What was the legacy of the Christchurch Commonwealth Games?
By Lee Kenny:
Talk of Christchurch stepping in to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games has rekindled memories of when the Garden City staged the event almost 50 years ago.
Mayor Phil Mauger says the tournament should be brought to Canterbury but other city leaders disagree - read the full story about that in The Press.
So what was the legacy of the tenth British Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch from January 24 to February 2, 1974?
The tournament saw 1276 athletes from 38 countries take part in 121 medal events. They stayed in the student accommodation at University of Canterbury.
In June 1974, The Press published that the Christchurch City Council had blown its budget, with one of the largest contributors being the overspend on the QEII, which cost five times the initial $20,300 cost.
The final bill was $101,821 ($1.3m today).
However, the sports facility needed a major upgrade 26 years later after falling into disrepair.
Speaking in 1999, council staff said that the construction of the pool and stadium had been rushed to ensure completion for the Games.
“The low quality of finish, and lack of maintenance over the intervening years, had left the building in poor repair. Several health and safety risks had been identified,” The Press reported at the time.
In 2000, work began on the site’s $20.7 million revamp but just over a decade later, it was announced the whole QEII Park and complex would be demolished.
News reports in April 2012 confirmed the site would be knocked down, having been closed since the February 22 earthquake the year before.
A new facility - Taiora: QEII Recreation and Sport Centre - opened on part of the site in May 2018 at a cost of $38.6m.
Other Christchurch venues for the 1974 games included Cowles Stadium in Aranui and Woolston Working Men’s Club which staged the bowls' tournament.
The Town Hall hosted weightlifting and wrestling. Road cyclists raced around Cashmere, Beckenham and Huntsbury, and the shooting was split between West Melton, Yaldhurst and McLeans Island.
During the Games, New Zealand won a total of 35 medals (nine gold, eight silver and 18 bronze), compared to last year’s Commonwealth Games (Birmingham 2022) when Kiwi athletes brought home a medal haul of 49.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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83.3% Yes
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14.3% No
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2.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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