27 Jun 2018

Nga Taonga Sound Archives: Lancaster Park

From Afternoons, 1:38 pm on 27 June 2018

It has hosted U2 and B.B. King, Dire Straits, Pope John Paul II and Her Majesty the Queen. It was home to the Crusaders, invaded by protesters during the 1981 Springbok Tour and has seen countless historic cricket and rugby matches.

Sadly, it is currently the site of what’s been called ‘the biggest demolition job in the country’, so in today’s visit to the sound archives of Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, we pay tribute to Christchurch’s legendary Lancaster Park.

Lancaster Park (PHOTO: Supplied / Christchurch City Council)

Lady racing cyclist at Lancaster Park 1896 (PHOTO: Christchurch City Libraries)

U2 and BB King in NZ, 1989 (PHOTO: Supplied / Yanse Martin)

Alan Allardyce broadcasting NZ’s first ever radio rugby commentary from Lancaster Park in 1926 (PHOTO: Supplied / courtesy The Listener)

The hottest items were the stadium's 30,000 seats. (PHOTO: Photo: Logan Church)

Work has begun dismantling the old stadium. (PHOTO: RNZ / Logan Church)

Lancaster Park demolition web cam (PHOTO: Supplied)