It is 160 years since the Ashburton Domain was established and it remains a central part to the town, with plans to keep it that way into the future. Local Democracy Reporter Jonathan Leask reports.

The Ashburton Domain is 160 years old this year and remains the premier open space, botanical, and sports venue facility of the district.

The domain was planned when the Ashburton township was first laid out in 1864, with the land designated a domain reserve and was known as ‘The Grange’.

Early records describe the area as around 100 acres of ‘miserable wilderness’ that was a jungle of scrubby broom, spear grass, and tussock.

Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said it’s a pretty special place that has served the district since “our forefathers had the vision to set aside the land”.

It was seen as an integral part in developing the town and five generations later it retains pride of place in the centre of Ashburton, he said.

It has changed and adapted over the years but retained its status as a sacred place, he said.

“The community has been very protective of what goes on there.”

The 37 hectares of open space, lawns, gardens and recreational facilities, the domain has seen plenty of changes over the years.

PAST

After being included in the town plans in 1864, a Domain Board was eventually established in 1874 to administer the land.

Under the guidance of the board, water was brought from a local waterway into a water race which then traversed the domain, with two dams built to form a lake.

Early records indicate that a donation from the council in 1878 allowed a local cricket club to sow a cricket field in the southeast corner of the area, heralding the start of domain’s use for community sport and recreation.

In 1879 the Ashburton Hospital was built on land that had been part of the west end of the domain.

In 1889 the domain was vested in the Ashburton Borough Council.

Swimming baths were also opened in 1889 in a dammed area of the domain, which provided separate bathing opportunities for males and females.

The first swimming race was held two years later in 1891.

When winter conditions permitted, the baths were used as an ice skating rink.

Water sampled from the swimming pool in 1948 showed high bacteria levels and the pool was then closed at the end of the season, ending an era.

Over the years other sporting codes began using the domain.

Cricket and football shared a ground in the alternate seasons, tennis laid down an acre of courts, the cycling clubs maintained a clay track, outdoor bowls and croquet clubs set up, and hockey had a field in front of the hospital – with most of those in the same spot to this day.

The domain has been a venue for landmark community occasions, but one of the biggest was when Queen Elizabeth II visited it in 1953 as part of her New Zealand coronation visit.

In the 1950s, a sports hall was proposed to be built in the domain but public outcry opposed it due to the sanctity of the domain and it was built on Tancred Street.

It was a situation repeated 60 years later when the stadium and aquatic centre were considered to be built in the domain, but the EA Networks Centre ended up being built in the riverside industrial area.

The existing paddling pool was built in 1978 as a Centennial Project for the Ashburton Rotary Club.

The domain celebrated its 150th birthday in 2014 and had a month of programmed activities which were held in the domain.

Present

The Ashburton Domain has been a constant feature on the district landscape for 160 years but an ever-changing one.

The domain is undergoing a gradual redevelopment as part of a 30-year plan adopted by the council in 2020, and there has been plenty going on in the current 2023/24 year.

Infrastructure and open spaces group manager, Neil McCann said the pond edging has been replaced, a new bridge  replaced the an old wooden one, the new flying fox has opened, new main gates have been installed, and two accessible basket swings have been added to the playground.

Renewal of the sports park irrigation and a lighting upgrade along the asphalt pathway from Walnut Ave to West and Wills streets have also been completed, McCann said.

A herb garden has been replanted based on a design from the 1980s that was unearthed by open spaces staff with a refresh of the nearby rose garden planned for next year.

Community organisations are working with the council on a draft concept plan for a new Bike Skills Park next to the existing pump track.

The domain remains home to multiple sporting codes with Mid Canterbury Cricket, the Waireka Croquet Club, Ashburton Bowls Club, Mid Canterbury Tennis Centre, the Mid Canterbury Hockey turf, athletics and football all utilising the site.

The cross-code usage is managed by a domain user group that meets twice a year, McCann said.

Croquet and bowls maintain their assets, cricket maintains the wicket blocks, and the council mows the outfields and domain oval in the athletics area, McCann said.

The third annual Glow in the Park light festival on King’s Birthday weekend is to be held in the Ashburton Domain for the first time and is seen as an ideal way to celebrate the domain’s 160 years McCann said.

Future

The Ashburton District Council’s 30-year domain development plan is an aspirational vision for the future of the Domain.

What will be progressed from it over the next 10 years is set to be determined in the 2024-34 long-term plan process as “funding is integral to any of the projects proceeding”, McCann said.

Some things have already been achieved, starting with the 2022 demolition of the old aviary that had been built in 1965 and the area is being developed into a natural wildflower and butterfly garden.

The draft plan has around $3.5m of development plan projects scattered throughout the 10-year period, McCann said.

There is $30,000 proposed to establish three trails - botanical, heritage, and sculpture – around the domain in 2024/25 as well as other new pathways to improve the connectivity.

A renewal project that was not part of the development plan is the upgrade of the picnic area toilets.

The domain playground has been identified as needing a significant overhaul.

There is $37,000 in the draft plan to enable the scoping work of a partial domain playground upgrade, McCann said.

“This will help determine what aspects can be upgraded in the draft year 2 budget, which is $338,250.

The proposed budget is not likely to cover the cost of upgrading the playground from the bark soft fall and removal of the raised wooden edges to rubber soft fall, McCann said.

A central hub, Walnut Ave promenade, and the secondary entrance to the main carpark are all projects that are “on hold” as they are not in the current 10-year plans, McCann said.

The popular paddling pool area is slated for relocation and redevelopment in the development plan and is being considered as one of the five options in the long-term plan for a $3.1m investment in pool facilities.

The council is also in the process of taking over ownership of the domain pavilion and Walnut Ave pavilion.

If and when the proposed project's progress will be determined in the next few months, and the domain development plan is up for a review next year.