Colombo Street
Encyclopedia
Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch
, New Zealand
. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square
. As with many other central Christchurch
streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo
, in what at the time was known as Ceylon
. Parts of the street which run through Sydenham
were known as Addison Street during the 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road.
and Cashmere and Centaurus Roads, which run along the foot of the hills. For its first few hundred metres the street runs north-northeast through the suburb of Somerfield, before turning due north and crossing the Heathcote River
in the residential suburb of Beckenham
. The suburb of Sydenham
starts once Tennyson Street is crossed. Between Tennyson Street and Strickland Street is a suburban shopping centre. Colombo street crosses the Christchurch ring route (SH73
, at that point called Brougham Street) and enters the commercial/industrial part of Sydenham.
North of Sydenham, Colombo Street crosses the Christchurch-Lyttelton railway line via a flyover then passes beneath the Moorhouse Avenue flyover, entering the Christchurch Central City
. It passes the Bus Exchange, the city's central bus depot and crosses the major pedestrian mall, City Mall (Cashel Street) before being interrupted by Cathedral Square
, the heart of Christchurch. In the square it crosses the loop of the Christchurch tramway
circuit, crossing it again two blocks north at Armagh Street. From Armagh Street it skirts the edge of Victoria Square and crosses the Avon River before passing the James Hay Theatre, part of the Christchurch Town Hall
.
Colombo Street passes St Mary's Primary School and the former Christchurch Women's Hospital complex (now demolished) before crossing Bealey Avenue and entering the residential suburb of St Albans
. The street terminates at Edgeware Road, 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) north of Cathedral Square. The highest street number is 1075.
All three remaining Barnes dance
intersections in the South Island
are on Colombo Street, at the intersections with Armagh, Gloucester, and Hereford Streets. The Colombo / Hereford intersection has the highest pedestrian count. A further Barnes dance is under consideration for Lichfield Street in conjunction with the relocated central city bus exchange.
Notable shopping complexes on Colombo Street include Christchurch's main branch of Farmers
, and South City Mall north of Moorhouse Avenue.
in 1850 by surveyors Joseph Thomas and Edward Jollie
.
The street was the site of one of the worst disasters in New Zealand history, with a major fire
that swept through the Ballantyne's Department Store in November 1947 killing 41 people. The disaster remains the country's most deadly fire.
Until 1965, Colombo Street did not stop at Cathedral Square but continued across it, running across the foot of the cathedral. Several pedestrianisation schemes over the latter part of the century extended the traffic-free area of the central city, and the street was finally stopped from entering the square itself. Recent controversial plans have suggested restoring traffic-flow along the part of Colombo Street which was blocked off in 1965.
:
Three further Category II structures are located in Victoria Square:
Proceeding through Cathedral Square, there are several Category I and II heritage structures, as outlined in the Cathedral Square article.
. For several months, the road was only partially open.
Further earthquake damage was caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake
. Many of the remaining historic buildings in Sydenham have subsequently been demolished. Buildings between St Asaph Street and Hereford Street suffered major damage, with many having since been removed. Two buses in the section south of Tuam Street were crushed by falling façades.
In total, 19 people were killed in Colombo Street in the February 2011 earthquake; all but one died in the central city:
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square
Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...
. As with many other central Christchurch
Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green...
streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, in what at the time was known as Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Parts of the street which run through Sydenham
Sydenham, New Zealand
Sydenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres south of the city centre, on and around the city’s main street, Colombo Street...
were known as Addison Street during the 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road.
Geography
Colombo Street runs for 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi) due north-south. As with most Christchurch north-south streets, its numbering starts at its southern end. Like most of central Christchurch, the street is flat. It starts 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the city centre at a roundabout junction with Dyers Pass Rd, which descends from the Port HillsPort Hills
The Port Hills form the northern rim of the ancient Lyttelton volcano, separating the port of Lyttelton from the city of Christchurch in Canterbury, New Zealand...
and Cashmere and Centaurus Roads, which run along the foot of the hills. For its first few hundred metres the street runs north-northeast through the suburb of Somerfield, before turning due north and crossing the Heathcote River
Heathcote River
The Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templetons Road and also receives wet weather flows from as far west as Pound Road. It meanders around the base of the Port Hills from west to south-east.-Course:The catchment of the...
in the residential suburb of Beckenham
Beckenham, New Zealand
Beckenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located three kilometres south of the city centre. The Heathcote River winds through this predominantly residential suburb, a section of which is often referred to locally as the "Beckenham Loop"....
. The suburb of Sydenham
Sydenham, New Zealand
Sydenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres south of the city centre, on and around the city’s main street, Colombo Street...
starts once Tennyson Street is crossed. Between Tennyson Street and Strickland Street is a suburban shopping centre. Colombo street crosses the Christchurch ring route (SH73
New Zealand State Highway 73
State Highway 73 is a major east-west South Island State Highway in New Zealand connecting Christchurch on the east coast with Greymouth/Hokitika on the west coast via the Southern Alps...
, at that point called Brougham Street) and enters the commercial/industrial part of Sydenham.
North of Sydenham, Colombo Street crosses the Christchurch-Lyttelton railway line via a flyover then passes beneath the Moorhouse Avenue flyover, entering the Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green...
. It passes the Bus Exchange, the city's central bus depot and crosses the major pedestrian mall, City Mall (Cashel Street) before being interrupted by Cathedral Square
Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...
, the heart of Christchurch. In the square it crosses the loop of the Christchurch tramway
Christchurch tramway system
The Christchurch tramway system was an extensive network in Christchurch, New Zealand, with steam and horse trams from 1882. Electric trams ran from 1905 to 1954, when the last line to Papanui was replaced by buses...
circuit, crossing it again two blocks north at Armagh Street. From Armagh Street it skirts the edge of Victoria Square and crosses the Avon River before passing the James Hay Theatre, part of the Christchurch Town Hall
Christchurch Town Hall
The Christchurch Town Hall, since 2007 formally known as the Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts, opened in 1972, is Christchurch's premier performing arts centre. It is located in the central city on the banks of the Avon River overlooking Victoria Square. It is situated opposite the...
.
Colombo Street passes St Mary's Primary School and the former Christchurch Women's Hospital complex (now demolished) before crossing Bealey Avenue and entering the residential suburb of St Albans
St Albans, New Zealand
St Albans is one of Christchurch, New Zealand's largest suburbs. It is a short walk from the central city. To the east of St Albans is Shirley and to the west is Fendalton...
. The street terminates at Edgeware Road, 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) north of Cathedral Square. The highest street number is 1075.
All three remaining Barnes dance
Pedestrian scramble
A pedestrian scramble, also known as a 'X' Crossing , diagonal crossing , scramble intersection , and more poetically Barnes Dance, is a pedestrian crossing system that stops all vehicular traffic and allows pedestrians to cross an intersection in every direction, including diagonally, at the same...
intersections in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
are on Colombo Street, at the intersections with Armagh, Gloucester, and Hereford Streets. The Colombo / Hereford intersection has the highest pedestrian count. A further Barnes dance is under consideration for Lichfield Street in conjunction with the relocated central city bus exchange.
Notable shopping complexes on Colombo Street include Christchurch's main branch of Farmers
Farmers (department store)
The Farmers Trading Company is a New Zealand mid-market department store chain. Based in Flat Bush in Auckland, Farmers operates 56 stores across New Zealand, specialising in fashion, beauty, home-wares and furniture.- History :...
, and South City Mall north of Moorhouse Avenue.
History
Colombo Street was one of the city's original streets, being laid out at the time of the settlement of Canterbury ProvinceCanterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
in 1850 by surveyors Joseph Thomas and Edward Jollie
Edward Jollie
Edward Jollie was a pioneer land surveyor in New Zealand, initially as a cadet surveyor with the New Zealand Company. He followed his elder brother Francis Jollie to New Zealand, arriving on the barque Brougham in Wellington in 1842...
.
The street was the site of one of the worst disasters in New Zealand history, with a major fire
Ballantyne's store disaster
The Ballantyne's fire on 18 November 1947 remains the deadliest fire in New Zealand history. Forty one people died in the blaze in the Christchurch Central City; all were employees who found themselves trapped by the fire or were overcome by smoke while evacuating the store complex without a fire...
that swept through the Ballantyne's Department Store in November 1947 killing 41 people. The disaster remains the country's most deadly fire.
Until 1965, Colombo Street did not stop at Cathedral Square but continued across it, running across the foot of the cathedral. Several pedestrianisation schemes over the latter part of the century extended the traffic-free area of the central city, and the street was finally stopped from entering the square itself. Recent controversial plans have suggested restoring traffic-flow along the part of Colombo Street which was blocked off in 1965.
Registered heritage buildings
Colombo Street contains or contained eleven structures that are registered as Category II historic places by the New Zealand Historic Places TrustNew Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
:
| Photo | Name | Status | Address | Description |
| Rose Historic Chapel Rose Historic Chapel The Rose Historic Chapel, formerly known as the St Mary's Convent Chapel, is a heritage-listed stone church building located in Colombo Street in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is registered as a "Historic Place – Category II " by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust... |
significantly damaged | 866 Colombo Street | chapel of the former St. Mary's Convent | |
| Wharetiki House Wharetiki House Wharetiki, for some time known as Glenfell House, was an Edwardian timber dwelling in Colombo Street, Christchurch in New Zealand. Built in 1904 for businessman and philanthropist Matthew Barnett, it was damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake... |
demolished | 854 Colombo Street | residential property just north of Salisbury Street | |
| Avon River Bridge | in use | n/a | road bridge adjacent to and at the north end of Victoria Square | |
| Isaac House | in use | 779 Colombo Street; corner Armagh Street | commercial building south of Victoria Square in Inter War Georgian Revival style | |
| The Union Centre Building (formerly Armstrong's) | unknown | 91-107 Armagh Street | commercial building opposite Isaac House | |
| Beaths Department Store Building | unknown | 682-690 Colombo Street; corner Cashel Mall | these days part of the Bus Exchange | |
| New City Hotel | in use | 527-533 Colombo Street; corner Bath Street | hotel | |
| Sydenham Post Office Building | partially demolished | 527-533 Colombo Street; corner Brougham Street | restaurant | |
| Sydenham Heritage Church Sydenham Heritage Church Sydenham Heritage Church, originally known as the Colombo Street Methodist Church or Colombo Street Wesleyan Church or Colombo Road Wesleyan Church was a heritage-listed stone church building located in Sydenham, an inner suburb Christchurch, New Zealand... |
demolished | 253 Brougham Street | church | |
| Beckenham Baptist Church | demolished | c.146 Colombo Street | church | |
| Old Malthouse | in use | 71 Colombo Street | these days a children's theatre |
Three further Category II structures are located in Victoria Square:
- Queen Victoria Statue, unveiled in 1903
- Cook StatueCook Statue, ChristchurchThe Cook Statue in Victoria Square, Christchurch, commemorates the three journeys of James Cook to New Zealand. The statue, sculpted by William Trethewey, was unveiled on 10 August 1932 by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe...
, donated in 1932 by Matthew Barnett, the owner of Wharetiki (mentioned above) - Victoria Street Bridge, these days known as the Hamish HayHamish HaySir Hamish Grenfell Hay was a New Zealand politician, who served as Mayor of Christchurch for fifteen years, from 1974 to 1989.-Early life:...
Bridge, the bridge of the former Victoria Street over the Avon River
Proceeding through Cathedral Square, there are several Category I and II heritage structures, as outlined in the Cathedral Square article.
2010 and 2011 earthquakes
Much of Colombo Street through Sydenham was damaged by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time ....
. For several months, the road was only partially open.
Further earthquake damage was caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake
2011 Christchurch earthquake
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at on local time , The earthquake was centred west of the town of Lyttelton, and south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous...
. Many of the remaining historic buildings in Sydenham have subsequently been demolished. Buildings between St Asaph Street and Hereford Street suffered major damage, with many having since been removed. Two buses in the section south of Tuam Street were crushed by falling façades.
In total, 19 people were killed in Colombo Street in the February 2011 earthquake; all but one died in the central city:
- two people died in the block between Armagh and Gloucester Streets
- one person died in the block between Lichfield and Tuam Streets
- fifteen people died in the block between Tuam and St Asaph Streets, including eight on Red Bus number 702
- one person died in the block between Wordsworth and Elgin Streets in Sydenham