The Antigua Boat Sheds have a part in Christchurch's early history that goes back 125 years. This history contains newspaper clippings, photographs and information dating back 100 years on the boatsheds.
Left: Historic Boad Sheds building
Middle: Devastating fire Damage
Right: Boats of yesterday
Left top: Antigua Boat Sheds 1887
Left bottom: Antigua street bridge, the Avon River
Right: Construction, 1885
History:
In 1882, two boat builders of Lyttleton, Messrs Albert Shaw and J.T. Tidd, erected large boat sheds on the Avon River by the Antigua Street Bridge.
An illustrated guide to Christchurch, published in 1885, highlights the facilities for the boating offered there. “The sheds are the most complete in the colony. They have a landing stage with a frontage of 200 feet to the river, ladies waiting room and gentlemen's dressing room, and besides all these easily house the 38 boats, accommodating from one to 15 persons each, the 16 canoes double and single, and 250 pairs of sculls and oars...”
In 1887, Mr Shaw became the sole proprietor of the Antigua Boat Sheds, having dissolved the partnership with Mr Tidd.
The boatsheds were taken over by Samuel Anstey of Fendalton in November 1896.
In ‘The Press’ of 1902 and 1903, Anstey advertised that he had “70 well-built boats to choose from” and also a “photographic room for the use of visitors”. Scores of his glass-plate negatives remained in an attic above the Boat Sheds until they were transferred to the Canterbury Public Library.
Fire broke out in the Antigua Boat Sheds at about 6am on May 14, 1907. It had a good hold when the fire brigade arrived, and already half the roof on the eastern end of the sheds was falling in. Only half the building and half of the 70-or-so boats it contained were saved. In the sheds there was a stove above which timber for making boats was steamed, and it was thought at the time that it was there that the fire had originated.
At this time there were already boat sheds in existence on the Cambridge terrace side of the Avon River, just below the Montreal Street Bridge. Their proprietor was Mr W. Aitken who had erected them in 1875.
This was after having been granted permission to do so by the City Council, on condition he was paid a ground rent of £5 per annum and was not to charge more than a shilling an hour for the use of his boats.
A devastating fire, lit by two incendiarists completely destroyed the Montreal Street Boat Sheds on August 3rd 1929. From that time onwards, the only boatsheds within easy reach of the Botanic Gardens have been those at Antigua Street. Their proprietor for the 30 years (1948 – 78) was the late W.S. Dini, about whom it has been said there was a touch of the Mediterranean boatman.
To a journalist who interviewed him in January 1960 he was able to show 77 colourful modern canoes made of moulded plastic reinforced with fiberglass – they were made on the premises. Obviously these boats were quite different to those used at the time of the boat shed opening.
In May 1964 the City Council gave its approval to a scheme that would realign Antigua Street and link it with Rolleston Avenue by a traffic bridge over the Avon. The proposal was not received with public enthusiasm and was finally abandoned, with the result that the quiet serenity of the river precinct near the hospital, public gardens and the boat sheds were left undisturbed.
Construction of a new weir