Ivey Hall

So, I'm standing here in front of Ivey Hall at Lincoln University, and this place has quite a history. It was designed by Frederick Strouts and built between 1878 and 1880, apparently modeled after Rothamsted Manor in England, which is pretty cool. They added a west wing in 1881 for student accommodation, also designed by Strouts.

Later on, this building actually became the university's library. It's named after William Ivey, who was the first head of the teaching institution back in 1881. What's really interesting is that it's one of the earliest big buildings in Canterbury made with permanent materials, and it's the oldest large Jacobethan architecture building still standing in New Zealand.

There have been a few additions over the years – the west wing was extended again in 1918, and then in 1923, an eastern extension called the Memorial Hall was added. That Memorial Hall was built to remember students and staff who died in the First World War, but now it includes those from the South African War and the Second World War too. Apparently, the Lincoln Agreement, which ended the Bougainville conflict, was signed right in that hall.

It's a Category I heritage building. They did some seismic strengthening in the 1980s, which is probably why it didn't get too badly damaged in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, even though some gables and masonry were affected. It's just reopened in February 2025 after more restoration work.