A timber road bridge was erected around 1873 to cross the Avon adjacent to the Provincial Government Buildings on Armagh St. In February 1883 the City Surveyor Charles Walkden reported serious decay of the fabric, and was instructed to prepare plans for a new bridge. The tender of Grieg and Hunter for £1, 390 (exclusive of cement, approach roads and paths) was accepted in June of that year. Six months later the bridge was complete. It opened to the public on December 11, 1883.
William Grieg (1836-1911) was born in Rothesay in Scotland. Arriving in Christchurch in 1860, he worked on the Lyttelton Railway Tunnel before taking the contract for the Bank of Australasia. After working as a builder for eight years, Grieg farmed at Ashley for a period. He returned to Christchurch in 1876 and went into partnership with John Hunter. The buildings they erected together included the Boys and Girls High Schools, Supreme Court, part of Sunnyside Asylum, and Ballantynes. Grieg retired in 1893, but returned to building in 1904 in partnership with his sons.
Surveyor and engineer Charles Walkden (1824-1908) had worked in Austria and Denmark for a number of years before arriving in Christchurch in 1871. In 1874 he was appointed City Surveyor to the City Council, a position he held for 22 years. During this time, Walkden was responsible for building or rebuilding many of the bridges in central Christchurch. He retired in 1896 on an allowance of £375 p.a.
List Entry Information
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
1830
Date Entered
2nd April 2004
Date of Effect
2nd April 2004
City/District Council
Christchurch City
Region
Canterbury Region
Extent of List Entry
Registration includes the bridge and land the bridge sits on.
Legal description
There is no legal description or Certificate of Title for the Avon River and its banks.
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
1830
Date Entered
2nd April 2004
Date of Effect
2nd April 2004
City/District Council
Christchurch City
Region
Canterbury Region
Extent of List Entry
Registration includes the bridge and land the bridge sits on.
Legal description
There is no legal description or Certificate of Title for the Avon River and its banks.
Why is this place significant?
Historic Significance
Historical Significance or Value The construction of the bridge has historical significance as an indication of the desire of the Victorian citizens of the city to use the Avon's bridges to ornament Christchurch whilst also providing evidence of permanency and progress.
Physical Significance
The Armagh St Bridge has aesthetic significance in the graceful form of the bridge arch and the neo-gothic ornamentation of its balustrading, which add to the attractive riverside environs of the Avon as it winds through the central city. It has architectural significant for the manner in which it coheres with the pattern established for central city bridges, and with the neo-gothic idiom broadly characteristic of public architecture in Christchurch.
Why is this place Category 1 / Category 2?
Detail Of Assessed Criteria
(a) reflects the economic and social importance of the establishment of an effective transport network in the fledgling city; (g) is an aesthetically pleasing but effective, practical design enhanced by fine ornamentation; (k) is an integral part of the collection of historic bridges in the central city, and a contributor to the neo-gothic tone of central Christchurch.
Why is this place significant?
Historic Significance
Historical Significance or Value The construction of the bridge has historical significance as an indication of the desire of the Victorian citizens of the city to use the Avon's bridges to ornament Christchurch whilst also providing evidence of permanency and progress.
Physical Significance
The Armagh St Bridge has aesthetic significance in the graceful form of the bridge arch and the neo-gothic ornamentation of its balustrading, which add to the attractive riverside environs of the Avon as it winds through the central city. It has architectural significant for the manner in which it coheres with the pattern established for central city bridges, and with the neo-gothic idiom broadly characteristic of public architecture in Christchurch.
Why is this place Category 1 / Category 2?
Detail Of Assessed Criteria
(a) reflects the economic and social importance of the establishment of an effective transport network in the fledgling city; (g) is an aesthetically pleasing but effective, practical design enhanced by fine ornamentation; (k) is an integral part of the collection of historic bridges in the central city, and a contributor to the neo-gothic tone of central Christchurch.
Construction Professional
Name
Walkden, Charles
Type
Engineer
Biography
No biography is currently available for this construction professional
Name
Greig & Hunter
Type
Builder
Biography
Responsible for the construction of John Campbell's Sunnyside Hospital Administration Building (Former).
Construction Details
Start Year
1883
Type
Original Construction
Construction Materials
Brick, Mt Somers stone, and cast iron.
Construction Professional
Name
Walkden, Charles
Type
Engineer
Biography
No biography is currently available for this construction professional
Name
Greig & Hunter
Type
Builder
Biography
Responsible for the construction of John Campbell's Sunnyside Hospital Administration Building (Former).
Construction Details
Start Year
1883
Type
Original Construction
Construction Materials
Brick, Mt Somers stone, and cast iron.
A single-span brick arch bridge with cast iron railings and a stone façade and piers.
A single-span brick arch bridge with cast iron railings and a stone façade and piers.
Historical and Associated Iwi / Hapū / Whānau
Completion Date
7th September 2004
Report Written By
Pam Wilson
Information Sources
Ince, 1998
John A. Ince, A City of Bridges. A History of Bridges over the Avon and Heathcote Rivers in Christchurch, Christchurch, 1998
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.
Historical and Associated Iwi / Hapū / Whānau
Completion Date
7th September 2004
Report Written By
Pam Wilson
Information Sources
Ince, 1998
John A. Ince, A City of Bridges. A History of Bridges over the Avon and Heathcote Rivers in Christchurch, Christchurch, 1998
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.
Current Usages
Uses: Transport
Specific Usage: Bridge/ Viaduct
Former Usages
General Usage: Transport
Specific Usage: Bridge/ Viaduct
Current Usages
Uses: Transport
Specific Usage: Bridge/ Viaduct
Former Usages
General Usage: Transport
Specific Usage: Bridge/ Viaduct
Location
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