Hack Circle

What you're looking at now, this paved area with some seating, used to be known as the Hack Circle, or just Hack. It was an amphitheatre built in 1989 as part of a pedestrian mall in central Christchurch, New Zealand, officially opened on December 6th of that year by Mayor Vicki Buck.

For a while, it was a popular spot for Hacky Sack, which is how it got its name. Later, it became a hangout for young people, including "black-dressed emos, goths, heavy metal fans and United States style gangstas." A 2004 survey by the Christchurch City Council found it was a popular place for 13 to 18-year-olds to "hang out, smoke, meet friends etc."

Christchurch police, though, claimed it was a site for criminal activity, with one 2006 incident involving a 19-year-old arrested for swinging a metal pipe. They also cited aggravated robbery, assault, and cannabis trafficking. Sergeant Murry Hurst from The Press said that while 90% of the kids were fine, the other 10% caused problems. However, in February 2007, Senior Sergeant Glenn Dobson told The Press that the young people here weren't as intimidating as they might appear, and that they couldn't be moved on just for looking different. Antony Gough, a local millionaire property owner, was a strong advocate for more security, calling the people who gathered here "very scary."

In October 2006, the city council announced plans to demolish the amphitheatre and replace the pedestrian mall with a one-way slow road. A student named Daniel Griffiths believed the plan was to get rid of an "undesirable youth element," though the council denied this. On December 14, 2006, the council voted 7-6 to proceed, despite "overwhelming opposition." Councillor Bob Shearing even said the original decision to get rid of the slow-road was because a group of people were using the City Mall as a "school playground," which drew a lot of criticism. Out of 570 submissions to the council, 400 were against the proposal.

On May 18, 2007, groups like Food Not Bombs and students from Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti gathered here to protest the plans. Demolition began in February 2008. The Hack Circle was replaced not with a slow road, but with a renovated pedestrian mall, which was completed in October 2008.

The destruction was a big deal for young people in Christchurch. There were protests, including one on August 13, 2007, when the nearby Stewart Fountain was being demolished, leading to arrests. Protester Jayde Henry thought it was terrible they started on the day Sir Robertson Stewart, the benefactor of the fountain, died.

In 2009, the Central City Business Association manager, Paul Lonsdale, referred to this paved area as "The new Hack Circle." In 2025, a sign was installed here, officially dedicating the location as 'Hack Circle'.