The Garrick Hotel

Almost certainly named after the famed British actor David Garrick (1717-1779), John Fielder's Garrick Hotel was built on the northeast corner of Colombo and Kilmore Streets before 1862. By 1864 an extension along Kilmore Street doubled the size of the two storey wooden building (below).


At some time after 1883, but probably before 1890, the original structure was replaced with a brick built hotel and by 1928 the name had been changed to the Waverley Private Hotel (below).


Diagonally opposite the Christchurch Town Hall and shorn of its ornamentation and cornice, the sadly nondescript building is now barely noticed by the casual passer by (below).

1864 & 1928

A pair of elevated north-easterly views across Victoria Square from the Armagh Street tower of the Canterbury Provincial Council buildings.

In the foreground of the earlier image are the Provincial Council's workshops and stables, which were replaced by the extant Magistrate's Court buildings from 1869 to 1881.

Credits

1864 photograph: Anthony Rackstraw (Early Canterbury Photographers).

1928 photograph: Alexander Turnbull Library (Ref. No. PAColl-5800-04).