Canterbury Club Hitching Post

The Canterbury Club was established in 1872 by the 'newer' gentlemen of the province, professionals and businessmen, who found their backgrounds and interests to be different from those of the gentry membership of the established Christchurch Club (1856). The newly formed club purchased a property at the corner of Cambridge Tce and Worcester St, and commissioned W. B. Armson, a member, to design a club building. However Armson was compelled to withdraw because of ill health, and the commission fell in 1873 to Frederick Strouts instead. Strouts designed the greater part of the Italianate building in which the club still resides.

The hitching post outside the club appears to have been erected at the club's instigation in the 1870s or 1880s; a member suggested in 1875 that it would be a good idea. Once a ubiquitous feature of colonial towns, this hitching post is today one of few remaining in the city, and a poignant reminder of the time when horses were the main form of transport.

Historical Significance or Value

The Canterbury Club hitching post has historical value as a poignant reminder of an era when horses were the most important mode of transport. It and the nearby gas lamp contribute to the historic values of the Canterbury Club as demonstration of the Club's colonial beginnings. The hitching post is a unique historic relic within the inner area of Christchurch city.

(h) serves to commemorate the once pivotal role of the horse as a mode of transport;

(k) forms part of a local historical grouping with the adjacent gas lamp (Cat. II) and Canterbury Club (Cat II), and part of the broader Worcester Boulevard cultural precinct.

Physical Description

A wooden post, about 900 mm in height by 140mmsquare, with a shaped top and chamfered corners. A metal hook and ring were attached on the kerb side of the post, close to the top, but have been removed.

Construction Dates

Original Construction
1870 - 1890

Construction Details

Timber and iron.

Completion Date

7th October 2004

Report Written By

Pam Wilson

Information Sources

Christchurch City Council

Christchurch City Council

Heritage File Canterbury Club

New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT)

New Zealand Historic Places Trust

NZHPT Field Record Form

Other Information

A fully referenced version of this report is available from the NZHPT Southern Region Office.

Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.