The grounds of Mona Vale were once the most beautiful and well kept paddocks on the farm at Riccarton. In April 1869, when Jane Deans learnt that Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, was planning on visiting Riccarton during his Christchurch visit for an afternoon of pigeon shooting, there was only one place for the …
When the Deans’ original run of 33,000 acres were taken down to 400 acres in 1850 – to make way for the city of Christchurch to be built – the Deans’ ended up sitting snug between Clyde Road, Deans Ave, Blenheim Road and Fendalton Ave. In 1851 as well as Riccarton Bush (which swept across …
George Henry Moore was a man everyone loved to hate.He was successful, wealthy, a great land owner, ruled the world around him from his very own mansion (pictured) and had the skills to play Canterbury politics like a chess game and won in spite of being a “…mean, hard-hearted, barbarous, blasphemous man”. He broke all …
W.D Woods arrived in Christchurch on the “Randolph’, one of the first four ships on the 16th December 1850. Legend states that W.D. didn’t step on shore until the next day, his 26th birthday. Being born into a family of millers, W.D Woods fate was set. Wood’s first job in Christchurch was being secretary to …
The grounds of Mona Vale were once the most beautiful and well kept paddocks on the farm at Riccarton. In a move that would later grieve the Deans family, this land with its ‘…splendid river frontage…’ was sold in 1899 for £100 per acre. Riccarton House had grown too small for all thirteen occupants and …
