About Us

Background

The Canterbury Historic Houses Conservation Trust was formed to preserve the goodwill generated from the successful campaign to prevent the destruction of the Cecil Woods and Hurst Seager houses on the corner of Bealey Avenue and Park Terrace.

The Trust was launched in March 2005, with a function and auction at “Wroxton” courtesy of Adrienne, Lady Stewart.

Since then there have been a number of successful bus trips to view historic houses, combined with functions at several historic houses. These were fund raisers, as well as interesting visits to houses not normally seen from the inside.

Currently we are identifying threatened houses, and trying to persuade the owners to preserve them. Also we plan to co-ordinate all the groups who are concerned about the fate of important houses and streetscapes.

Our Patron Anna Crighton QSO JP - a profile

A staunch heritage advocate Anna Crighton is a member of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust Board, the Christchurch Heritage Trust, the Theatre Royal Foundation and until recently spent twelve years as a Christchurch City Councillor directly influencing the protection of heritage in our city.

Anna is committed to the conservation and retention of our heritage culture and enjoys working toward progressing and upholding heritage principles and cultural heritage management at a National level.

Anna has a strong personal commitment to the retention of our domestic heritage and she lives in an 1892 listed heritage house. She says “Thank you so much for inviting me to be your Patron. It is a privilege for me to be involved in such a significant aspect of our historic past. I am very excited about the existence of the Canterbury Historic Houses Conservation Trust – a Trust desperately needed for an area of our past currently being savagely eroded by unsympathetic developers”.