Riccarton House & Bush Capital Improvement Fund
For over a century, Pūtaringamotu Riccarton Bush has stood as a living gift — 7.7 hectares of native forest gifted to the people of Canterbury by the Deans family in 1914, on the promise that it be preserved "for all time." It is the last remnant of its kind in the world: home to 600-year-old trees, native birds, wētā and geckos found almost nowhere else on the Canterbury Plains, and to Riccarton House itself, one of the oldest dwellings still standing in the region. As the botanist Dr Leonard Cockayne warned in 1906, this is a place "beyond price… if destroyed, it can never be replaced."
Kura Tāwhiti Foundation has partnered with the Riccarton Bush Trust to make it easier for people in Canterbury and beyond to help protect and preserve this iconic heritage site. You can do this in the following ways:
Give today
Support the ongoing care and protection of Riccarton House and Bush Pūtaringamotu by donating today through our secure online donation platform. Your gift will be passed on to the Trust to support capital improvement projects over the next five years to keep this place safe and open to everyone. Donations over $5 are also eligible for a tax credit.
Give for tomorrow
Contribute to our new Riccarton House and Bush endowment fund and help create a lasting source of support for this unique heritage site. Your gift will be invested and grown, with the investment return providing ongoing support for future protection and enhancement projects.
You can choose to make a larger charitable gift during your lifetime or leave a gift to the Fund in your will. Get in touch with the Kura Tāwhiti Foundation team to talk through your options with us.
A 600-year-old slice of Canterbury paradise
At the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch lies a rare surviving remnant of the ancient alluvial podocarp forests that once covered the Canterbury Plains. Pūtaringamotu Riccarton Bush is the only area of podocarp forest remaining in Christchurch, with great ecological and cultural significance.
Ancient forest
7.7 hectares of precious podocarp forest, with some kahikatea trees as old as 600. These descend from a floodplain forest established over 6000 years ago, and are the only remnants of their kind in Christchurch.
Cultural significance
Pūtaringamotu (meaning ‘the place of the echo’) is a significant mahinga kai site for Ngāi Tūāhuriri. It is also the location of the first permanent European settlement in Ōtautahi.
Living habitat
Fully enclosed by a predator-proof fence, the bush is a sanctuary for native birds, wētā and geckos found almost nowhere else on the Canterbury Plains.
Local heritage
The precinct is home to Riccarton House and Deans Cottage, connecting visitors with more than 160 years of Christchurch colonial history.
A Gift to the People
The Deans family gifted Pūtaringamotu Riccarton Bush to the people of Christchurch in 1914. More than a century later, that gift remains a shared taonga that we all have a role in protecting.
The Riccarton Bush Act established provisions for Pūtaringamotu's ongoing preservation and public access. Today, that legacy continues through the work of the Riccarton Bush Trust, its operational team, and the generous support of local donors.
Riccarton House
Built in three stages in 1856, 1874 and 1900, the original Deans homestead has undergone multiple restorations to preserve its distinctive character and heritage. Today, Riccarton House offers visitors a glimpse into the lives of one of Canterbury’s oldest pioneering families, with period furnishings, Victorian art and countless stories preserved throughout its quarters.
Support Riccarton House and Pūtaringamotu today
Pūtaringamotu Riccarton Bush is a living relic of a landscape that no longer exists, while Riccarton House and Deans Cottage link us to the city's early history. Caring for such a significant place requires ongoing community support, particularly as the reserve faces growing pressures from its small size, urban development, and climate change.
What your donation supports
Donations to the Riccarton House and Bush Capital Improvement Fund will contribute to capital improvements across Riccarton House and Bush Pūtaringamotu over the next five years.
Your generosity today helps the Trust to:
-
Care for the Bush through ecological management, monitoring and conservation.
-
Maintain and conserve heritage across Riccarton House, Deans Cottage and the wider site.
-
Improve infrastructure such as tracks, pathways and visitor facilities.
-
Improve accessibility so more people can enjoy and connect with this special place.
-
Support education and interpretation, helping visitors understand the natural, cultural and historical significance of the site.
-
Build resilience for the future, helping this unique place withstand the pressures of a changing climate and its urban environment.
Kura Tāwhiti Foundation retains a small percentage of each donation to cover administration costs. For larger donations, we encourage you to contact us about making a bank transfer to mitigate platform fees.
Every donation is valued and carries forward the legacy of a place that has been part of our region's story for centuries.
Protect Riccarton House and Pūtaringamotu for tomorrow
Some of the most impactful gifts are the quiet ones made in a will. Just as the Deans family chose, over a hundred years ago, to leave this land to the people of Canterbury rather than keep it for themselves, a gift the Riccarton House and Bush endowment fund is a way of extending that same act of generosity into the future — ensuring that Riccarton House and Bush Pūtaringamotu are still here, cared for and thriving, for generations to come.
Rather than being spent all at once, an endowment is invested for the long term, with investment income providing a source of ongoing support. This means a gift made today can continue to protect and preserve Riccarton House and Bush for generations to come.
By contributing to the Riccarton House and Bush endowment, you can help create a sustainable source of funding to:
Protect and enhance indigenous flora and fauna, including mahinga kai and taonga species.
Conserve Riccarton House, Deans Cottage and their grounds for generations to come.
Share stories about the natural, cultural and historical heritage of this special place.
Welcome people and create opportunities for community education, recreation and kaitiakitanga.
Depending on your circumstances, you can choose to contribute to the fund during your lifetime, or leave a charitable gift in your will. Reach out to discuss your options with our Donor Engagement Manager, Pollyanne, at pollyanne.pena@kuratawhiticcf.org.nz
Like the seed of a kahikatea, your gift today will continue growing to shelter and nourish the legacy of this place, forever.