Risingholme Community Centre

Risingholme has lived a life of two halves, so far, clocking up a century and a half of occupation in the modest Christchurch suburb of Opawa.

The first chapter begins in 1858 with the purchase of this large block by William Reeves, early Canterbury newspaperman, and the creation of the grand homestead which he named for the slightly rising hill. The architects were famed Benjamin Mountfort and his short term partner, Bury, who is also attributed with Chippenham and possibly other Christchurch buildings which bear Mountfort's name.

It was a family home for Reeves, and later his son, poet William Pember Reeves. Then a virtual who's who of Canterbury settlers, business people and entrepreneurs held it for shorter terms. A few of the occupations concluded in mortgagee proceedings, possibly due to the size of the property and challenge in keeping it up.

The happy sea-change happened for Risingholme in 1944 when it became one of New Zealand's first community centres, thanks to the generosity of department store millionaire Sir John McKenzie, who bought it to give to the City Council, for the 'health, amusement and instruction of the public'. It was so successful a new wing was added to the building in 1975, and despite earthquakes and a 2016 fire which gutted the building, it is still humming along providing services to the community.

The variety of programmes here offered has long been at the heart of it's success and they now provide outreach courses based at other locations. Te Reo, Pottery, photography, food, computing, basic literacy and school-focused courses all attract students.

The grounds which were once a fancy Victorian garden, have been refined into a comfortable community park, complete with kids playground and visitor parking. There remains a collection of mature trees, including English Oak, Cypress, Beech, Atlantic Cedar, Lebanon Cedar, Deodora Cedar, Wellingtonia, Spanish Chestnut, Scarlet Oak, Ash and Canadian hemlock. Several of the trees are listed as notable and a formal rose garden stands in front of the old homestead.

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Image Credit: Google Maps