16 minute read
Ravenswood then and now
Often times we look back for reassurance. However, without a past or history, we don’t know where to begin, which way to go, or how to move forward.
Nonetheless, history is neither a stationary thing nor a trail we leave behind to be forgotten – we interact with it every day. Frequently, it’s assumed that new property developments like Ravenswood are totally disconnected from history or community. Nevertheless, Ravenswood is made up of living remnants of the past. For example, Maori families who lived nearby utilised the rich farmlands for kumara planting; several sites have been preserved on the Ravenswood farm and nearby at Pegasus. They also fished in the stream and used the abundant fresh wai tewai, also known as water cress. According to DN Hawkins’ Beyond the Waimakariri, Reverend John Raven, the new subdivision’s namesake, settled in North Canterbury in 1853. Eventually, Raven established his farm which was named Ravenswood. Raven’s influence was wide reaching and affected many different facets of life.
Entrance off Rangiora Woodend Road.
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When people commit to “ moving to a new subdivision, there’s a journey that they go on. Communication is key for us being a part of their journey and them to be a part of ours. - Ravenswood Developments Ltd communication manager, Hetty Van Hale ”
You can see Raven’s mark on history throughout the region. The reverend is most commonly referred to as the first vicar of the district, based at St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, which is still standing in Kaiapoi today. Raven had a thirst for innovation and a desire to build a thriving community. The life of a settler was hard and arduous, with little promise of success. Still, Raven was undaunted. Even after failing to establish two schools for the region, Raven continued to make his mark on the region. Being the trailblazer that he was, Raven’s largest mark on the land was the draining of the Waikuku Creek area. With the help of Henry Barnes Gresson, Raven made more land available for agricultural purposes.
Exterior of Jennian Homes show home in the Ravenswood show home village. In keeping with John Harris’ book, At the end of the bush, Woodend, a water-poured mill once stood where the stream comes close to Chinnerys Road. This was later used as a flax mill and owned by Charles Chinnery who lived in a large, two storey house on Chinnerys Road. Unfortunately, the mill was dismantled after WWI and the home was burnt down in the 1970s and later replaced. Although the land was helpful for settlers and farmers at the time, the stream was not used to its fullest recreational potential like it soon will be.
Ravenswood Developments Ltd is reclaiming the land’s history by realigning the Taranaki Stream so it follows something similar to its original path. The stream will help create a recreational area for community members to connect and interact with one another.
In the recreational area you will find a landscaped walkway right along the Taranaki stream, with extensive native planting and opportunity to interact with the stream. Trout and eels can often be seen.
NO ASSUMPTIONS. BETTER OUTCOMES.
Landscaping along Taranaki Stream is underway.
rough & milne landscape architects
design | masterplanning landscape assessment
On the authority of DN Hawkins’ historical record of the region, Beyond the Waimakariri, Reverend John Raven would speak kindly to the bullock pulling his wagons as a result of his missionary background. However, when push came to shove, he found that stern words were necessary to get the job done and the bullock moving.
Adding to the scenery, Ravenswood Developments also preserved a number of the trees on site because of their connection to the Rainey family and the recent past. The Rainey family resided on part of Raven’s old farm from 1939 to 1990. Two gum trees stand at the old entrance to the farm, planted to mark Victory Day in 1945. At one point, a member of the Rainey family brought back redwood seeds from a trip to Canada and those still stand today. During the Rainey family’s time living at Millbrook, the stream was always known as The Waiora as its spring source was near the Waiora property on Gressons Road. The stream has had several names during its history. Along with the trees, ecologists were tasked with the relocation of over 1,000 juvenile eels which were present prior to the realignment of the stream. The week before the realignment commenced, traps and nets were set. Once captured, the eels were relocated upstream, away from the work site where they are thriving in their new environment.
Chinnery Fencing is North Canterbury based and the following areas have all benefitted from our expertise: Kaiapoi, Woodend, Rangiora, Rolleston, Halswell, Cashmere. However anywhere within Canterbury ... Cam looks forward to hearing from you.
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Champions for community
Located just north of Woodend, Ravenswood is a new, master-planned community with 1,350 residential sections. During Stage 2 of the development, construction of Bob Robertson Drive began to connect the residential area on Woodend Rangiora Road to the retail precinct, Ravenswood Junction, and State Highway 1. It’s appropriate to name something that connects a community, like a road, after a champion for community. Ravenswood Developments communications manager, Hetty Van Hale, remembers Bob Robertson, the founder of Ravenswood, and says, “He kind of embodied that whole community thinking for us, so it was fitting to honour his memory in some way at Ravenswood.” Before Bob Robertson passed, he would integrate facilities into his developments to foster a sense of community like pools, gyms and recreational areas.
Artist’s impression of Ravenswood Junction retail precinct.
Hetty explains the thinking behind Bob’s efforts and says that if you create opportunities for people to meet and share life with one another, they can bond and build a community together. Bob Robertson Drive gives Ravenswood residents access to the Ravenswood commercial area including a New World supermarket currently under construction, and also to the beautiful beach in Pegasus Bay, a nearby golf course, a tastefully restored wetlands area and lake – all within five minutes of Ravenswood.
As important as it is to provide places for people to connect, fruitful communities are also bound together with strong communication. Hetty explains, “When people commit to moving to a new subdivision, there’s a journey that they go on. Communication is key for us being a part of their journey and them to be a part of ours. “We don’t treat people like a sales number. We treat people like people,” she says. Ravenswood Developments Ltd keeps everyone invested in the subdivision up to date with everything that is happening through a number of different media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. With regular updates and communication, Ravenswood Developments Ltd is able to share in the excitement that this sort of journey brings. Ravenswood Developments' frequent updates have set a precedent in regards to communication within the community and a community Facebook page has also been set up by residents. Already, there is a lot of rapport amongst local people with neighbours asking for cups of sugar and supporting one another. Naturally, there are a lot of questions when investing in a new subdivision, but considering the facilities and communication already in place, Ravenswood is already proving its potential as a close-knit community. To give an example, knowing that many organisations would be experiencing hardships during this time, Ravenswood Developments decided it would support the Community Wellbeing North Canterbury Trust because of the trust’s work in social services and the region.
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BP and McDonalds are already open in the commercial area and New World is under construction.
Interior of David Magill show home – one of nine show homes open in the Ravenswood show home village. Ravenswood initially donated $5000 to the trust, but in the spirit of generosity, decided to donate an additional $2,000 for every section that sold in Stage 2 up until the end of 2020, making a potential donation of $31,000 if all the remaining sections sell, which they are expected to do. “You know, I think the people who live in the Ravenswood community are quite proud of that initiative. “We certainly had a lot of good feedback from people living there and thanking us for supporting the community. I think that’s all a part of community building as well,” Hetty says.
Excitement ahead The people of Ravenswood, Pegasus and Woodend can rejoice – a full-sized supermarket is on its way! New World committed to be a part of the Ravenswood development from the very beginning and broke ground for construction on 20 July, 2020. From a local’s point of view, it’s going to create jobs and make grocery shopping much more convenient; no more driving to Rangiora for household essentials. New World and Gull will soon join the lineup of commercial partners already operating in Ravenswood including BP and McDonald’s. Next to New World there will be a retail precinct called Ravenswood Junction. Ravenswood Junction will be comprised of 25 smaller, retail businesses, making it the last major retail opportunity when driving from Christchurch into North Canterbury. This retail precinct is proving itself to be a desirable location because about half of the tenancies are already filled, but Ravenswood Developments Ltd is still taking expressions of interest. On the other end of Ravenswood Junction is Ravenswood Stars Nursery and Preschool. This neighbourhood necessity is on track to open in October and is now taking registrations. Much like the retail precinct, there is also a great demand in the residential sector. Already, every single one of the 197 lots in Stage 1 is sold. At the moment, Stage 2 is under construction and 136 of those lots are sold with just three left for purchase. Stage 3A residential was released at the beginning of July with 43 lots and over half of those are already sold or under contract. To take a glimpse of what life can be like in Ravenswood visit the show home village. The show home village is helpful for intending residents to visualise what’s available in a house and land package and to get ideas for their new home. Ravenswood Developments is creating a show home village of 14 homes showcasing various local, Canterbury home builders. At the moment there are nine show homes available for viewing. On your next Sunday drive, visit the Ravenswood show home village and see it for yourself. When driving from Woodend, simply take Rangiora Woodend Road and turn right onto Bob Robertson Drive. There you will find the show home village and a new way of living. CT
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Before realigning the Taranaki Stream for the new Ravenswood subdivision, ecologists relocated over 1,000 eels. The eels are now upstream from the work site
and are thriving in their new environment.
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Sustainable and Kiwi made — does that describe your home?
When is a home a Kiwi home? Chances are, you don’t give much thought to what hides behind the walls and roof. Do you even know what it was built from? Take a peek if you can, and educate yourself a little. If it has the Juken timber products brand, then you can be sure that every piece was grown and manufactured in a sustainable, safe way by Kiwis, for Kiwis, in a Kiwi way.
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Juken works alongside local communities. Bark becomes garden mulch. Chemical containers are recycled, forest areas of significance are protected and monitored, and almost all of the mill energy requirements met by renewable, sustainable wood residues that would otherwise be wasted.
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Not a single part of the operation is casual or ‘she’ll be right’ - Juken has some of the country’s most progressive and forwardthinking industrial design practices.
In approaching production this way, Juken have also set themselves up ethically to be measured and assessed against external benchmarks – the regulatory consents environmental framework (local authority
or central government), and internationally recognised environmental standards of Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and ISO 14001 – to demonstrate a commitment to forestry and manufacturing environmental best practice. This isn’t just lip service, but transparent and ethical industry leadership in practice. So, if you are building or planning to build, ask your builder and architect about the products going into it, if it’s a Juken home, it’s a Kiwi home. www.jnl.co.nz
CT
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