The Rhodes Spring

Harry Ell – a Cantab lad, visionary and lover of the Port Hills – had visions of walkers and travellers enjoying a network of scenic reserves along the Port Hills connected by a road with rest-houses along the way – right through to Akaroa.He planned just under 20 rest-houses along what would start off as …

Harry Ell (1862 – 1934)

Harry Ell will always be remembered as a great lover of the Port Hills. Harry was born in Christchurch in 1862. He grew up on his parents’ farm in Halswell. From an early age, he became passionate about Christchurch’s natural heritage and its endangered species. It’s not hard to understand why his first job was …

The Sign Of The Kiwi Opened – 9th June 1917

Those amongst the ranks of the Christchurch City Council and the New Zealand parliamentary seats would have used the following words ‘…obsessed…focused…passionate…’ to describe their colleague and fellow councillor, Henry George ‘Harry’ Ell. And they would be right – Harry Ell let nothing and nobody put him off his project for the construction of the …