Ashburton Domain

This park, the Ashburton Domain, has been a central part of Ashburton since it was first planned in 1864. Back then, this whole area was just described as a "miserable wildness" of spear grass, broom, and tussock, but they set aside 40 hectares for gardens and recreation.

The real development didn't start until 1877 when a gardener was appointed by the Domain Board, and in 1878, funding helped lay out a cricket field in the southeast. They even diverted water from Mill Creek into an old river channel in 1880, and by 1886, two dams created the lakes, including one with a horseshoe bend and an island. The hospital for Ashburton was even built in a corner of this reserve starting in 1879, a brick building that was larger and more costly than most other buildings in town at the time.

By 1889, responsibility for the domain shifted to the Ashburton Borough Council for more secure funding. That same year, a small lake here was converted into a swimming pool because swimming was getting popular. In 1892, a swimming carnival here had 59 entrants and 2,000 spectators. People also used the domain for picnics by 1895, and in the cold winters of 1886, 1889, and 1895, ice skating carnivals were held in the swimming pool area. That pool was used until 1948 when it closed permanently due to public health concerns.

A big change happened in 1894 when W.W. Smith became caretaker, later curator. He had a lot of experience from places like Burghley House in England. He established the rose garden in 1895 and a bowling green in 1898. He used curved pathways and naturalistic plantings, adding more native trees and shrubs. He planted many trees in the 1890s, even though some were damaged by drought and heavy frosts. The rows of conifers planted in 1898 near the croquet ground are still a notable feature. He also improved paths, developed flower beds, and created rose beds near the lodge, even labeling trees with their botanical names. He started replanting an island in the lake with native trees and shrubs in 1903. Editorials in the Ashburton Guardian in 1903 were already commenting on the domain's beauty. When Smith left in 1904, the Guardian praised his work, saying its beauty was due to his "careful solicitude and diligent application."

Later, in 1935, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, had a reception here on the oval, and a public address system was used for the first time in Ashburton for his speech. By the 1930s, there was some criticism compared to parks in other towns, so in 1938, a new curator, Dennis H Leigh, was appointed. He was a trained horticulturalist who had worked at Kew Gardens and served until 1946, restoring color and variety. He planted 68,000 daffodil bulbs in 1939, which, along with the flowering cherry trees, became a popular spring attraction. During World War II, the domain was a temporary camp for soldiers, with 800 men from the 2nd Canterbury Regiment in tents here in March 1941. One of the largest events was the welcome for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on January 22, 1954. More recently, in February 1998, over 5,000 people came to hear Malvina Major and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra perform on