The Provincial Hotel

ROCKHAPPENZ Public Collection

The Provincial Hotel  —  274 Cashel Street, Christchurch .....

Situated on the corner of Cashel and Barbadoes Streets, The Provincial Hotel first opened in 1864 in a new building, designed by Clarkson and Ballantyne, being constructed in 1903.  In June 1864, Aikman and Wilson advertised the lease of a licensed house situated on Town Section 945 at the corner of Cashel Street and Barbadoes Street.  The house contained a bar, a kitchen, three parlours, and eight bedrooms and by 20 June, William Styche was advertising that he had held the lease for the hotel which was due to open on 1 July under the name The Provincial.  The new Provincial Hotel officially opened on 23 February 1903 with Edmonds remained the proprietor until he applied to transfer the license to George Iles on 9 December 1909.  Iles retained the license until 1 December 1921, when it was transferred to George Herbert Bailey.  By May 1923, George Iles had returned as the licensee and on 2 June 1930, the license was transferred from Iles to John (Jack) Griffin.  On 10 June 1935, the license was transferred from Griffin to George Herbert Bailey.  In December 1936, the license was transferred from Bailey to Patrick O’Donohue.  On 8 May 1940, George Leslie Comer applied for the license.  He held the proprietorship for eight years until, on 13 October 1948, the license was transferred from him to Norman Keith Boyd.  In December 1953, the license was transferred to Herbert Robert Woodley.  On 15 December 1958, the license was transferred from Woodley to Eric William Bolwell.  On 2 April 1962, Bolwell applied to transfer the license to Leslie William Jamieson. Robert Richard Rothwell applied for the license in September 1964.  Rothwell retained the license until 1970 when Murray and Joy Atkinson took up the lease.  Recognising that the use of accommodation at the hotel had declined since 1972, in 1975, Murray Atkinson applied for the hotel to become a tavern.  He was still the licensee in 1984.  During his proprietorship, the hotel was firebombed on 25 December 1981.  In 2003, the Provincial Hotel was owned by Gavin Abbott.  Stephen Cohen purchased the hotel in 2007 with the purpose of restoring the building.  He applied for consents which were granted in 2009, and in 2010 earthquake strengthening work began.  Despite this, the building was damaged in the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes.  The building was demolished on 11 March 2011.