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Chief Post Office, Christchurch

1870s architecture in New Zealand1878 establishments in New Zealand2011 Christchurch earthquakeBuildings and structures in ChristchurchCathedral Square, Christchurch
EngvarB from April 2014Former post office buildingsGovernment buildings completed in 1878Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Canterbury, New ZealandTourist attractions in ChristchurchVisitor centersWilliam Clayton (architect) buildings
Chief Post Office, Christchurch, New Zealand 10
Chief Post Office, Christchurch, New Zealand 10

The Chief Post Office or Christchurch Central Post Office, originally known as the Government Buildings, is located in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was initially a post office with Immigration, Customs and Public Works departments. The Government Buildings were later replaced by the new Government Buildings opened in 1913, and the Chief Post Office remained on-site. In 1881, New Zealand’s first telephone exchange was installed in the building. Post services were offered from the building until 2000 when it was re-purposed to house a Christchurch tourist information centre and a restaurant, café and offices. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the building closed. In the early 2020s repairs and strengthening took place. The building was planned to reopen in 2023 in stages, and eventually include a restaurant, shops, and a visitor information centre, under the name "The Grand". The structure is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage building.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Chief Post Office, Christchurch (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Chief Post Office, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City (Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community)

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Latitude Longitude
N -43.5316 ° E 172.6358 °
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Cathedral Square 9
8011 Christchurch, Central City (Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community)
Canterbury, New Zealand
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Chief Post Office, Christchurch, New Zealand 10
Chief Post Office, Christchurch, New Zealand 10
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Nearby Places

Fisher's Building
Fisher's Building

The Fisher's Building (also known as the Hanafins Building) was a 19th-century Venetian Gothic building located in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It was designed in 1872 by architect William Armson and constructed from concrete and brick in 1880 on a central city site leased to Thomas Richard Fisher, who ran a tea and grocery store. The building was known for its prominent verandah, ornate design, and distinct corner shape. A category-one heritage-listed property, the Fisher's Building was one of the few surviving examples of Venetian Gothic architecture in Christchurch. It was also the last surviving structure on Hereford Street designed by Armson, who had designed several commercial buildings in the area. Built as an extension to what was then the City Chambers, it occupied a corner site on the intersection of High Street and Hereford Street, giving it a distinctive triangle shape from above. Following Fisher's death in 1890, the building was inherited by his estate and passed to numerous owners in the subsequent decades, until it was purchased in 1922 by Henry Slater Richards, who transferred it to his three sons in 1926. The brothers held joint interest until the 1970s, when it was transferred to Pyne Gould Guinness Limited in 1979 following a successful restoration project. In 1929, the building became associated with James George Hanafin, who operated a chemist from property. In the 1980s, his descending relative Lawry Hanafin opened a photography store from the property, operating it for 30 years as one of the last tenants to run a business from the site. Despite being strengthened and well cared for, the Fisher's Building was badly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. It was demolished in July 2011, with Hanafin watching the demolition. As of 2024, the site has remained empty and is used for car parking.

ChristChurch Cathedral
ChristChurch Cathedral

ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch, who is in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Earthquakes have repeatedly damaged the building (mostly the spire): in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922, and 2010. The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake destroyed the spire and the upper portion of the tower, and severely damaged the rest of the building. A lower portion of the tower was demolished immediately following the 2011 earthquake to facilitate search and rescue operations. The remainder of the tower was demolished in March 2012. The badly damaged west wall, which contained the rose window, partially collapsed in the June 2011 earthquake and suffered further damage in the December 2011 earthquakes. The Anglican Church decided to demolish the building and replace it with a new structure, but various groups opposed the church's intentions, with actions including taking a case to court. While the judgements were mostly in favour of the church, no further demolition occurred after the removal of the tower in early 2012. Government expressed its concern over the stalemate and appointed an independent negotiator and in September 2017, the Christchurch Diocesan Synod announced that ChristChurch Cathedral will be reinstated after promises of extra grants and loans from local and central government. By mid-2019 early design and stabilisation work had begun.Since 15 August 2013 the cathedral community has worshipped at the Cardboard Cathedral.