Chief Post Office, Christchurch

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Chief Post Office, Christchurch" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Chief Post Office
The former Chief Post Office after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake (photo from 2019)
General information
Type	Government, with some commercial enterprises
Architectural style	Italianate style with classical and Venetian Gothic elements
Location	Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City
Address	31 Cathedral Square
Town or city	Christchurch
Country	New Zealand
Coordinates	43°31′54″S 172°38′09″E / 43.5316°S 172.6358°E / -43.5316; 172.6358
Current tenants	None
Construction started	24 May 1877
Completed	1878
Renovated	1907
Owner	Gordon Chamberlin
Technical details
Floor count	Two
Design and construction
Architect(s)	William Henry Clayton
Main contractor	Dan Reese
Heritage New Zealand – Category 1
Designated	2 April 1985
Reference no.	291
References
"Chief Post Office (Former)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.

The Chief Post Office or Christchurch Central Post Office, originally known as the Government Buildings,^[1] is located in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was initially a post office with Immigration, Customs and Public Works departments. The Government Buildings were later replaced by the new Government Buildings^[2] opened in 1913,^[3] and the Chief Post Office remained on-site. In 1881, New Zealand’s first telephone exchange was installed in the building. Post services were offered from the building until 2000 when it was re-purposed to house a Christchurch tourist information centre and a restaurant, café and offices.^[4] Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the building closed. In the early 2020s repairs and strengthening^[5] took place. The building was planned to reopen in 2023 in stages, and eventually include a restaurant, shops, and a visitor information centre, under the name "The Grand".^[6] The structure is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage building.