Mona Vale, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mona Vale |
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The Avon River at Mona Vale
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| Type | Public park |
| Location | Christchurch |
| Area | 4 ha |
| Created | 1899 |
| Operated by | Christchurch City Council |
| Status | Open all year |
| Official name: Mona Vale | |
| Designated: | 7-Apr-1983 |
| Reference #: | 283 |
| Official name: Mona Vale Gatehouse | |
| Designated: | 7-Apr-1983 |
| Reference #: | 1799 |
Mona Vale is a beautiful public park in Christchurch, New Zealand. It covers 4 hectares (about 10 acres) and is located in the Fendalton area. The park is famous for its grand old house, called the homestead, and its lovely gardens. You can find a special fern house, a rose garden, and a pavilion here. The park is also right next to the Avon River, which makes it even more charming. Mona Vale is a popular spot for both locals and visitors to Christchurch.
Contents
Exploring Mona Vale's Location
Mona Vale is bordered by the Main North Railway on its western side. The Avon River flows along its eastern edge.
The park starts out narrow in the north, near Fendalton Road. It then widens as it stretches south towards Matai Street East. Next to the park's southern boundary, you'll find Christchurch Girls High School. The gardens themselves cover a large area, perfect for exploring.
A Journey Through Mona Vale's Past
The land where Mona Vale now stands was first owned by the Deans brothers. Their family home, Riccarton House, is in Riccarton. Later, a man named William Derisley Wood leased the land. He built a mill here, which became known as Wood's Mill. The weir (a small dam) in the Avon River was built in the 1800s. It created the Mona Vale mill pond, which you can still see today.
Building the Homestead
In 1899, Frederick Waymouth and his wife Alice bought four acres of this land. They hired a famous architect named Joseph Maddison to design their new home. The house was built between 1899 and 1900. Frederick Waymouth called their new homestead Karewa. He was the boss of a company called Canterbury Frozen Meats. Joseph Maddison was a well-known architect in Christchurch. He designed many buildings, including the freezing works in Belfast. It's thought that this connection led to him designing Waymouth's home.
Annie Townend's Influence
In 1905, Frederick Waymouth sold the property to Annie Quayle Townend. She decided to rename the estate to Mona Vale. This name came from her mother's house in Tasmania. Annie was the daughter of a very rich farmer from the Canterbury area, George Moore. He owned a huge farm called Glenmark Station. Annie was his only daughter who survived, and he left her a lot of money. People believed she was the richest woman in New Zealand at that time!
Annie Townend bought even more land, adding nine acres to the property. She also had a gate house built near Fendalton Road. After the New Zealand International Exhibition ended in 1907, she bought the fernery from the exhibition. This included all its plants! She had it carefully moved and rebuilt at Mona Vale. Today, the ferns in the fernery come from different places, including Landcare Research in Lincoln and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Annie also added a bathhouse to the property. She passed away in 1914.
Later Owners and Public Ownership
In 1939, Tracy Gough bought Mona Vale. Two years later, in 1941, his company, Gough, Gough and Hamer, took ownership. Tracy Gough loved gardens and added many beautiful features. He had a lily pond built and planted lots of rhododendrons, azaleas, and other unique trees.
After Tracy Gough passed away, the property was sold in 1962 to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the church later planned to sell Mona Vale to a company that wanted to divide the land and tear down the homestead, the community was very upset. People started raising money to save the park. Thanks to these efforts, the Christchurch City Council and the Riccarton Borough Council bought Mona Vale in June 1969. Their goal was to turn it into a public park for everyone to enjoy. The purchase of Mona Vale is often credited to Christchurch mayor Ron Guthrey.
Restoring the Homestead
Before the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, the homestead was a popular place for a restaurant, café, and events like weddings. However, the building was damaged by the earthquake and had to close. After two years of repairs and a $3.2 million restoration project, the homestead officially reopened on November 28, 2016. Christchurch City Councillor Jamie Gough, who is the great-grandson of former owner Tracy Thomas Gough, helped reopen it. In 2017, the Christchurch Civic Trust gave an award for the excellent work done to repair the heritage building after the earthquake.
Mona Vale's Heritage Status
The Mona Vale homestead is recognized as a very important heritage building. It was listed as a Category 1 heritage building by Heritage New Zealand on April 7, 1983. This means it has special historical importance. The gate house at Mona Vale, located off Fendalton Road, also has its own heritage listing. It was listed as a Category II heritage building on June 23, 1983.
Images for kids
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The bathhouse
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Inside the fernery
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Statue of a fern in the fernery
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A border of Rhododendrons along the Avon River
