On 1 November 1989, Riccarton Borough joined Greater Christchurch and came under the care of the C.C.C.
The Deans’ farm – named Riccarton after their parish back in Scotland – was clearly Christchurch’s first European settlement on the plains. William Deans had first spotted his future home from the shoulders of his two companions (Jimmy Robinson Clough and George Duppa) as early as 1841. At that time Riccarton was known as Putaringamotu – place of the echo.
He was reported as saying “This will do. I will make this my home.”
And this is how we came to have the suburb of Riccarton today. It was Christmas Day 1848 with the Canterbury Association surveyors at their table that the Deans renamed their farm from Putaringamotu to Riccarton and requested renaming the Ōtākaro to the Avon River.
The Riccarton Borough Council formed on 23 January, 1913. With Hagley Park wedged in between Riccarton and the city of Christchurch, this borough was one of the last to amalgamate with the C.C.C. Although talks of a merger had been spoken of as early at 1918 but legal loopholes of all sorts kept the two separate.
Riccarton Borough finally came under the care of the CCC on 1 November 1989, ending a 76 year history.
For a more in depth look at the history of Riccarton: http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/
