From rough paddock to park like setting...

St Bede’s stands proudly in a beautiful setting on the Main North Road, however, when the land that St Bede’s now stands on was first purchased in 1914, it was 37 acres placed at the terminus of the Papanui Tram and while it was convenient to be at this stop, it was also on the edge of the city and would involve considerable outlay and hard work to make it into a school, on beautiful grounds. When Bishop Grimes died in 1916, he left a “handsome” legacy to the school and so preparations could begin, but not until after the end of WW1.

The English Gothic building that came about, was on “an ugly ploughed expanse of uneven land”, with the north-east corner becoming something of a lake in the winter months. There were few trees on the property, mainly willows and macrocarpas. 

From 1920 -1922 the front 8 acres of the grounds were put into potato crops and it was only after two years that this was then deemed fit to be leveled, drained, top dressed and finally fertilized. A well was sunk into the middle and pipes laid so water could be accessed all over the grounds.

The planting of trees on the school property began in 1924, with a shelter belt across the back of the property from North to South planted in Pines and Blue Gums, this was the work of Dr Geaney. Along the front of the College, a row of Chestnut trees was planted, but these failed, due to vandalism and were replaced the following year by Plane trees. On the northern boundary, Lombardy Poplars were planted and carried through to the fence with Lawsonia.

In 1926, heavy double wrought iron gates were erected for the main driveway and a new front fence was also added to low brick work. At the end of this fenced area, two more pillars were erected, but these were slightly smaller than the ones at the main gate.

1930, under the direction of Fr J Cullen SM, saw the planting of Bradman row, this consisted moving the Lawsonia and adding to the Lombardy poplars already there. The reasoning and naming behind Bradman row was that the 334 Lombardy Poplars, which were now planted and reached to the front fence represented the record 334 runs scored in a test match that year by Don Bradman. In this same year, Silver Birch were planted along the drive and front fence and the elm was planted in the quadrangle.

In 1932, Fr M, Dowling SM, who was based at St Bede’s from 1924 to 1971, began the immense task of leveling and planting in the three areas south of the College. The work that Fr Dowling SM did at St Bede’s had a huge impact on the grounds he had “an immense love of God’s soil and its products”. When planting, he would have a group of helpful Boarders, who were happy to learn as they worked. Over his years at St Bede’s, he had generations of volunteers, known as the “Borough Council” and with every plant or tree that he planted, he could tell any visitor to the College the history of the plant and its growth through the years.

In 1937, it was the turn of the driveway to be looked at. It was metalled, levelled, cambered, rolled and finally tar-sealed. This was now an impressive driveway, framed in an avenue of Limes. The Quadrangles were also tar-sealed with a raised concrete path to the Chapel, the tar-sealing of the quadrangles meant that there were recreational areas for the students if it had been raining.

1939 saw new trees planted along the South end of the building, with a shelter belt of Oregon Pines to protect them from the southerly wind. This was again the work of Fr Dowling SM and included such trees as Japanese Maples, flowering peaches, plums and cherries, Ornamental firs and many native species as well.

Over the years, the school acquired extra land, which took it from 35 to 65 acres, some of these were purchased to replace the area taken over from the farmland for the football fields. There was also a private trotting track on the eastern boundary, which may be remembered by some of our earliest Old Boys. The school now extended to Grimseys Road on the Eastern side.

1958 saw the expansion of the main drive, to meet the extension of the South Wing. The driveway was also re-sealed, widened and re-aligned. Concrete curbing was also added at the same time.

In 1963, the Main North Road was widened, which led to the school losing 4 metres of its frontage and the loss of the hedge and lime trees along the front. Although this would change the view that people could see from the road, the school and its grounds were still an impressive sight.

Due to the alterations over the extension of QEII Drive, September 1994, saw a new drive way opened. The old driveway was now only for cyclist and pedestrians. The following is from the 1994 Bedean

“Term Three begins with style, at least for the staff, whose entrance up the new drive is the ultimate in landscaped arrivals. Bedeans continue to dice with death as the new expressway takes shape.”

As the years have gone by, the landscape of the school continues to grow and change, like the plants within the grounds. Where we once had farm land which was important for those residing at the school, we now have extensive sports fields, where the students can grow their skills outside of the classroom. 

Old Boys will have their own memories of the grounds, maybe sport or maybe a classroom taken outside on a hot Canterbury day, the following is an extract from The 75th Jubilee Cronicle.

As written by Owen Leeming (1944-1948) in “Thoughts from Abroad” I loved our trees. The snowy flowering cherry tree at the bend of the drive, the one with the seat around the trunk. I shall never see a more beautiful tree than that. Bradman’s cricket score row of Lombardy Poplars, not green, but brown in early spring. The double dotted line of limes of the drive and front which, with the poplars, held our footy fields, the large-small flat green carpet where we were soldiers, watched games, played them, and walked, back and forth, back and forth. The rough kiwi macrocarpas along the back where later the prefabs went. The pines which scratched themselves at night outside the dorm windows and hid owls.

Through sheer hard work, the grounds of St Bede’s have matured and developed from an empty paddock to beautiful setting and as for the Elm in the quad…it still stands, but holds a reflection all of its own.