Lancaster Park administrators take last walk through historic stadium
Victory Park Trust members, who used to run the stadium when it was Lancaster Park, go on a final tour before it is all demolished.
A group who helped maintained Christchurch's Lancaster Park for many years took a trip down memory lane as they walked through the old stadium for the last time.
The life members of the Victory Park Board, who volunteered a lot of their time at the park, went on one last walk together through the stripped stadium on Wednesday.
Martin Howman said it meant a lot to the group to go back through the earthquake-damaged stadium before it was completely pulled down.
Victory Park Board members look at the demolition that has started on the Tui Stand at Christchurch's old Lancaster Park.
Seeing the stadium go was like having a death in the family, but it needed to be done, he said.
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Howman reminisced about times the stadium was pumping with noise as 60,000 people packed in to watch concerts.
The memorial gates will be the only remaining structure.
The ground's extensive history would live on well after it was demolished, he said.
"It's in the bones of the ground with the memorial gates, lots of people that were involved in the ground had their ashes spread here."
Murray Inglis and Craig Sullivan how the site was home to three rugby fields in the 1950s.
Victory Park Board members volunteered a lot of time to maintain the park. Some were allowed to walk through the old stadium one last time on Wednesday.
Inglis said the park became a "sea of bikes" on Saturdays as everyone rode there to play and watch rugby.
Seeing the drastic changes to the stadium over the years left Inglis feeling quite emotional.
"It brings a tear to my eye to see what it is now. So many memories."
Seats lay in front of the Deans Stand as work continues to demolish the whole stadium.
Sullivan said he felt nostalgic going back to the stadium and remembering the work he did there.
"It was wonderful to see the new stand go up but really nostalgic to see the old ones go down because we had a lot to do with them."
Howman hoped the site would once again become a sports facility again eventually
Murray Inglis and other Victory Park Board members go on a final tour Lancaster Park.
Fellow life member Don McKendry said he hoped the Lancaster Park Cricket Club would return to the historic ground.
Christchurch City Council stadium deconstruction manager Lee Butcher said the last tour around the stadium was a nice send off for the board's life members.
"It's nice to walk around with the vast majority of them now and share that experience with them ... because once it's gone it's gone."
The Deans Stand is being stripped before it is demolished as part of the deconstruction of the entire old stadium.
The Victory Park Act appointed the Victory Park Board to administer Lancaster Park in 1919.
The deconstruction of Lancaster Park is believed to be one of the biggest demolition jobs undertaken in New Zealand. It is expected to take between 12 and 14 months to complete.
Demolition work is carried out on the Tui Stand.
Victory Park Board member Martin Howman holds a photograph of the group gathered on the day Lancaster Park became AMI Stadium in 2010.
Deconstruction work continues on the Tui Stand inside Lancaster Park, which became AMI Stadium before the earthquakes deemed it unsafe.
The late Fergie McCormick at Lancaster Park surrounded by fans after a Canterbury v Auckland rugby match.
Lancaster Park as the seats and other fixtures were removed for demolition.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh waving to the crowds at the public welcome at Lancaster Park.
Pope John Paul II conducts Mass at Lancaster Park in 1986.
Kiwi Olympian Peter Snell at Lancaster Park in 1962, when he broke two world records in the same race.
- Stuff
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