1. 10 Shirley Road | Advocacy
1.1. ‘Gateway to the East’ (2018)
1.2. ‘You Are Here’: ‘A Place To Be’
1.3. ‘Shirley Centre’ Concept
1.4. ‘Shirley Centre’: Community Needs
1.5. ‘Shirley Centre’: Visitor Experience
1.6. Third Places & Bumping Spaces
1.7. Christchurch East Libraries
2. ‘Shirley Centre’ | Community Centre
2.1. Community Hub: Building Connections
2.2. Learning Library with Learning Spaces
2.3. Christchurch City Council Service Centre
2.4. Civil Defence & Voting Centre
2.5. Early Childhood & Youth Centre
2.6. Support Services Centre
2.7. Multicultural Centre
2.8. Local History Centre
2.9. Family History Centre
2.10. Visitor Information Centre
3. Shirley Community Reserve | Location
3.1. 10 Shirley Road: Placemaking
3.2. ‘Shirley Centre’ on Shirley Road: Information Centre
3.3. Community (Horizontal Roads)
3.4. Commercial (Vertical Roads)
3.5. Shirley Road to New Brighton Road (Scenic Route)
3.6. Transport Options
4. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor | Activities
4.1. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor City to Sea Pathway
4.2. Sutton Heritage House and Garden
4.3. Avebury House, Richmond Community Garden & Riverlution
4.4. Climate Action Campus
4.5. Sector 7 Events
4.6. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor: Footbridges & Landings
4.7. Kerrs Reach Flatwater Sports Hub
5. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor | Ideas by Joanna Gould (2018)
5.1. Red Zones Future: Ideas Map
5.2. Sutton’s Place | Idea (2018)
5.3. River Road Park | Idea (2018)
5.4. River Bank Centre | Idea (2018)
5.5. Retreat Road Park | Idea (2018)
5.6. Draft OARC Regeneration Plan: ‘Tell Our Stories’
5.7. Draft OARC Regeneration Plan: Visitor Experience
5.8. Draft OARC Regeneration Plan: Community Needs
1. 10 Shirley Road | Advocacy
1.1. ‘Gateway to the East’ (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-8LmUPeGcg
Verbal Submission for the Christchurch City Council Long Term Plan in 2018:
– Former Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel:
“I really liked your submission, largely because of the imagery around the history of the site & what’s planned for the future.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/building-ideas/
Are you saying, rather than just building back a Community Centre, that actually we should look at the whole of the area & look at the whole of the needs.
Maybe what we need to be considering for the Long Term Plan, is a budget that would enable a full needs analysis & to look at what the different options are.
There is a Facebook page that’s been setup that suggests moving the Library & other things…”
– Joanna Gould:
“Yes, my research was that. I created 10shirleyroad.org.nz. When I had the idea, I was standing across the road from Shirley Primary School with Ben [my son].
I just thought “what if”, what if we could dream big & create this whole block as a destination space, that invites everybody.
It’s a meeting place, it’s a community centre, but we also have so many nations settling in our area. I wanted to welcome them into this area & make them feel part of this area.
I see the whole space alive with people, all sorts of people, young or old, disabled or whatever, they can still access this space, they can come in.
It can be put back as a destination space, a learning space for the whole community, for Christchurch & to get the tourists involved in it as well, because it is the ‘Gateway to the East’.”
1.2. ‘You Are Here’: ‘A Place To Be’
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/you-are-here-a-place-to-be/
On a map, the ‘You Are Here’ icon is a reminder of your location.
‘You Are Here’ locators are usually to help tourists or those new to an area, find their bearings again & see which way they need to go.
‘You Are Here’ in these communities surrounding 10 Shirley Road: Shirley, Dallington, Richmond, Edgeware, St Albans & Mairehau.
Whether you have just arrived in this country, recently moved into these communities, here temporarily (renting) or permanently (bought a house), while ‘You Are Here’ welcome to the Shirley Centre, ‘A Place To Be’, within our local communities.
1.3. ‘Shirley Centre’ Concept
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-concept-image/
‘Shirley Centre’: Identity | Well-being | Learning
– New ‘Contemporary’ Community Centre/Citizen Hub.
– Relocate the current Shirley Library from The Palms car park.
– New Library with Learning Spaces & Meeting Rooms.
– New Inclusive Accessible Playground & Shirley Playcentre.
– Community Education & Support Services in ‘Learning Libraries’.
1.4. ‘Shirley Centre’: Community Needs
‘Learning Libraries’:
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/learning-libraries-concept/
What happens inside the library has more impact on our communities.
How? By creating Learning Libraries: citizen hubs where Community Education is at the centre & the Learning Spaces are utilised by the Government, Christchurch City Council & other Organisations, as an outreach to the residents in the surrounding communities.
Learning Libraries are ‘schools in the community for everyone, all ages & stages of life are welcome.’
1.5. ‘Shirley Centre’: Visitor Experience
– AI Overview | Key Benefits of Libraries for Visitors:
Libraries are essential for visitors, acting as vital community hubs that provide public toilets, free Wi-Fi, travel resources, and quiet, accessible spaces to relax, work, or explore local culture.
They serve as trusted information centers, offering maps, local guides, and expert knowledge from staff to enhance the visitor experience.
– Free Technology & Connectivity:
Libraries provide free, reliable Wi-Fi, public computers, and printers, essential for travelers managing tickets, exploring digital resources, or working remotely.
– Information & Local Knowledge:
They offer access to tourist brochures, local maps, and detailed guides. Librarians often act as local guides, offering insider tips on regional history, culture, and attractions.
– A ‘Third Place’ Refuge:
Libraries provide a quiet, free, and comfortable refuge from busy city streets or limited hotel space, offering a relaxing environment and, in some cases, air conditioning or heating.
– Cultural Immersion:
Many libraries showcase local art, host local history exhibitions, or offer programs that allow visitors to deeply engage with the community’s heritage.
– Architectural Landmarks:
Many libraries, have become attractions themselves, drawing travelers with unique, world-class design and architecture.
– Inclusive Spaces:
Libraries offer welcoming spaces for everyone, providing, for instance, sensory-sensitive areas for neurodivergent visitors.
– For visitors looking to connect with a community authentically, libraries provide a unique, free, and valuable resource.
1.6. Third Places & Bumping Spaces
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/third-place/
Libraries are ‘third places (social)’ the ‘living room’ of society in our communities.
We have many in our communities who don’t have a ‘second place (work)’: stay at home parents, caregivers, retirees, unemployed, people working from home etc.
Some due to their circumstances don’t feel like they have a safe and relaxing ‘first place (home)’.
This is why it is so important that our ‘third places (social)’ are welcoming and inclusive for everyone in our communities.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/bumping-spaces/
“Bumping Spaces are places in the community where we naturally bump into each other, they are our communal spaces, gathering places.
A trusted environment where we spend time together, share space together…
Community is built on relationships and people develop relationships through frequent contact with others.
So, if you want to build community, you need places to bump into other people.
The closer those places are to where you live, the more likely you are to bump into the same people over and over again…
If you want to develop an inclusive community, you need to have inclusive bumping spaces.”
1.7. Christchurch East Libraries
– Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood Community Board
(5 suburban libraries)
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/christchurch-city-libraries-by-community-board/
Coastal Ward: Parklands Library & New Brighton Library
Burwood Ward: Shirley Library & Aranui Library
Linwood Ward: Linwood Library
– Shirley Library | The Palms Mall
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-libraries/
The current/2nd Shirley Library is located in a ‘Commercial Zone’ car park with no outdoor space or learning spaces & no toilets available in the Library area.
These other East Libraries (Aranui, Parklands & New Brighton) are standalone buildings with their own identity, clearly visible from the street, easy to give location directions to visitors, ‘destination spaces’ in their communities, with outdoor spaces surrounding their buildings.
2. ‘Shirley Centre’ | Community Centre
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-community-overview-map/
2.1. Community Hub: Building Connections
Promoting awareness of the existing Community Facilities, Recreational Spaces & Local Green Spaces to residents & visitors to the area.
2.2. Learning Library with Learning Spaces
Providing opportunities for Community Education through book collections, activities & events in the new multipurpose Learning Spaces.
2.3. Christchurch City Council Service Centre
Co-located Council Services with the new Shirley Library & Customer Service Hub.
2.4. Civil Defence & Voting Centre
Central accessible location for a new Civil Defence Centre for emergencies (to provide safety, information & assistance) & Voting Booth location for elections.
2.5. Early Childhood & Youth Centre
Creating connections from babies to preschoolers, through the new inclusive accessible playground, Shirley Playcentre (located on the Reserve) & Shirley Library: Wā Pēpi-Babytimes & Wā Kōrero-Storytimes.
Centrally located for Youth, between Mairehau High School & Shirley Intermediate School, bus stops both sides of Shirley Road (transfer point between The Oribter & East bus routes) & Half Basketball Court/Youth Space (free WiFi & outdoor seating).
2.6. Support Services Centre
Promoting & connecting residents with local Support Services available in our communities like The Loft, Citizen Advice Bureau, Crisis Recovery Café, Human Library Organization etc.
Through our new Learning Spaces, providing outreach opportunities for Support Services in a centrally located familiar safe space.
2.7. Multicultural Centre
Acknowledge New Zealand’s bicultural foundation based on the Treaty of Waitangi (te Tiriti o Waitangi) between Māori and the British Crown.
Supporting multiculturalism by offering resources in various languages, plus outreach programs & technology services to support new residents & visitors.
2.8. Local History Centre
‘Tell Our Stories’ to locals & visitors to our area by sharing information & resources that document our heritage, culture & the development of our communities around Shirley Road.
2.9. Family History Centre
The NZ Society of Genealogists – Canterbury Branch were located in the former Shirley Community Centre for 21 years from February 1990 until the February 2011 earthquakes. Now Canterbury Genealogy, located in the Parkview Community Lounge, 75 Queenspark Drive, Parklands.
DNA & Genealogy drop-in sessions at current Shirley Library on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
2.10. Visitor Information Centre
‘First Impressions Count’, what will our visitors to this area see?
10 Shirley Road is the first stop for visitors as they enter Shirley Road/‘Gateway to the East’, before traveling along New Brighton Road, beside the Ōtākaro Avon River to New Brighton.
Providing local information, activities, events, bus routes/timetables, map of the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor.
3. Shirley Community Reserve | Location
3.1. 10 Shirley Road: Placemaking
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/placemaking/
“The Power of 10+ is a concept Project for Public Spaces developed to evaluate and facilitate Placemaking…The idea behind this concept is that places thrive when users have a range of reasons (10+) to be there.
These might include a place to sit, playgrounds to enjoy…history to experience, and people to meet. Ideally, some of these activities will be unique to that particular place, reflecting the culture and history of the surrounding community.”
https://www.pps.org/article/the-power-of-10
1. ‘Suburban’ Library
2. Christchurch City Council Service Centre
3. Learning Spaces
4. Meeting Rooms
5. NZ/Genealogy Area
6. Internal Courtyard
7. Indoor/Outdoor Seating Options
8. Natives Garden (Dudley Creek)
9. Wellbeing Sensory Garden
10. Events/Market Space (Carpark)
11. Inclusive Accessible Playground
12. Basketball Court/Youth Area
13. Shirley Playcentre
14. StoryWalk
15. Dudley Creek Trail
3.2. ‘Shirley Centre’ on Shirley Road: Information Centre
Information Centre: “a place where members of the public can get information about an area, organization, activity, etc.”
– Māori Settlements & Early Settlers History
– Area History: Pre Earthquakes
– Area History: Post Earthquakes
– Architecture: George Penlington, Chancellor Street Heritage Houses & Dudley Character Area
– Engineering: Dudley Creek Flood Remediation
– Landscape Architecture: George Brington Malcolm & Emmett Street Trees
– Residential Red/Green Zone: ‘Tell Our Stories’
– Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor: Landings & Bridges
– Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor: Activities & Events
3.3. Community (Horizontal Roads)
From Edgeware Road to Shirley Road, Community Facilities include:
Rehua Marae, Kohinga St Albans Community Centre, Edgeware Pool, Shirley Community Reserve, Te Oraka Community Pool (Shirley Intermediate) & Avon Hub (Recreation Centre). With MacFarlane Park Centres to the North & Avebury House to the South.
3.4. Commercial (Vertical Roads)
– Stanmore Road | From Avonside Drive to North Avon Road
Regenerate Christchurch have suggested as part of the Ōtākaro Loop Reach ‘Christchurch on a Plate’…Heritage NZ describes the Richmond area “as a food resource for Maori and Pakeha settlers.”
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/kai-town/
‘Idea to make Stanmore Rd an international smorgasbord’ (2018)
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/idea-to-make-stanmore-rd-an-international-smorgasbord/
– Marshland Road | From Shirley Road to Prestons Road
Approx. 5km of Commercial/Retail along Marshland Road includes:
The Palms Mall, 42 – 50 Marshland Road (New Development), Shops/Restaurants (between Joy & Pagoda Streets), Homebase (Existing), Homebase (New Development), Homebase (Future Development), Orchards, Fruit & Veges Markets, Shops/Restaurants (Cnr Marshland & Prestons Road).
3.5. Shirley Road to New Brighton Road (Scenic Route)
– Shirley Road to New Brighton Road | ‘Gateway to the East’
10 Shirley Road is a very visible historic location at the beginning of Shirley Road, which then becomes New Brighton Road, a scenic road to travel by bus or car through the Residential Red/Green Zones, following the Ōtākaro Avon River to New Brighton.
“The first route from Christchurch to New Brighton in European times was via Fitzgerald Avenue (then the East Belt), and Shirley and New Brighton Road. Because it was the first route, it was sometimes called the ‘Old Brighton Road’. New Brighton Road dates from 1860s.”
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/how-to-get-to-new-brighton/
– Shirley Road to New Brighton Road | Residential Red Zone, Christchurch
“Welcome to the Residential Red Zone. This zone encompasses areas around Bexley Wetland, Brooklands, South Brighton, Southshore, the Port Hills and the Ōtākaro River Corridor including Richmond, Dallington, Avonside and Brooker Ave.”
https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/explore-parks/residential-red-zone
– Shirley Road to New Brighton Road | History & Post Earthquakes
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/historic-landmark/
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/the-christchurch-districts-of-windsor-and-shirley/
1st: Shirley | Shirley Community Reserve, former Shirley School/Shirley Community Centre site, building demolished after the earthquakes in 2012.
2nd: Dudley Creek (located at the back of the Reserve), part of the Dudley Creek Flood Remediation, along Stapletons Road, Petrie Street to Medway Street.
Through wayfinding signage, share the technical behind-the-scenes information and lessons learnt, with visitors to these sites.
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/dudley-creek/
3rd: Chancellor Street Heritage Houses (Workers Dwelling Act & Social Housing Heritage) in Dudley Character Area, Richmond.
4th: Housing Intensification from Bungalow & Villa homes to Townhouses.
5th: The Palms Mall
6th: Burwood Park
7th: Residential Red Zone/Green Zone (Dallington, Horseshoe Lake, Burwood, New Brighton) with Landings & Footbridges.
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-post-earthquakes-map/
8th: New Brighton | “Eastern Christchurch’s main entertainment and tourist centres” includes:
New Brighton Beach, New Brighton Pier, He Puna Taimoana Hot Pools, New Brighton Seaside Playground, New Brighton Mall/Shopping Centre, New Brighton Village Green, New Brighton Museum & New Brighton Library.
– Shirley Road to New Brighton Road | Public Transport
https://www.ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2025/route-7-frequency-increase-causing-increase-in-patronage-too
“In April the route switched to running every 10 minutes from 5.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays and every 15 minutes outside of those hours, and on weekends.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/588286/country-s-lightest-electric-double-decker-bus-to-hit-christchurch-s-roads-next-week
“The [electric double-decker] bus was intended to start on the Route 7 Halswell-Queenspark service and would be tested on several of Metro’s busier routes.”
“The bus can take up to 95 customers including 14 standing downstairs.”
https://www.metroinfo.co.nz/news/metro-welcomes-its-first-electric-double-decker-bus-the-lightest-in-the-country/
3.6. Transport Options
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-transport/
10 Shirley Road is located between two main intersections/arterial roads:
– Shirley Road / Marshland Road / New Brighton Road / North Parade &
– Shirley Road / Hills Road / Warrington Street intersection
This location at 10 Shirley Road is accessible by public transport for residents & visitors to Christchurch in:
Shirley, Dallington, Richmond, Edgeware, St Albans & Mairehau
Plus: Citywide (Orbiter), Merivale, Parklands, Burwood & Avonside.
– Christchurch Bus Routes Map:
https://smartview.ccc.govt.nz/data/bus-network/map
– Christchurch Cycling Map:
https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/cycling/cycling-maps
– Christchurch Walking Track Map (includes Dudley Creek Walk):
https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/explore-parks/walking-track-map
4. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor | Activities
4.1. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor City to Sea Pathway
https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/regenerationareas/otakaro-avon-river-corridor/city-to-sea-pathway
“The 11-kilometre-long, shared-use, all-weather route will largely follow the course of the Ōtākaro Avon River from Barbadoes Street in the central city to Pages Road in New Brighton.”
Plans: https://ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Parks-Gardens/Regeneration-areas/C2SPublic.pdf
4.2. Sutton Heritage House and Garden
http://www.suttonhouseandgarden.org.nz/
“…the house, including a studio, built in 1962 for the renowned Canterbury artist and educator William Alexander Sutton, (1917 – 2000) – usually known as Bill Sutton – at 20 Templar Street, Richmond.
He lived there for thirty eight years. Most of his celebrated work created during this period – both landscapes and portraiture – was painted here.
Sutton’s house was designed by Tom Taylor, (1925 – 1995), a friend and teaching colleague and a sculptor who had studied architecture for two years; it is the only remaining Tom Taylor designed house in Christchurch which has retained its original design.
The luxuriant garden around the house was designed and planted by Bill Sutton himself.”
“Graham Densem – (B.A., Dip.L.A.) Retired Landscape Architect and former Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University.
Graham’s experience with Sutton House began in the 1990’s when Bill Sutton graciously allowed student visits to his most characterful garden.
His mission is to see the heritage garden maintained as its creator intended, and the surrounding park developed as a community facility honouring Bill Sutton.”
http://www.suttonhouseandgarden.org.nz/our-trustees/
4.3. Avebury House, Richmond Community Garden & Riverlution
https://www.aveburyhouse.co.nz/
https://richmondcommunitygarden.co.nz/
https://richmondcommunitygarden.co.nz/project/riverlution-eco-hub/
4.4. Climate Action Campus
https://climateaction.school.nz/
4.5. Sector 7 Events
https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/regenerationareas/otakaro-avon-river-corridor/sector-7-events
“Sector 7 is an event space in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (OARC), between Locksley Avenue and New Brighton Road. Events for approximately 5000 people can be held in this space. Public parking is not available on-site, so attendees are encouraged to plan to use alternative transport to the site.”
4.6. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor: Footbridges & Landings
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/shirley-centre-post-earthquakes-map/
(see Layer: ‘3. Shirley Centre | Information Centre’)
Medway Footbridge, Dallington Bridge, Snell Place Footbridge, Avondale Footbridge, Dallington Landing & Wainoni Landing.
4.7. Kerrs Reach Flatwater Sports Hub
https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/regenerationareas/otakaro-avon-river-corridor/changes-to-kerrs-reach
“We plan to relocate the existing sports clubs’ facilities and buildings from the east side of the river to the west side, to create a new flatwater sports hub with space for growth. Minor river-edge modifications to the western side will allow boats to launch safely. Road access will be via a new link from Gayhurst Road to Halberg Street, and there will be some car-parking allowances included for visitors to the hub and area.”
Plans: https://ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Parks-Gardens/Regeneration-areas/KRFWHubPublic_Optimized.pdf
5. Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor | Ideas by Joanna Gould (2018)
5.1. Red Zones Future: Ideas Map
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/red-zones-future-ideas-map-by-joanna-gould/
My ideas for Richmond/Avonside and the Red Zone Futures: Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor, include:
Shirley Community Centre, Dudley Creek, Kai Town, Street Art, Sutton’s Place, River Road Park, River Bank Centre, Retreat Road Park, Kerrs Reach & Woodham Park.
5.2. Sutton’s Place | Idea (2018)
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/suttons-place/
‘Let’s go to Sutton’s Place’: a creative space for our local Christchurch Arts Community, and a place to welcome creatives from all around the world. With Bill Sutton’s house/garden as the centrepiece, we could add:
– living/studio spaces for artist’s in residence,
– learning spaces: day/night classes for arts & crafts, art business classes,
– eco-friendly cafe/gallery/shop/information centre,
– car parking and bike stands for those using the Avon-Ōtākaro Cycle Route,
– outdoor natural wood easels for painting, picnic tables and seating
– landscape design that creates a ‘picture’ you want to capture, with whatever medium you like to use as an artist
– outdoor natural wood picture frames, that frame a view, and/or create an opportunity to take a selfie or group photo, to share on social media,
with Sutton’s Garden for Outdoor Teaching, Art/Sculpture Park, and Outdoor Arts Related Events, set in a beautiful garden setting over looking the Avon River, for all types of artists/creatives to come and be a part of Sutton’s legacy.
‘Bill’s Story: a Portrait of W. A. Sutton’ by Pat Unger
https://christchurch.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S37C591338
“Bill’s story goes behind the artist to discover the child, the student, the tutor, the citizen, the well-mannered bohemian.
The book is derived mainly from Sutton’s extensive archives, and from the author’s personal knowledge of the artist…
Pat Unger portrays an attentive son, a steadfast friend and erudite academic, a resolute administrator and a multi-skilled professional artist.”
5.3. River Road Park | Idea (2018)
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/river-road-park/
My vision for ‘River Road Park’ is a place to enjoy “rest and relax”, where we remember our “identity, sense of place and history of the Christchurch”.
Dudley Creek Trail, River Road, Medway Street Bridge, Medway Street Bridge Memorial, R. B. Owen Lime Trees, Avebury House, Avebury Paddling Pool & Playground, Richmond Community Garden, Avon-Ōtākaro Cycle Route, Park Benches/Picnic Tables & ‘White Picket Fence’ Garden.
5.4. River Bank Centre | Idea (2018)
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/river-bank-centre/
My vision for ‘River Bank Centre is a place for Research, Design & Technology Centre.
Using Technology to create Digital Story Telling, where we remember our “identity, sense of place and history of the Christchurch”.
My idea for the ‘Ōtākaro Loop Reach’ is ‘River Bank Centre’, based at Avonside Girls’ High School.
The ‘River Bank Centre’ [named after Richard Bedward Owen, Mr R B Owen, but unofficially he was called “River Bank” Owen] could include:
Studios, Learning Spaces, Exhibition Spaces, STEAM Businesses, Day/Night Classes, KidsFest Program etc.
5.5. Retreat Road Park | Idea (2018)
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/retreat-road-park/
My vision for ‘Retreat Road Park’ is a place to enjoy “rest and relax”, where we remember our “identity, sense of place and history of the Christchurch”.
Māori Heritage Park, Natural Playgrounds, Star Gazing, set amongst the residential gardens of the Avonside Red Zone, with new native trees/plants and Accessible/Sensory Playground.
5.6. Draft OARC Regeneration Plan: ‘Tell Our Stories‘
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/draft-oarc-regeneration-plan-tell-our-stories/
Local History, Local People (Pre Earthquakes):
– John Deans (Pioneer, Riccarton House & Bush)
– Richard Bedward Owen (‘River Bank’ Owen, Businessman, Conservationist, Philanthropist, “a man of great vision”)
– William A. [Bill] Sutton (Artist, Painter, Craftsman, Teacher)
– Elsie Locke (Writer, Historian, Activist)
– Rod Donald (Politician, Green Party co-leader)
– Alexander William Bickerton (First Professor of Chemistry at Canterbury College, taught Ernest Rutherford, Partial Impact Theory)
– James Arthur Flesher (Mayor of Christchurch (1923-1925), Politician, Solicitor, Barrister)
– Cora Wilding (Physiotherapist, Artist)
Local History, Local People (Post Earthquakes):
– Park Benches/Picnic Tables
To honor the families that had a home in the residential Red Zone along River Road, with a named plaque, to honor what they have lost, and so they can come back to visit and have somewhere to sit and enjoy the Avon River views again.
– ‘White Picket Fence’ Garden
Use a white picket paling, to mark the address of each house, with the house number on the paling, and a QR code, to link to a website/street view map, to remember and show visitors to the area the homes along River Road, from the 1900s to pre Christchurch earthquakes.
5.7. Draft OARC Regeneration Plan: Visitor Experience
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/draft-oarc-regeneration-plan-visitor-experience/
“Welcome to Christchurch the Garden City, City of Exploration.”
Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor: Website & App, Cultural Trail, ‘Our People, Our Places’ Park Rangers & Māori Wardens.
5.8. Draft OARC Regeneration Plan: Community Needs
https://lifeisajourney.co.nz/rur/draft-oarc-regeneration-plan-community-needs/
– OARC Regeneration Plan Idea for Shirley/Richmond
“Shirley/Richmond, new Community Centre at 10 Shirley Road opposite Shirley Primary School, includes Shirley Library, Learning Spaces, Service Centre, sell Shirley Library building at The Palms.”
– OARC Regeneration Plan Idea for Dallington/Burwood/Avondale
“Dallington/Burwood/Avondale, new Community Centre at 255 New Brighton Road close to All Saints Church, includes Coastal-Burwood Governance Unit more central to their residents, small Meeting/Learning spaces with kitchen, Service Centre, Volunteer Library similar to Redcliffs Village Library, sell Shirley Library building at The Palms.”
– Community Needs Profiles For East Christchurch.
