Christchurch Links to Previous Royal Visits

With Prince William and Princess Catherine’s arrival in Christchurch today, it may be worth considering previous Royal visits dating back more than a century, which provide an interesting reflection on our city’s historical links with the royals.

Not once but twice have members of the royal family visited Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Merivale.

The Duke and Duchess of York and Cornwall (later King George V and Queen Elizabeth I, and Prince William’s great great grandparents), stayed at Te Koraha – the grand, original 1886 homestead fully restored and reopened in 2012 -  when they visited Christchurch in 1901.  King Edward the VIII lunched there in 1920, 16 years before he became King.

In 1901 as a result of the royal stay, a number of significant changes were made to Te Koraha. The home of the then mayor of Christchurch Arthur Rhodes and his wife Rose Moorhouse, was redecorated in fashionable pastel colours of the day, a telephone was installed and the home was wired for electricity which was generated by a machine in the stables. Rose’s taste in interior design was praised by the Duchess Elizabeth in a letter sent following the visit. 

In August 1923, the school (founded and administered by the Gibson sisters) moved from Webb Street with its 63 pupils to the current site on Hewitts Road. 

Now in its 125th year, Rangi Ruru last Friday opened brand new buildings that comfortably sit alongside the category 1 heritage listed 128 year old Te Koraha. There is of course contrasts and they go well beyond the visual.

New fangled electricity installed in 1901 has moved to alternative energy sources and sustainability features in the new Science Centre and Gibson Centre, the latter named for the school founders.

There are still beautifully manicured gardens and these have moved inside with a living green wall lining the inside of the Science Centre. A phone installed in Te Koraha in 1901 is a million miles away from the latest IT equipment and connectivity in the Gibson Centre, connecting the students at lightning speed anywhere in the word, anytime.

Times change, royal visits endure and we learn so much from our history, especially as we continue to rebuild our future.