to take a punt that was not an option for owners Mike and Sally Jones five years ago when they set about safeguarding their business’ future.

The Antigua Boatsheds, which overlook the Avon River on Cambridge Terrace in central Christchurch, are a Canterbury institution.  Next year will mark 130 years that it has been a part of the city’s landscape, economy and place to relax and have fun.

It was thanks to Mike’s foresight that locals and visitors are enjoying all that the Antigua Boatsheds have to offer today.

“In 2006 the foundations were the main thing that we had done - new piles and a whole new sub-floor.  We replaced all the wall framing and added structural bracing and then put the fire sprinklers right through.

“The building was inspected post-quake to check that everything was sound, and it was.

“I was very fortunate that the work we got done here was due to the Christchurch City Council and NZHPT support.  The funding was the major thing.  If it wasn’t for funding we would have been totally stretched to do it.  Without it we wouldn’t have done it on our own.

“Sally and I have been here 25 years.  It’s a building we enjoy and look after as best we can, it’s our life.”

The 2006 conservation project took 10 weeks and cost almost $200,000.  The NZHPT contributed $98,363 from its contestable National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund.   The fund, which aims to encourage the conservation of nationally significant heritage sites, is available to all private owners of Category I properties.

Mike says they “didn’t break a glass or plate” in the September 2010 earthquake, but in the devastating 22 February event they were not quite so fortunate.  That said, the business was only closed for six weeks before reopening on 5 April, underlying the benefits of the conservation work.

“On 22 February I came here straight away and it was just mayhem.  It was scary for a lot of people.  I made sure the staff were okay and we sent them home as soon as we could.  We had a huge amount of breakages and destruction inside the café; it was like a bomb-site.  But the rest of the building was as if life was normal, apart from the deck which suffered damage.

“It was a scary event.  Even after September, being home, all I could think was that the boat sheds would be flattened.  But we got in and said ‘look, it looks the same’ and sure enough, nothing had moved.

“The work that has been done has saved us, definitely.”

Today the business is once again a hive of activity, with the local community taking advantage of the tranquil surrounds in the café.  Tourists are also gradually returning to the area, though it will likely be some time before it is business as usual, says Mike.

“The people that have come in since we re-opened are just pleased to see it still standing.  We have had people from overseas emailing to see if we are alright.

“It’s a great relief to have our customers back and seeing them chatting to each other over coffee.”

Read more about the Antigua Boatsheds on the Register Online.