The Deans Buildings at Christchurch Boys’ High School are those with significant history. After being built in 1856 and surviving the Christchurch earthquakes and a fire, they are close to being fully reopened again.

The Deans family came to New Zealand from Scotland. They came at separate times, one group in 1840 and the other in 1842. The work was tough. Most males were earning about $40 per year, and the women would be considered lucky to earn $25 for being housemaids or servants. This money was barely enough to support the Deans family farm.

The original stables were used to hold 9 animals. Mainly built for horses, the traditional buildings were made from a wide range of materials. The Deans mostly used brick for the support, but also used wood for the inside cover and the places where the bricks couldn’t cover. The three original buildings were all made similarly. They were all badly damaged in the 2011 earthquakes, with one of them having to be pulled down. The buildings are category two heritage buildings, meaning they have protection under the Christchurch City plan.

The buildings have previously been used as storage rooms, temporary classrooms, and to store archives for the school. A ‘deliberately lit fire’ led to the rebuild design programme to start. It has been nearly a year and a half before the rebuild started.

Let’s hope that these buildings stay with us for a much longer time. They are one of the most significant buildings Christchurch has, and I think that it is special and an honour that Christchurch Boys’ High School gets them on our soil.