Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch

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...

. It is due west of the city centre

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...

, separated from it by Hagley Park

Hagley Park

Hagley Park is the largest urban open space in Christchurch, New Zealand, and was created in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public."...

. Upper Riccarton

Upper Riccarton

Upper Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of Riccarton.Upper Riccarton is made up of residential, retail and education areas. It includes a major intersection known as "Church Corner"...

 is to the west of Riccarton.

History

On 12 April 1840, the ship "Sarah and Elizabeth lands Herriot, McGillivray, Ellis, Shaw (and wife) and McKinnon (with his wife and child) who establish a farm at Riccarton. They are the first European settlers on the plains." In January 1841, they abandon their attempt to farm in the area.

Riccarton House is the homestead of the Deans family, who along with the Gebbies and the Mansons were the second group of Europeans to settle in Christchurch on the same site as the first group in 1843. A replica of their original cob cottage is on the grounds. Riccarton House is now a function centre, but has been closed since the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

The Deans brothers, John and William, named the suburb after the parish in Ayrshire

Riccarton, Ayrshire

Riccarton is a village and parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies across the River Irvine from Kilmarnock. The river Irvine divides the parishes of Riccarton and Kilmarnock and the river used to form the boundary between the districts of Kyle and Cunninghame.- History :The village became a...

, Scotland, in which they were born. They were also responsible for naming the River Avon after the river of the same name in Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...

, Scotland.

Riccarton Bush

Adjacent to Riccarton House is Riccarton Bush, a prominent feature also known as Deans Bush . It was one of only two remnants of the original forest that covered the Canterbury plains, escaping the huge fires that swept across the province during the moa hunter period, before European settlement. The other remnant, at Papanui, was cut down in the 1850s. It is dominated by kahikatea

Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

Dacrycarpus dacrydioides or kahikatea is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand.The tree grows to a height of with a trunk exceeding in diameter, and is buttressed at the base. It is dominant in lowland forest and wetlands throughout the North and South Islands...

 trees. A predator-proof perimeter fence

Perimeter fence

A perimeter fence is a structure that circles the perimeter of an area to prevent access. These fences are frequently made out of single vertical metal bars connected at the top and bottom with a horizontal bar. They often have spikes on the top to prevent climbing. Residential perimeter fences are...

 has now been erected, with the hope of reintroducing kiwi

Kiwi

Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...

 to the reserve.

Governance

Until local government amalgamation in 1989, Riccarton was an independent borough. These days, Riccarton is represented by the Riccarton-Wigram community board.

Economy

Due to its proximity to the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

 and relatively low rents, Riccarton is home to many Christchurch students. Riccarton Road and Blenheim Road are busy retail

Retail

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

zones. Riccarton Road is one of the main motel areas.

Religion

During 1984-85 the South Island's first mosque, the "Masjid An-Nur" or Mosque of Light, was constructed in Riccarton. It was the world's southern-most mosque until 1999. The suburb is home to many of Christchurch's 2000 Muslim residents.