About This Station

About St Albans, Christchurch

During the 1850's, European settlers applied for land in London, and were brought over to New Zealand by The Canterbury Association. For one hundred and fifty pounds they had the choice of a rural section of fifty acres and a town section of one-quarter acre. Gradually land was taken up by settlers in the area which was later called St Albans. There is no knowledge of previous settlement in 'St Albans', though some Maoris tell of their ancestors walking through the drier parts on their way to and from Kaiapohia.

A low-lying area north of Christchurch and heavy with vegetation (flax, raupo, toi toi, and fern), with manuka growing ten to twenty four meters high. Add to this many acres of land under swamp. It is no wonder that this area was not first choice for settlers. However, as drier areas closed up, settlers looked beyond the North Belt (Bealey Avenue) for land. Many purchased land here for speculation purposes. The prompt sub-dividing of land into one-quarter sections created little 'townships' and with greater demand and pressure for services, development.

Others chose to settle on the land and farm. By 1856, the land was divided into twenty six rural allotments. The largest landowner was the church, having been given three hundred and fifty acres by the Canterbury Association. This was to make possible the educational and ecclesiastical ambitions that the Association held for the region. Titles and surnames of men who are part of the Canterbury, St. Albans and Merivale Church history can be seen today in the streets of St. Albans. For example, Bishop, Canon, Chapter, and Purchas.

George Dickinson is an example of one the original owners of theses rural sections. He came out from Sheffield in 1851, buying a rural section which he dairy farmed. By this time, most of St Albans was producing milk for Christchurch. Like many others, he began selling off his land in 1860's in one-quarter acre allotments. He sold each allotment for fifteen pounds, that is thirty dollars. This was only a little less than the wages that a domestic servant would receive in a year (i.e. 16-25 pounds).

George Dickinson brought to St Albans an active interest in community affairs: elected to the Avon Road Board in 1872, the Borough Council in 1881, whilst also serving on the vestry of St. Mary's Church in Merivale for several years. Problems with drainage led him on one occasion (on behalf of his neighbours), to bring direct pressure on the Avon Road Board to take responsibility for the drainage of one site.

Tales were told of this time of wagon and horses disappearing under mud. Tracks consisted of flax and scrub laid down and covered with dray loads of sand. Much of St Albans was unable to take the weight of a man or beast. Another problem was the clearing of land, with many settlers having to sell up as they did not have money to do so (it cost 40-50 pounds per acre to clear).

George Dickinson's legacy lives on in the naming of the district. Having named his farm "St. Albans" after his cousin, (the Duchess of St Albans) the name of St Albans was given to the Borough in 1881, after much controversy. As a note of interest St. Albans was the first British martyr: meeting his death as a consequence of sheltering a priest in the 3rd century. An abbey was built around his tomb, and the town that developed subsequently became known as 'St.Albans'.

The extreme difficulties in managing rural and urban areas using meagre resources collected mainly from dog taxes and licences, led to the proclamation of the St Albans Borough Council. The new Borough was bounded by Bealey Avenue, Rossall Street, Normans and Mays Road, and Hills Road. Elections were held on December 22nd 1881, where the council was elected in. The first council included that of: Man (butcher), Bull (builder), Money (publican), Matson (auctioneer), Turner (company director) and Dickinson (farmer). After the first sitting of Council, the first Mayor led the toast (glasses filled with champagne) to the future prosperity of the new borough.

It was by the singular and collective struggles facing this diverse community that the character of St Albans came to be defined. The many problems facing this pioneering settlement, and their struggle to resolve them also created impetus for political developments. The mayor, the Hon. J.T. Peacock, was rightly aware that the time was "epoch making".

The face of St Albans was changing. Greater sub-division and increasing settlement resulted in strident and repeated calls for roading and the clearance of waterways. A resident queried the new Works Committee of the Borough "... how the rising generation are to get to and from school is a conundrum, for it takes adults all their time to keep in a perpendicular position". Subsequent development, (helped by in 1898 the raising of a loan of $23,000 pounds for civic improvements), resulted in the western area of St Albans becoming greatly urban, while the Eastern area was slower to develop. Where working people struggled to eke out a harsh living in two bedroom sod and cob cottages in the east, the landed gentry sat on large estates in fine mansions in the west. Tensions between both the western and eastern areas led to an unsuccessful attempt in 1902, by the eastern ratepayers, for secession from St.Albans.

By the turn of the century it was no longer economic to dairy farm. Growing demand by the city for fresh vegetables meant that land was increasingly being used for crop farming. St. Albans became known also for their nurseries: producing flowers, trees and shrubs for city gardeners. Marshlands became the leading vegetable producing area.

By-laws introduced in 1903 inhibited many rural activities in the area e.g. no herding or grazing on the roads. Cow Day on Wednesdays, where the cattle were driven down the streets to the saleyards, was now a thing of the past. A Cattle Ranger was appointed to stop troublesome cattle wishing to graze in newly forbidden areas! Most of the big estates had been cut up, and there were now three main shopping areas in the Borough. St. Albans could now boast of the existence of forty miles of road; half a mile of tramway up Papanui Road; a limited sewerage system; an artesian water supply; street lighting; one "bobby" and a Fire Brigade.

With the amalgamation between the city and suburbs in 1903, St. Albans as part of Greater Christchurch, now faced new struggles and challenges i.e. to both represent the needs of the community to the community council and gain acceptance of these.

The compilers, Mareesa Danielle and Kristine Margaret freely wish to acknowledge grateful and extensive use made of the text, "St Albans: From Swamp to Suburbs: an informal history" Christchurch (NZ) New Zealand Federation of University Women, Canterbury Branch, 1989, from which all references were obtained from.