Hagley Oval Pavilion

Christchurh's oldest surviving sports building is a humble wooden pavilion on the cricket oval in South Hagley Park. The pavilion was built in 1864 for one of Christchurch's earliest international sports fixtures, a game between Canterbury and an All England XI. The pavilion was moved to its present site in 1866. No architect of the two-storey, gable-roofed building, of simple form and detailing, is known. After being used by cricket clubs for many years, it was bought in 1988 by the Canterbury Cricket Umpires Association. The building's historic importance was recognised by this time and the Association had it restored in 1991, closely following an 1869 photograph. - JW