DISTRICT PLAN – LISTED HERITAGE PLACEHERITAGE ASSESSMENT – STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

HERITAGE ITEM NUMBER 269DWELLING AND SETTING – 300 HEREFORD STREET,

CHRISTCHURCH

PHOTOGRAPH: M. VAIR-PIOVA 9/12/2014

HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCEHistorical and social values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular person,group, organisation, institution, event, phase or activity; the continuity and/or change of aphase or activity; social, historical, traditional, economic, political or other patterns.

300 Hereford Street has historical and social significance as a substantial Edwardian homewhich underwent the transition common to many inner city properties in the 1930s and 1940sto become a residential rental. It also has historical significance for its association withleading New Zealand painters Philip Clairmont and Tony Fomison.

Philip Clairmont (1949-1984) and Tony Fomison (1939-1990) were living and working at 300Hereford Street in 1971-1972. Clairmont, an expressionist painter, executed his first majorpost-student works (such as mixed media drawing Fireplace at 300 Hereford Street – nowpart of Victoria University’s collection) at the address, and staged his first large soloexhibition in 1971. Both painters went on to establish national reputations as artists.

300 Hereford Street was built in 1906 for William Seed, a jeweller who was managingdirector of Petersen’s Jewellers from 1910 until his death in 1927. Seed sold the house in

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1913 to solicitor Luther Hopkins, who sold it in turn to merchant William Stagg and his wifeMabel in 1920. The Staggs mortgaged the property to Sir George Clifford of StoneyhurstStation in North Canterbury in 1925. In 1934 when the Staggs defaulted, the house becamethe property of Sir George’s brother Sir Charles. It remained a Clifford family property until1993. The house became a residential rental when the Cliffords assumed ownership, andremained so until the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010-2011 when it sustained slightdamage. Latterly it belonged to a neighbouring evangelical church. There is a currentproposal to convert the building into hostel accommodation. Exterior views of the housefeatured in Peter Jackson’s 1994 film Heavenly Creatures to represent the home of PaulineParker.

CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCECultural and spiritual values that demonstrate or are associated with the distinctivecharacteristics of a way of life, philosophy, tradition, religion, or other belief, including: thesymbolic or commemorative value of the place; significance to Tangata Whenua; and/orassociations with an identifiable group and esteemed by this group for its cultural values.

300 Hereford Street has cultural significance for its capacity to depict the lifestyle of anaffluent Christchurch family in the early twentieth century. It also has cultural significance forits connection with important New Zealand artists Philip Clairmont – in whose work it featured– and Tony Fomison.

ARCHITECTURAL AND AESTHETIC SIGNIFICANCEArchitectural and aesthetic values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular style,period or designer, design values, form, scale, colour, texture and material of the place.

300 Hereford Street has architectural and aesthetic significance as an Edwardian two-storeyweatherboard ‘pattern book’ villa, of a type common in the inner city at the time of itsconstruction. It retains many original features, including its restrained Italianate architecturaldetail, interior woodwork, and leaded and painted glass. In the early 1990s the houseunderwent renovation. In 1996 a new garage was built at the rear of the property. Thehouse sustained light damage in the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010-2011. A brick chimneywas subsequently removed.

TECHNOLOGICAL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP SIGNIFICANCETechnological and craftsmanship values that demonstrate or are associated with: the natureand use of materials, finishes and/or technological or constructional methods which wereinnovative, or of notable quality for the period.

300 Hereford Street has technological and craftsmanship significance as an ornateEdwardian villa, illustrating the wealth of architectural and other decorative detail availableprefabricated to builders in this period. The dwelling’s top and side lights are particularlynotable with coloured glass and intricate transfers depicting birds and plants.

CONTEXTUAL SIGNIFICANCEContextual values that demonstrate or are associated with: a relationship to the environment(constructed and natural), a landscape, setting, group, precinct or streetscape; a degree ofconsistency in terms of type, scale, form, materials, texture, colour, style and/or detail;recognised landmarks and landscape which are recognised and contribute to the uniqueidentity of the environment.

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300 Hereford Street has contextual significance as part of the eastern inner city residentialarea, an architecturally diverse area with buildings dating from the early years of settlementthrough to the present day. The house is located on the northern margin of an industrialarea. Until the late 2000s it was part of an interesting uniform late Victorian and Edwardianstreetscape, but its neighbours were demolished following the Canterbury Earthquakes and itis now largely isolated. The house is close to the new City Mission complex, which containsthe relocated St Luke’s Chapel, the former Woolston Cemetery mortuary chapel. Thehouse’s setting consists of the immediate parcel, an established rectangular section with aright of way on a separate title to the east. The right of way provides access to a garage atthe rear and to neighbouring properties.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCEArchaeological or scientific values that demonstrate or are associated with: the potential toprovide information through physical or scientific evidence an understanding about socialhistorical, cultural, spiritual, technological or other values of past events, activities, structuresor people.

300 Hereford Street and its setting has archaeological significance because it has thepotential to provide archaeological evidence relating to past building construction methodsand materials, and human activity on the site, possibly including that which occurred prior to1900. This area of Hereford Street was occupied by homes by the 1870s.

ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

300 Hereford Street has overall heritage significance to the Christchurch district includingBanks Peninsula. The house has historical and social significance as a substantialEdwardian home which underwent the transition common to many inner city properties in the1930s and 1940s to become a residential rental. It also has historical significance for itsassociation with leading New Zealand painters Philip Clairmont and Tony Fomison. Thehouse has cultural significance for its capacity to depict the lifestyle of an affluentChristchurch family in the early twentieth century, and for its connection with important NewZealand artists Philip Clairmont – in whose work it featured – and Tony Fomison. The househas architectural and aesthetic significance as a two storey Edwardian weatherboard ‘patternbook’ villa, of a type common in the inner city at the time of its construction. It retains a highdegree of physical integrity. The house has technological and craftsmanship significance asan ornate Edwardian villa, illustrating the wealth of architectural and other decorative detailavailable in prefabricated form to builders in this period. The contextual significance of thehouse is its location within the historic residential area of the broader eastern inner city. It isan isolated remnant in its immediate context, which has been almost entirely redeveloped inrecent years. 300 Hereford Street and its setting has archaeological significance because ithas the potential to provide archaeological evidence relating to past building constructionmethods and materials, and human activity on the site, possibly including that whichoccurred prior to 1900.

REFERENCES:

CCC Heritage File: Dwelling, 300 Hereford Street

‘Obituary - Mr W H Seed’ The Press 21 October 1927 p 15.

J. McCarthy ‘ Quaint Victorian’ The Press, 18 August 2001 p 44.

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M. Edmonds The Resurrection of Philip Clairmont Auckland, 1999

REPORT DATED: 12/02/2015

PLEASE NOTE THIS ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF WRITING. DUE TOTHE ONGOING NATURE OF HERITAGE RESEARCH, FUTURE REASSESSMENT OF THIS HERITAGE ITEM MAY BE

NECESSARY TO REFLECT ANY CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF ITS HERITAGESIGNIFICANCE.

PLEASE USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CCC HERITAGE FILES.

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