LARGE IMAGE OPENS IN A NEW WINDOW
The internal courtyard of the seat of the Canterbury Provincial Government (1853-1876).
Built in the Medieval Gothic revival style, New Zealand's only surviving Provincial Government buildings were constructed between 1858 and 1865.
Only the ageing trees would appear to indicate change in the ensuing 144 years.
2 comments:
It's interesting to think that at one point there was a plan to pull down the Canterbury Provincial Buildings. It would be unthinkable to do so now. If they were now destroyed - say in a fire or earthquake, I would think the buildings would be rebuilt in the original design, they have become so precious and valued to the City. Contrast this with the subject of the previous article here, the Collins' Family Hotel and Boarding House. Does this not have the same values as Canterbury Provincial Building? If this was lost, would people say in 10 or 20 years time "how could they have destroyed this building?"
One begins to suspect that the provocative Star newspaper article (which failed to mention that the intending demolisher was owner of the nearby Stonehurst Hotel) was little more than a media beat-up to goad the Christchurch City Council into pulling finger on the heritage conservation issue.
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