South Canterbury (Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie districts) has many sites
and buildings of historic significance. A small selection of the places
open to the public are presented here. Please note that entry is not necessarily
free, sometimes admission is by donation or koha and you may need to make
special arrangements to view. Please pay a visit and help keep our heritage
places alive!
Remember to visit the properties in the care of the Historic Places Trust
- you can find out more about those in the Canterbury region by clicking
the map at right.
Aigantighe Art Gallery
49 Wai-iti Rd, Timaru
Aigantighe was built in 1908 to the design of architect James
Turnbull (1864-1947) for the retirement of Alexander and Helen
Grant of Gray's Hill Station in the McKenzie Country. After
the death of Helen Grant in 1955, her son gifted the property
to Timaru as an art gallery in accordance with the wishes
of his mother and his sister, Jessie Wigley, who was an artist.
Designed by FW Petre, the basilica was constructed in 1910-11.
With its twin towers and cupola of copper the building is
a very significant feature of the Timaru streetscape and one
of the most notable examples of ecclesiastical architecture
in New Zealand.
The semi-circular colonnade of 13 graceful Corinthian columns
representing St Paul and the twelve apostles in the interior
is particularly eye-catching. The floor of the sanctuary is
decorated with mosaic tiles and there are many striking stained
glass windows.
A cairn marks the site of a meeting on 16 January 1844 between
Bishop Selwyn, who was heading south on his first major Episcopal
journey around the South Island, and Edward Shortland who
was conducting the first census of Maori.
Turn inland on the south side of the Pareora River on SH1,
turn left to Craigmore Valley Rd just before Pareora Gorge,
turn right into Craigmore Hill Rd and follow signposts.
The church was built in 1934/35 to the design of Christchurch
architect, R.S.D. Harman as a memorial to the early settlers
and shepherds of the McKenzie Country. Nearby is a bronze
sheepdog, a memorial erected by the runholders of the region
to the sheepdogs which played an important role in the development
of the district. The statue was sculpted by Mrs Innes Elliot
and unveiled in 1968.
The museum is housed in the original Town Board Office building
plus additions. It has a historical display of linen flax
industry. The Town Board office, later the Borough Council,
was built in 1855 of bluestone with limestone facings.
Open: Monday-Saturday 9.30am-12pm, 1.30 -3.30pm; Sunday
1.30pm to 3.30pm
This is a pot-shaped kiln built probably in 1880-81 to produce
burnt lime for building and agriculture. The kiln fell into
disuse in the 1890s and was partially restored in the 1970s.
This was built from local bluestone c.1870 as a building
to which boats were winched for loading and unloading.
It is the last surviving building of its type in the Southern
Hemisphere. It now serves as the Timaru Information Centre.
There is a small museum attached.
This church was built in 1929-30 by the Burnett family as
a memorial to Andrew and Catherine Burnett who took up Mt
Cook Station in 1886, and other McKenzie Basin pioneers.
The church is finely crafted from local materials and the
architect, Herbert Hall won an Institute of Architects gold
award for it in 1934. Stone and iron gates (1932-33) can be
seen opposite the church, which mark the entrance to Aorangi,
the homestead of the Burnetts.
This was built in 1871/72 as a combined Anglican, Presbyterian
and Catholic Church. It was the first union church in New
Zealand and the oldest church in the Mackenzie Country. It
is now the Presbyterian Church.
The Temuka Museum is housed in the former Court House built
by Berry and Schwartz, which opened in 1901. It is a fine
example of an Edwardian public building. The museum features
the history of the Temuka area.
Open: Friday and Sunday 2:00 - 4:00pm or by arrangement
at the Information Centre.
A horse trough forms a memorial to T B Burnett to commemorate
his work in fostering the Downlands water supply scheme which
benefited a large area of formerly poorly watered down land
between Albury and the plains.
The Cuddy is the oldest of the buildings on Te Waimate Station.
It was built for Michael Studholme in 1854, using the timber
of a single totara tree for the walls and thatch for the roof
and was lined with wattle and daub. The chimney made of adobe
(sun-dried bricks) replaced the original which was made of
rammed clay in the 1870's, but otherwise The Cuddy is almost
unaltered.
It is one of the few buildings in New Zealand with a thatched
roof. The Cuddy has, over the years, been kept in good repair
by the Studholme family.
The Botanical Gardens were set aside in 1864. The Gardens
contain a number of items of historic interest, including
a band rotunda (1912) built to commemorate the coronation
of George V and a drinking fountain, originally erected outside
the Post office in 1887 on the occasion of Queen Victoria's
Jubilee.
The museum housed in the Waimate Courthouse (1879-1979)is
home to many buildings, several of which have been shifted
on site. These include the old Douglas school, Bremners Cottage
(c. 1878), the old jail and police cells.
Hours: Mon-Fri 1.30pm-4.30pm
Sun & Public Holidays 2pm - 4pm
Admission fee
Phone: 64-3-689 7832 email: wtemus@xtra.co.nz
This bridge provides a crucial link between the north and
south sides of the Waitaki River. Built in 1893, of hardwood
timber, it has remained intact (with the necessary repairs).
Learn
more about the historic sites in the care of the Historic Places
Trust located in and around the Canterbury
region of New Zealand
Burkes Pass Heritage Trust
The Burkes Pass Heritage Trust was established to save and preserve
St Patrick's Church, one of New Zealand's oldest union churches. This
Trust has also begun work on a heritage trail through Burkes Pass which
provides an insight into the village's rich history. Read more
Learn
more about the historic sites in the care of the Historic Places
Trust located in and around the