Cranmer Square facts for kids
Cranmer Square is a lovely park in the middle of Christchurch, New Zealand. It's about 800 meters (or 875 yards) northwest of the city's main spot, Cathedral Square. A big road called Montreal Street runs along one side of the square. Even though it's called a square, it's actually shaped like a rectangle! It's covered in green grass with concrete paths for walking. Big, old trees grow around its edges. The park is about 1.9 hectares (or 4.7 acres) big.
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The Story of Cranmer Square
Like its nearby park, Latimer Square, Cranmer Square was named after an important person. This person was Bishop Thomas Cranmer, an early leader in the Protestant church. Cranmer Square was part of Christchurch's first design. This design was created by Edward Jollie between 1849 and 1850.
Early Uses of the Park
For many years, Cranmer Square was a popular sports ground. People played cricket, soccer, and hockey there. Two schools, the Christchurch Normal School and the Christchurch Girls High School, also used it as part of their school grounds.
The very first rugby game played in New Zealand might have happened on Cranmer Square. This was in 1863, between students from Christ’s College and a team called the ‘Gentlemen of Christchurch’. However, some people think this game was actually played at Latimer Square instead.
Special Events at the Square
In late 1928, Cranmer Square was the place for big celebrations. These were held to honor Charles Kingsford Smith, who made the first successful flight across the Tasman Sea. This flight connected Australia and New Zealand by air.
After the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, the Christchurch Cathedral was badly damaged. Because of this, Cranmer Square became the new place for important events. The Returned Servicemen's Association started holding their special remembrance ceremonies there.
In August 2020, there was a plan to move the Citizens’ War Memorial. This important memorial was to be moved from Cathedral Square to Cranmer Square. Heritage New Zealand supported this idea at the time. However, by October 2020, the official paperwork to allow this move had not yet been finished.
Between 2015 and 2018, Cranmer Square looked very special on ANZAC days. It was covered in white crosses. Each cross honored a serviceman or woman who died in World War I in 1915.
Buildings Around the Square
Many buildings around Cranmer Square were destroyed during the 2011 earthquakes. Since then, several new buildings have been built in their place.
Cranmer Courts Building
The historic Cranmer Court building used to stand very close to Cranmer Square. Sadly, it was taken down after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. This building had a long and interesting history. It was first a "normal school," which was a school for training teachers. In 1877, it became the country's first official teachers' training college.
