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Battery Point, Lyttelton

1880s in New Zealand19th-century fortifications20th-century fortificationsBuildings and structures completed in 1885Coastal artillery
Coastal fortificationsForts in New ZealandHeritage New Zealand historic areas in the Canterbury RegionMilitary history of New ZealandMilitary installations closed in 1957Military installations established in 1885Use New Zealand English from June 2025World War II sites in New Zealand
Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch
Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch

Battery Point was the site of a coastal defence fort in the Canterbury Region, New Zealand. Located to the east of the Port of Lyttelton, the fort was constructed in 1885 in response to one of the 'Russian scares'. It was also used in the First World War as well as the Second World War. In the postwar period, it was used as a training site up until 1957. On private land, the area was designated as Battery Point Battery Historic Area by Heritage New Zealand in 2004.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Battery Point, Lyttelton (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Battery Point, Lyttelton
Old Sumner Road, Banks Peninsula Community

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N -43.602777777778 ° E 172.74027777778 °
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Old Sumner Road
8082 Banks Peninsula Community
Canterbury, New Zealand
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Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch
Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch
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Lyttelton railway station
Lyttelton railway station

Lyttelton railway station is the northern terminus of the Main South Line, a main trunk railway line from Lyttelton to Invercargill in the South Island of New Zealand. There have been three stations built at Lyttelton, with the most recent of these still being used for railway purposes. Both freight and passenger services have featured at Lyttelton since it opened in 1867. With the cessation of suburban passenger trains to Lyttelton in the 1970s, freight became the mainstay of railway business at Lyttelton and passenger traffic from Lyttelton now plays only a minor role. Tranz Scenic have run a limited tourist service from the station during the summer season in recent years, though patronage of the trains is limited to cruise ship passengers. Proposals have been made to reinstate a commuter rail service from Lyttelton, but that is not considered to be a realistic possibility for the foreseeable future. Rail operations at Lyttelton have included all three forms of motive power, with steam being dominant until the late 1960s, after which diesel began to take over, with electric power being used from 1929 to 1970. All trains at Lyttelton are now diesel-hauled. Public transport connections at Lyttelton include Metro bus routes 28 and 35 (for which the nearest bus stop is a short distance down Norwich Quay from the station), and the Diamond Harbour ferry, which departs from a jetty opposite the station. Until they were discontinued in 1976, the Steamer Express inter-island ferries connected with passenger trains at Lyttelton on wharf no. 2 (opposite the station). Other nearby amenities include Lyttelton Main School, a medical clinic, several hotels, and the Lyttelton central business district.

The Loons (venue)
The Loons (venue)

The Loons is a music and performance events venue in Lyttelton, Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. The building was constructed at 16 Canterbury Street, Lyttelton in 1905. Businesses that occupied the building from 1905 to the 1920s included a grocery shop, a bakery and a tailor. During the 1920s and 1930s a motor vehicle garage operated in the building. The building was offered for sale by tender in May 1935. A transport business, the Lyttelton Carrying Service, operated from the site from 1935 through until 1942. In 1944, the building became the Lyttelton Waterside Workers Social Club, known as "The Loons", after it was purchased by three watersiders. In 1949, the Waterside Workers Social Club applied to the Licensing Control Commission for a club charter for the site. In 1952, the name of the social club was changed to Lyttelton Working Men's Club (Inc). In 2006, the Lyttelton Working Men's Club was facing the prospect of closing the Loons building, but a Lyttelton theatre director Mike Friend took over the lease. The Loons opened as a performance venue on 31 March 2007 with a cabaret with Joe Bennett. The theatre group took on the name of the building to become The Loons Theatre Company, using the venue as a rehearsal space during the day, and providing waiter service at night. Over 400 events were staged at the venue over a period of 5 years, ranging from community quiz nights and charity fund-raisers to children’s shows and professional theatre. At the time of the theatre company taking up the lease, the Working Men's Club had been struggling. However, there was a resurgence in club membership after the Loons theatre company productions began. The theatre company held the liquor licence for the premises, and hosted the bar service for club members on the days when there were no performances. Parts of the building were re-purposed to support circus and theatre productions. A hatch was created between a 25 m rifle range in the basement and the theatre stage for use in performances. In addition to adult theatre performances, the venue was also used for teaching circus and theatre skills for children aged 5 to 14. The 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes caused damage to the building leading to closure, and the theatre company was without a home. The Lyttelton Working Men's Club undertook planning for repairs of the building with input from the theatre company. However, the theatre company was unable to reach agreement with the Working Men's Club over the terms for a new lease. The theatre company entered into an arrangement with the Lyttelton Primary School and the Ministry of Education to share in the development of a dual purpose hall and performance theatre facility on school property on the corner of Oxford Street and Sumner Road. This new venue, opened in 2016, is known as the Lyttelton Arts Factory. The post-earthquake repairs and renovations of The Loons cost over $3m, funded from insurance and money raised through grants. During the period of the renovations, the Lyttelton Working Men's Club changed its name to The Loons Club (Inc), a registered charity. The renovations were completed in December 2020, and The Loons re-opened in 2021 as a venue for live music and performance events, with capacity for up to 450 people. The Loons has hosted performances from a wide variety of artists including New Zealand bands such as Tiny Ruins. New Zealand folk singer Mel Parsons has described the venue:I would say Loons is the main Christchurch venue now. It's almost like a community hall. It's beautiful, and has been refurbished, but it's just a big long room with a wooden floor and a stage at one end.