Fendalton


Fendalton is a suburb of Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand.

History

Fendalton was originally known as Fendall Town, named after the original settler of the land, Walpole Chesshyre Fendall. Fendall emigrated from Yorkshire in 1850 and took up land north of the Waimairi Stream. The name Fendall Town was soon applied to the area northwest of Hagley Park, extending as far as the modern location of Christchurch International Airport and including portions of Burnside, Bryndwr, and Harewood, among others. Early spelling also included Fendall's Town and Fendaltown, but by the 1880s Fendalton had become the most common form.
Fendalton was the site for many early buildings in the settlement of Christchurch, including an early flour mill along what is now Fendalton Road. This flour mill was constructed by Daniel Inwood, who came to New Zealand aboard the Sir George Seymour in 1850, and used machinery which Inwood brought with him from England.
The suburb is also home to multiple significant historical buildings, especially as examples of various styles of homestead. These include St Barnabas Church, Daresbury, and Los Angeles, one of the first examples of a California bungalow to be built in New Zealand.
A history of the suburb can be found in "Fendall's Legacy: A history of Fendalton and north-west Christchurch" by Frieda Looser.

Location and services

Fendalton is situated to the west of the city centre, close to the University of Canterbury at Ilam and the major retail area of Riccarton. It is also close to the main route from the central city to the Christchurch International Airport to the northwest.
Fendalton has a reputation as one of the country's more well-to-do and refined suburbs, and is one of the older residential districts of the city.
One high school lies directly within the suburb - Christchurch Boys' High School. While Christchurch Girls' High School catchment zone encompasses much of Fendalton, the school itself lies within the suburb of Riccarton. Fendalton is served by one state intermediate school Cobham Intermediate School. The main primary school in Fendalton is Fendalton Open Air School, originally called Clyde Road Primary School.