Halswell Quarry

Christchurch City has had the foresight to turn what was one of New Zealand's largest quarries into a park, preserving its history and adding other attractions of interest.

Halswell Quarry currently holds the title of being the longest continuously operating quarry site in Australasia, having begun in 1865, and not closing for business until 1990. It is the quality of the blue stone that made it sought after in the early days of the Garden City's development, many of the city's heritage buildings having been built from it. Not as suitable for smaller builds, many suburban homes were proud to have a doorstep, a patio or a garden wall of Hallswell Stone.

Early troubles with carting the stone to town were met with several solutions, one being a tramway which only lasted a few years. The quarry itself had fluctuating financial fortunes until Christchurch City Council bought it in 1925, keeping it operational until 1990.

Council's retirement plan for the quarry involved the planting of a quarter of a million trees, in a spot that is sheltered and now quiet. The result is a unique park with an unusual combination of recreational walks, historic sites and botanical collections. Six individual areas have been developed with gardens to represent the special character and beauty of Christchurch's sister cities. it takes about half an hour on foot to visit them all.

The one that is most celebrated is the relationship begun in 1995 with Songpa-Gu in South Korea. This district of Seoul prides itself on having 40 percent greenspace and it's name even means 'a hill of pine trees'. Here at the entrance to their sector of the gardens, are two carved posts gifted by Songpa-Gu, actually replacements for an original 2001 pair which unfortunately rotted.

Two handsome buildings on the Quarry Grounds are Halswell Stone originals,the house being a showhome, built in 1927 and occupied by the quarry manager Ned Peterson. The single men's quarters has been turned into the visitor centre providing insights into the lifestyle of its inhabitants. Several other timber structures here are also part of the quarry history, being used to house crushing plants, of which there were several over the years.

There is a good carpark, you may picnic anywhere and dogs are welcome on leads in most areas and off leash in a designated dog exercise area. Walking the rim of the Quarry crater takes about 45 minutes and several other distinct walkways are within, or start within the quarry, including access to Kennedy's Bush. This is the area that was badly affected by the fires in the summer of 2016, and the track up the hill did not open until 2018, as a much changed environment. It is now a walk or cycle through burned trees and regenerating scrub.