Centennial Park is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to re ...

located in the suburb of

Spreydon Spreydon is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, south-south-west of Cathedral Square. The most central street through Spreydon is Barrington Street. Spreydon is flanked by the suburbs Hoon Hay, Sydenham, and Lower Cashmere. State Highway ...

in the southwestern part of

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand. It is bordered by Lyttelton Street to the east, Rose Street to the south,

Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River The Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templeton Road, with a catchment area in wet weather extending as far west as Yaldhurst and Pound Road. It meanders around t ...

to the west and Pioneer Recreation and Sport Centre to the north. It was originally a shingle pit, extending as far north as Sparks Road.

Christchurch City Council The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Christchurch is Phil Mauger, who ...

purchased the land in 1937 for use as a landfill. In 1950, the city's centennial year, it was announced that the landfill was to be converted to a park. The park was opened on 10 September 1955 by Robert Macfarlane (as

Mayor of Christchurch The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil ...

) and

Mabel Howard Mabel Bowden Howard (18 April 1894 – 23 June 1972) was a well-known New Zealand trade unionist and politician. She was the first woman secretary of a predominantly male union (the Canterbury General Labourers' Union). She was a Member of Parl ...

(in her role as chairman of the Reserves Committee). A memorial plaque is placed on the corner of Lyttelton Street and Sparks Road. Centennial Park is used predominantly as a

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

venue during the winter months, and a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

venue during summer months. There are a total of fifteen sports fields in the park consisting of three cricket outfields, two intermediate soccer fields, three junior soccer fields, one senior soccer field, and six touch rugby fields. The park also includes a playground, barbecue, and public toilets. File:Centennial Park Christchurch 7.JPG File:Centennial Park Christchurch 6.JPG File:Centennial Park Christchurch 5.JPG File:Centennial Park Christchurch 3.JPG File:Centennial Park Christchurch 2.jpg File:Centennial Park Christchurch 4.JPG

References

*Christchurch City Council. https://web.archive.org/web/20130314054948/http://www1.ccc.govt.nz/webapps/parksaz/P99.asp {{Commons cat, Centennial Park, Christchurch, Centennial Park 1955 establishments in New Zealand Association football venues in New Zealand Cricket grounds in New Zealand Sports venues in Christchurch