Ashburton Central
Ashburton Central | |
|---|---|
Ashburton Clock Tower | |
| Coordinates: 43°54′11″S 171°45′00″E / 43.903°S 171.750°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Ashburton |
| Local authority | Ashburton District Council |
| Electoral ward | Ashburton |
| Area | |
| • Land | 256 ha (633 acres) |
| Population (June 2024) | |
• Total | 170 |
| Hospitals | Tuarangi Home |
| Allenton | ||
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Ashburton Central
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Netherby | |
| Tinwald | Hampstead |
Ashburton Central is the central suburb and central business district of Ashburton, in the Ashburton District and Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island.
The town was surveyed by Robert Park in 1864. It was laid out around two central squares either side of the Main South railway line and State Highway 1, Baring Square East and Baring Square West. The Ashburton Domain was included in the plans for the purposes of gardens and recreation.
The clock tower is a well-known landmark in the centre of Ashburton. The Ashburton Clock Tower was designed by Warren and Mahoney Architects and built in 1976 by Bradford Construction Ltd. The clock was originally ordered in 1902 and installed in a tower of the Post Office building in 1904. It was removed in 1946 when the tower was deemed a seismic risk. The clock and its bells remained in storage until they were reinstalled in the new tower in 1976. The clock tower has won awards including for “Enduring Architecture” in 2004 from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.
In 2017, the Ashburton District Council began work on revitalising the central business district of Ashburton, with the aim of attracting businesses and customers back into the commercial centre of the town.
A new library and civic centre for Ashburton was built between 2021 and 2023, at a final cost of $62.1 million, with a $20 million contribution from the New Zealand government. The three-story building includes council chambers, office space, a recording studio, areas to study in, a library and a performance area. The design also incorporates the historic Pioneer Hall into the facility. The civic centre was named Te Whare Whakatere. It is located in the block behind the Ashburton clock tower on Baring Square East.
Tuarangi Home, located in Ashburton Central, is a public hospital facility operated by Canterbury District Health Board. It has 37 beds, and provides geriatric, psychogeriatric, rest home care, dementia care and medical services.
Two people were killed and two others almost died during a shooting at the Work and Income office in Ashburton Central on 1 September 2014.