Better streets & spaces, History & heritage  |  6 Dec 2021

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A new lookout opposite the Sign of the Bellbird featuring stone walls and native plantings will be under construction by February.

The Banks Peninsula Community Board today approved a proposal to build the lookout and upgrade the current sealed parking area on a mix of Christchurch City Council and Summit Road Society land.

The Summit Road Society has organised funding for the project and construction is expected to begin in February with a completion date in April.

Along with the carpark and lookout the plan includes a flat area for a pou whenua and a plaque commemorating the work of Summit Road Society founder John Jameson. 

 Remembering Polish settlers

A commemorative plaque to mark 150 years of Polish settlement in Canterbury is to be installed in the Sumner Road Gardens opposite the Lyttelton Police Station.

The plaque will sit on a boulder and be dedicated to the first Polish immigrants who arrived in Lyttelton on 30 August 1872.

The site was chosen as it provides a good view of the area where the settlers first arrived. A formal unveiling is planned for May next year.  

Built in 1914 the Sign of the Bellbird is one of four rest houses built by conservationist and Member of Parliament Henry (Harry) George Ell, who was John Jameson’s grandfather.

Society Secretary Marie Gray says the project has been a long time in the making.

“Discussion was happening before the earthquakes. The earthquakes derailed those discussions so it wasn’t until late 2018 that we started talking about it again.

“It’s the fulfilment of a long-held dream. This is a special place in the harbour where people will be able to go to enjoy the iconic view.”

Ms Gray says the funding to get the project over the line had come from a number of different sources. “Without that collaborative effort it wouldn’t have been possible.”