Sign of the Kiwi
Encyclopedia
The Sign of the Kiwi, originally called Toll House, is a small café and shop at Dyers Pass on the road between Christchurch
and Governors Bay
. It was built in 1916/1917 by Harry Ell as a staging post and opened as a tearoom and rest house. It has a Category I heritage classification by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
and is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
(1899–1919) and a Christchurch City Council
lor (1903 and 1917–1919). He devoted much of his life to the conservation of bush remnants on the Port Hills
on Banks Peninsula
, and a key element in his scheme was to make the area accessible to the public. To that end, he proposed a Summit Road that would go along the hilltops, connecting Godley Head with the tops above Akaroa
. Whilst most of the public believed that the scenic reserves to be formed were too remote, Ell had a way with landowners and organised some government funding. His usual style was to pay a deposit for land, with the remainder to be raised later. In 1909, he decided to form a Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board to help with the task of establishing his dream, but there was tension over their scope. The board wanted to have influence on policy, but Ell regarded them as a mere fund-raising body. By 1915, Ell had secured 23 reserves in the Port Hills by buying private land, and none of these projects had the board's prior approval.
By the 1930s, the road had been surveyed as far south as the saddle above Pigeon Bay.
Rest houses were envisaged at regular intervals. The first to be built was the Sign of the Bellbird at Kennedy's Bush in 1914. This was the location of the first scenic reserve that Ell managed to get established in 1906. The Sign of the Packhorse, a smaller house on top of the Kaituna Saddle, was the second one to be established in 1916. The Sign of the Kiwi was the third rest house built by Ell. The Sign of the Takahe
was the remaining house to be built.
in the previous year. The board was opposed to this scheme, but Ell went ahead and the construction of the Toll House, as it was originally called, was started in 1916 with money borrowed from friends and sympathisers. The Sign of the Kiwi was opened on 9 June 1917. Ell's plan was that the collected toll would go towards funding the remainder of the Summit Road that had yet to be built. The toll gate was established in 1922 after the Heathcote County Council consented to its construction.
The toll gate caused considerable controversy. The dispute was over whether the toll should be compulsory. When the Main Highways Board took over the road between the Takahe and the Bellbird from the Heathcote County Council, motorists started to object. They were paying taxes for the road to be maintained, and were tolled to then use the road. The Canterbury Automobile Association lobbied on their behalf and wanted the gate totally removed. The Heathcote County Council suggested that the toll should be optional. Ell was adamant that the toll needed to be compulsory and ever using the media to his effect, he publicly declared:
In October 1932, the Heathcote County Council instructed Ell to stop collecting tolls by the end of the month. The adjacent Halswell County Council came to the rescue, though. They saw the advantage of Ell collecting tolls for the maintenance of the Summit Road going through their area, and they suggested that the toll gate be relocated. Ell erected a new toll gate half a mile further south on Halswell County Council near Marley Hill and declared that a new toll lodge in Tudor style
was to be built there. This did not happen, though, as Ell died in June 1934. At that time, the new toll gate was removed, too.
In 1920, Ell's wife Ada took over the running of the tea rooms in the Sign of the Kiwi. This had resulted from a conflict with the Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board. When a new chairman, businessman William Machin, took over the running of the board, he advertised in all four Christchurch newspapers that the board would not be responsible for debts incurred by Ell. Ell in turn was incensed, wrote to the Prime Minister William Massey
and got the new Commissioner of Crown Lands in Christchurch to appoint him as caretaker of the Sign of the Kiwi. The board objected to this move, but Ell simply moved in. His wife taking over the running of the tea rooms saved the situation. Unlike the previous operator, she managed to make a profit every year, but suffered a nervous breakdown in 1926, which forced her to move out.
World War II
caused the Sign of the Kiwi to be abandoned, and the Department of Lands and Survey closed the building in the 1940s. In 1948, ownership was transferred to Christchurch City Council
, which used it as a custodian's residence. Public access was restricted to the porch. Renovation for a refreshment place started in 1989, and it was opened again, acting also as an information centre. Many recreational opportunities exist in the vicinity, and the Sign of the Kiwi is popular with locals and tourists alike.
The 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake cracked the stone plinth. It is expected that it will be repaired.
, described as a method of construction that uses locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. The building is in the bungalow
style and unlined, which gives the building strong features on the inside. The use of local stone, the careful siting, and the low construction make the building blend in well with its surroundings.
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and Governors Bay
Governors Bay
Governors Bay is a small settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand.-Geography and transport:It is located on Banks Peninsula at the foot and on the south side of the Port Hills near the head of Lyttelton Harbour...
. It was built in 1916/1917 by Harry Ell as a staging post and opened as a tearoom and rest house. It has a Category I heritage classification by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
and is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
Historical context
Harry Ell was a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(1899–1919) and a Christchurch City Council
Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
lor (1903 and 1917–1919). He devoted much of his life to the conservation of bush remnants on the Port Hills
Port Hills
The Port Hills form the northern rim of the ancient Lyttelton volcano, separating the port of Lyttelton from the city of Christchurch in Canterbury, New Zealand...
on Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves...
, and a key element in his scheme was to make the area accessible to the public. To that end, he proposed a Summit Road that would go along the hilltops, connecting Godley Head with the tops above Akaroa
Akaroa
Akaroa is a village on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name—the name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for 'Long Harbour'.- Overview :...
. Whilst most of the public believed that the scenic reserves to be formed were too remote, Ell had a way with landowners and organised some government funding. His usual style was to pay a deposit for land, with the remainder to be raised later. In 1909, he decided to form a Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board to help with the task of establishing his dream, but there was tension over their scope. The board wanted to have influence on policy, but Ell regarded them as a mere fund-raising body. By 1915, Ell had secured 23 reserves in the Port Hills by buying private land, and none of these projects had the board's prior approval.
By the 1930s, the road had been surveyed as far south as the saddle above Pigeon Bay.
Rest houses were envisaged at regular intervals. The first to be built was the Sign of the Bellbird at Kennedy's Bush in 1914. This was the location of the first scenic reserve that Ell managed to get established in 1906. The Sign of the Packhorse, a smaller house on top of the Kaituna Saddle, was the second one to be established in 1916. The Sign of the Kiwi was the third rest house built by Ell. The Sign of the Takahe
Sign of the Takahe
The Sign of the Takahe is today a restaurant and function centre built in the style of an English Manor House. Designed by J. G. Collins, construction was carried out between 1918 and 1948...
was the remaining house to be built.
History
The Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board became aware in 1915 that Ell planned to build a toll house in Coronation Hill Reserve. The reserve was established in 1912 to commemorate the coronation of George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in the previous year. The board was opposed to this scheme, but Ell went ahead and the construction of the Toll House, as it was originally called, was started in 1916 with money borrowed from friends and sympathisers. The Sign of the Kiwi was opened on 9 June 1917. Ell's plan was that the collected toll would go towards funding the remainder of the Summit Road that had yet to be built. The toll gate was established in 1922 after the Heathcote County Council consented to its construction.
The toll gate caused considerable controversy. The dispute was over whether the toll should be compulsory. When the Main Highways Board took over the road between the Takahe and the Bellbird from the Heathcote County Council, motorists started to object. They were paying taxes for the road to be maintained, and were tolled to then use the road. The Canterbury Automobile Association lobbied on their behalf and wanted the gate totally removed. The Heathcote County Council suggested that the toll should be optional. Ell was adamant that the toll needed to be compulsory and ever using the media to his effect, he publicly declared:
I am making my will tomorrow, and am going to live in the toll house myself – and I am not coming out alive! ... I am going to move up there and take the tolls myself, until they kill me.
In October 1932, the Heathcote County Council instructed Ell to stop collecting tolls by the end of the month. The adjacent Halswell County Council came to the rescue, though. They saw the advantage of Ell collecting tolls for the maintenance of the Summit Road going through their area, and they suggested that the toll gate be relocated. Ell erected a new toll gate half a mile further south on Halswell County Council near Marley Hill and declared that a new toll lodge in Tudor style
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
was to be built there. This did not happen, though, as Ell died in June 1934. At that time, the new toll gate was removed, too.
In 1920, Ell's wife Ada took over the running of the tea rooms in the Sign of the Kiwi. This had resulted from a conflict with the Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board. When a new chairman, businessman William Machin, took over the running of the board, he advertised in all four Christchurch newspapers that the board would not be responsible for debts incurred by Ell. Ell in turn was incensed, wrote to the Prime Minister William Massey
William Massey
William Ferguson Massey, often known as Bill Massey or "Farmer Bill" served as the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925, and was the founder of the Reform Party. He is widely considered to have been one of the more skilled politicians of his time, and was known for the particular...
and got the new Commissioner of Crown Lands in Christchurch to appoint him as caretaker of the Sign of the Kiwi. The board objected to this move, but Ell simply moved in. His wife taking over the running of the tea rooms saved the situation. Unlike the previous operator, she managed to make a profit every year, but suffered a nervous breakdown in 1926, which forced her to move out.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
caused the Sign of the Kiwi to be abandoned, and the Department of Lands and Survey closed the building in the 1940s. In 1948, ownership was transferred to Christchurch City Council
Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
, which used it as a custodian's residence. Public access was restricted to the porch. Renovation for a refreshment place started in 1989, and it was opened again, acting also as an information centre. Many recreational opportunities exist in the vicinity, and the Sign of the Kiwi is popular with locals and tourists alike.
The 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake cracked the stone plinth. It is expected that it will be repaired.
Architecture
The Sign of the Kiwi was designed by local architect Samuel Hurst Seager, who became an international authority on the lighting of art galleries. Seager had also designed the two earlier rest houses along the Summit Road. He had a strong interest in vernacular architectureVernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
, described as a method of construction that uses locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. The building is in the bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
style and unlined, which gives the building strong features on the inside. The use of local stone, the careful siting, and the low construction make the building blend in well with its surroundings.