Godley Head Battery Historic Area

Godley Head, CHRISTCHURCH

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The Godley Head Battery and its associated camp remain one of the most intact and extensive examples of coastal defences erected around New Zealand in World War II. Beginning with just two 60-pounder field guns sited on the headland in September 1939 and a small staff, the complex expanded through the war years as a regimental headquarters and defence community. By 1943 it was a complex unit, covering virtually every aspect of coastal defence operations, with accommodation and facilities provided for up to 410 personnel. Construction finished in 1946. The main significance of this complex relates to its World War II use. The site's strategic position had been recognised by Canterbury's early surveyors who had set it aside for defence purposes in1852 but no use had been made of it during the 'Russian scare' of the 1880s or during World War I. The Godley Battery shut down for four years at the end of the war and the complex then reopened for Compulsory Military Training until 1958 (when the 6-inch guns were finally scrapped and the portable buildings relocated). Although it continued to be used by regular and territorial forces, the army's involvement with the buildings and reserve land became less frequent in the following decades until use ceased in 1983. The reserve land, under the management of the Department of Lands and Survey, later the Department of Conservation (DOC), was leased for grazing and there was no public access to the military area until the mid 1990s. Recently DOC has embarked on a major maintenance programme and in 2002 the Godley Head Heritage Trust was established to assist with the site's conservation, promotion and interpretation.

Godley Head Battery Historic Area, Christchurch. Gun emplacement No. 2 with barracks behind. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com CC Licence 2.0 | Dafydd Williams | 09/04/2007 | Dafydd Williams
Godley Head Battery Historic Area, Christchurch. CC Licence 2.0 Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Joyce Seitzinger | 16/11/2008 | Joyce Seitzinger
Godley Head Battery Historic Area, Christchurch. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 27/06/2017 | Shellie Evans
Godley Head Battery Historic Area, Christchurch. Interior Engine Room. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 27/06/2017 | Shellie Evans

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Area

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

7554

Date Entered

6th June 2004

Date of Effect

6th June 2004

City/District Council

Christchurch City

Region

Canterbury Region

Extent of List Entry

The Godley Head Battery historic area includes over 110 structures and sites associated with the World War II coastal defence operation on Godley Head Reserve. These structures can be very broadly grouped as: the camp area; Taylor Battery; Godley Battery; searchlight emplacements; battery observation posts; and the lighthouse.

Legal description

RS 42345 (NZ Gazette 1912 p.1830), RS 42346 (NZ Gazette 1912 p.1830), RS 42347 (NZ Gazette 1876 p.457, NZ Gazette 1912 p.1830), and Legal Road, Canterbury Land District

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