428 Transactions. 



The Canterbury Association had instructed their surveyors to choose as 

 the site of the capital of their settlement a suitable block of land about 

 1,000 acres in area, and to lay out lines for thf principal streets, squares, 

 sites of public buildings, parks, &c., required for the convenience of the 

 future inhabitants.* After some hesitation as to the respective merits of 

 the seaj)ort and the inland site the latter was selected One of the 

 surveyors protested that the actual site chosen was too swampy, and 

 considered the place on which the suburb of Woolston now stands to be 

 drier and therefore a more desirable situation. He was overruled, how- 

 ever, by his more impetuous colleague. Captain Thomas, and the principal 

 streets, squares, reserves, &c., were laid out as they now stand. As it was 

 to be an ecclesiastical settlement, the principal streets were named after 

 various bishoprics, the names being jumbled up together in a hat and 

 drawn at random as required, so that no undue preference should be given. 

 In this way did the main thoroughfares receive their names. With the 

 large town reserve, however, it was different. This was named out of 

 compUment to Lord Lyttelton, who was chairman of the Canterburv 

 Association, and Hagiey Park bears the name of his country seat in 

 Staffordshire. 



Size and Boundaries of the Park. 



Out of the 1,000 acres an area approximating 500 acres was set aside, 

 vested in the Queen, as a public park. In accordance with the request 

 of the Deans brother^ that the new town should not be placed too near 

 their station, this reserve was placed on the west side of the town, between 

 their station and the town buildings. Koughly speaking, it comprised all 

 the land from tlie North Town Belt to the South Town Belt for a width 

 of 60 chains. By the Canterbury Association Ordinance of 1855 the land 

 known as Hagiey Park was declared to be reserved for ever as a public 

 park, and to be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public ; and 

 it was provided that it should be lawful for the Superintendent to set apart 

 so much of the land as he should think fit for plantations, gardens, and 

 places for public amusement, and to lay out public roads through it. He 

 had power also to let it. 



The original reserve includes the grounds now occupied by the Hospital, 

 the Acclimatization Society, and Christ's College. By the year 1855 the 

 10 acres belonging to Christ's College had already been handed over to the 

 College authorities in exchange for land owned by the College in the centre 

 of Cathedral Square, and it is so specified in the Canterbury Association 

 Ordinance referred to above. In 1863 the Provincial Council by an Ordinance 

 transferred 5 acres 2 roods of the park to the Sui^erintendent for the purpose 

 of a hospital, this being the higher land at the corner of Antigua Street and 

 Riccarton Road. By the Christchurch Hospital Act of 1887 this land and 

 nearly 8 acres more were vested in the North Canterbury Hospital Board 

 ill fee-simple, the extra 8 acres being for the purpose of a fever ward, kitchen- 

 garden, and pleasure-grounds, it being especially stipulated that no buildings 

 were to be erected there without the consent of the Domain Board. 



Although strictly speaking the original reserve includes this whole area, 

 in this paper only those parts of it now known as " Hagiey Park " and the 

 " Botanic Gardens " are dealt with botanically. Hagiey Park is divided 



* Handbook- for New Zealand, p. 19. 



