Public Bathing Pool at Cashel Street

They dredged a deep channel right here in the river at Cashel Street back in 1877, to make a public bathing pool. But the water quality wasn't good, because of polluted water from the public hospital. So, the pool never really caught on.

The Ōtākaro Avon River has certainly changed a lot over the years. Before Christchurch was founded on its banks in 1851, the Māori children used to play on its banks during food gathering. That's actually what Ōtākaro means — 'a place of play'. John Deans, a settler, described it in 1844 as "a river of water clearer than crystal."

Ngāi Tahu, and Ngāti Māmoe and Waitaha before them, had many settlements around here, gathering resources from the wetlands, rivers, and coastlines. The whole landscape was full of names and stories for them.

Later on, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, people used the river for recreation, like pleasure boating. There were even private pleasure gardens, with Professor Bickerton's at Wainoni being the most famous. Walking and cycling along the banks were also popular, and from the 1860s, trout were released into the river for fishing. But the trout population eventually declined. Rowing was also big, and still is. In 1950, the river at Wainoni was even diverted to create Kerrs Reach for competitive rowing.

The river was also a major transport route after Christchurch was founded, though its narrow, winding shape became difficult to navigate over time, especially with increased silt and weeds. Land transport eventually took over.

Between 1850 and 1900, 144 people drowned in the river, leading to a bylaw for bollards and chains to be built along the edges. In the 1920s, R.B. Owen, a tailor, started the “River Improvement Fund.” He planted 53 lime trees between Evelyn Cousins Avenue and Medway Street, and many are still growing today.

Water quality has been a long-standing issue here. By the 1860s, it was already declining. In 1875, the Christchurch Drainage Board made a plan to separate sewage and stormwater, which reduced deaths from waterborne diseases. But stormwater and industrial waste still brought contaminants into the river. Weeds were also a problem, and in 1927, a hydraulic sweeper cleared them, though it sent a lot of silt down to the estuary. Even today, contamination from stormwater and wastewater overflow affects the water quality.