Cranmer Square

Cranmer Square is an urban park in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located 800 metres (870 yd) northwest of the city's centre, Cathedral Square. The major arterial route of Montreal Street skirts the edge of the square. The square (actually a rectangle) is grassed and crossed by concrete paths and edged by mature trees. It covers an area of 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres).[1]

Cranmer Square, Christchurch, New Zealand

History

Like its near neighbour Latimer Square, Cranmer Square was named for an early protestant martyr, Bishop Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer Square was part of the original design of Christchurch when it was surveyed between 1849 and 1850 by Edward Jollie.[2] Cranmer Square was used as a sports ground with cricket, soccer and hockey being played there. The Christchurch Normal School and the Christchurch Girls High School both used it as part of their school grounds. [2]

The first rugby game played in New Zealand may have occurred on Cranmer Square in 1863 between Christ’s College and the ‘Gentlemen of Christchurch’. It has also been suggested that this game was actually played at Latimer Square.[3]

Celebrations for the first successful trans-Tasman air flight, by Charles Kingsford-Smith, were held in Cranmer Square in late 1928.[4]

As a result of the damage to Christchurch Cathedral in the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, Cranmer Square has been used as the venue for Returned Servicemen's Association commemorations.[2] It was proposed in August 2020 to move the Citizens’ War Memorial from Cathedral Square to Cranmer Square. [5] It was supported by Heritage New Zealand at that time. In October 2020, a resource consent had yet to be submitted to enable this to occur.[6]

Cranmer Square was covered in white crosses on ANZAC days between 2015 and 2018 honouring the servicemen and women who died in WWI in 1915.[7]

Notable buildings

A number of buildings surrounding Cranmer Square were destroyed in the earthquakes of 2011. There have been a number of buildings that have gone up in their place.

Cranmer Courts

The historic Cranmer Court building was located close to Cranmer Square until it was demolished in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The building had previously been a normal school, and in 1877 became the country's first teachers' training college. Celebrations for the first successful trans-Tasman air flight, by Charles Kingsford-Smith, were held in Cranmer Square in late 1928.[4]

References
  1. "Cranmer Square," Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  2. "Heritage Assessment – Statement of Significance Heritage Item Number 157" (PDF). www.ccc.govt.nz. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. "Early rugby in Christchurch". my.christchurchcitylibraries.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  4. "The Squares of Christchurch," Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  5. "RSA to apply for resource consent to move Christchurch cenotaph". Stuff. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  6. "War memorial to be chopped into three pieces and put into storage". Stuff. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  7. "Christchurch's Cranmer Square a sea of Anzac crosses". Stuff. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2020.

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