With the new Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre building set to open in a few weeks, we look back at some of the history of the building;

Dick Brittenden in his book detailing Canterbury Cricket from 1877 to 1977 said “One of Canterbury cricket’s finest assets is the indoor school at the Hagley Sports Centre – valuable in terms of property, very valuable in winter and evening practicing and coaching” (page 72).

As early as 1954, the idea of an indoor school for cricket was mentioned at management committee meetings. To that point, randomly, a lonely wool store or tannery would be converted in some crude fashion to facilitate cricket practice. George Hamilton, Jack Saunders and Tony MacGibbon led the charge with possible sites for consideration including Lancaster Park, Queen Elizabeth II Park and Hagley Park. Bill Merritt (indoor school) and Morrie Moffit (architect) became involved.

In 1965, the management committee of the Canterbury Cricket Association decided to take the early concept a stage further by assembling a broad group of cricket luminaries who became known as the Hard Core Advisory Committee. It included the original idealists of the 1950s, past administrators and players.

Brittenden reported that it was built on land leased from the Christchurch City Council at a nominal rent. Its cost was a little over $61,000. The funding was raised through various sources including the NZCC, Canterbury savings Bank, debentures, gifts and some money from Alan Bailey (who was the first lessor) who ran the golf range.

Building began in October 1967 which culminated in a new sports centre at Hagley Park adjacent to the Hagley cricket ground (between the current Oval and Hagley Corner) in 1968. For the time, it was a slick, modern concept involving two full-length cricket nets with reasonable run-ups, three squash courts, a golf driving range, changing facilities and a lounge/café for socializing.

At the opening function on 6 May 1968, Sir George Manning, Mayor of Christchurch,

“emphasised the great need for a centre such as this not only for the citizens of Christchurch to enjoy, but as a means to assist in preserving and maintaining Hagley Oval for future generations of cricketers.”

The complex proved a major success providing a much-used asset for local clubs and schools.

In 1986, the Association made a decision to sell the Hagley Sports Centre and relocate (with three new indoor nets) to a proposed new no. 6 stand at Lancaster Park which was to be administered by the Victory Park Board. After considerable negotiation with local and government bodies, the sale went through in November 1988 with its sale to the Canterbury Horticultural Society for $284,305. These nets were never built when the new stand complex at Lancaster Park emerged as the Hadlee Stand.

The Canterbury Cricket Trust, led by the visionary Lee Robinson, purchased the Canterbury Horticultural Centre in March 2017 with funding support from the Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Trust and a private funder.

Much hard work has taken place over the last few years to get to the stage of opening the building for use in June 2022.

Article added: Tuesday 10 May 2022