Christ's College

Christ’s College is Canterbury's oldest educational institution, it began as a private school for boys in 1851 in Lyttelton, but soon changed its site. Over the years buildings of different ages and styles, now considered one of the most important groups of buildings in the country, have been built around the grassy quadrangle.

One of the finest is Cecil Wood’s superb Memorial Dining Hall, one of the later buildings in Christchurch’s strong Gothic Revival tradition. The oldest of the surviving buildings is the Big School of 1863.
Although the college lost some buildings in the February 2011 earthquake, much of it survived with out significant damage. Repairs have now been completed.

The first headmaster’s dream was to build a school like the leading English public schools of his day. The school’s motto, “A good tradition to be well maintained,” reflects his dream.

The school has 7 buildings listed by the Historic Places Trust including the Dining Room, theLibrary and the Chapel.