Te Whāriki offers the perfect mix of lifestyle options, set against beautiful waterways and wetlands. There couldn’t be a nicer place to wake up. Te Whāriki is nestled in the heart of Lincoln, in the Sewlyn District. Close to shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, it’s ideal for work and play. It’s just 20-minutes from the city centre or 30-minutes for a trip to the beach or hills. This central location makes day trips to Akaroa and Mt. Hutt a breeze, both reachable in under an hour and a half. Nestled amongst walkways and cycle trails that weave through the beautiful wetland reserves and parks, Te Whāriki is the ideal location to take advantage of the Canterbury lifestyle and for your new home.
That’s why we call it Your Lifestyle Central.
In 2007, Lincoln University and Ngāi Tahu Property Limited formed a joint venture to develop the decommissioned Dairy Block west of the university.
Both parties made a commitment that the development would help with the restoration of waterways which feed Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere). That has remained a central focus of the urban design and master-planning process. Te Taumutu Rūnanga have worked closely with Ngāi Tahu Property to restore old waterways, re-establish native plants, integrate modern stormwater treatment systems, and bring to life, through street and reserve names, a number of place and species names associated with Te Waihora.
Alongside this Ngāi Tahu history, Te Whāriki also draws inspiration from Lincoln University’s history. The development, neighbourhood and street names all carry significant meanings.
To find out more read below:
Te Whāriki refers to the ‘floor mat’ or lakebed of Te Waihora – home to the rich wetland and lake community that once extended to the doorstep of Lincoln and the Te Whāriki development. The name symbolises a place for all to gather and meet. A whāriki is also a woven floor mat found in homes and meeting places today.
Today, a whāriki remains a place that draws together families and communities – it is therefore fitting for Te Whāriki which is building a community that weaves together the current township, Lincoln University, and future residents.
Wright, the fifth neighbourhood at Te Whāriki, is named after the first Chancellor of Lincoln University, Sir Allan Wright.
Sir Allan Wright has had a distinguished career as a farmer, a farmer politician and a businessman. He ran a mixed arable farm near Sheffield from 1946, winning the A.C. Cameron Royal Agricultural Society Gold Medal in 1973 for excellence in farming.
Matuku is the Māori name for the Australasian Bittern, a large bird that is part of the Heron family. Mostly found in wetlands, the Matuku is on the endangered birds’ list with less than 1,000 left in New Zealand. The Matuku is a secretive bird and, with its distinctive booming call, is heard more often than it is seen.
Matuku appear in many Māori historical accounts and stories and are recorded in early artwork. For generations, Matuku was an important bird for Māori, providing a food source and highly valued feathers used in ceremonial decoration. With the regeneration and plantation of the wetland at Te Whāriki, we would love to see them back here one day.
Professor Eric Raymond Hudson (1894-1974) was Director of Lincoln University from 1936 to 1952. Professor Hudson was the first graduate of Lincoln to rise to the position of Director. In World War I he had been an officer with the NZ Expeditionary Force in France and was wounded at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
He lifted the College out of the Depression, guiding it through the World War II period, delivering it in good shape into the modern era. He retired in 1952 as a significant and respected public figure and was awarded a CBE for his services to education and agriculture.
Kaituna is one of many rivers and spring-fed streams which flow into Te Waihora. The size of the lake and its resources make it a tribally significant mahinga kai (food gathering area) for Ngāi Tahu.
The name Kaituna comes from the abundant tuna (eel) along with pātiki (flounder), aua (mullet), and waterfowl. This abundance of resource supported a number of pā and mahinga kai sites including Te Kūhaka Wariwari located on the spur above Ataahua Domain.
William Edward Ivey was appointed Director/Manager of the School of Agriculture at Lincoln in 1878. The school became Canterbury Agricultural College in 1896, Lincoln College in 1961, and Lincoln University in 1990. William Edward Ivey is therefore regarded as one of the founding fathers of Lincoln University.
Born in Australia and educated at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, England, as Director/Manager he lived in what is now known as Ivey Hall, on the University campus.