Located in one corner of Cathedral Square, construction of the Chief Post Office began in 1877. The building was designed in the Gothic Revival style which was popular in Christchurch at that time. Officially opened on 27 November 1879, it became the central hub for postal and telecommunication services in the city.
The clock, modelled on London's Big Ben, proved to be unreliable. Electric mechanisms were eventually used to improve this. Unfortunately, a fire in the 1980's silenced the clock permanently.
Over the years, the Chief Post Office underwent several expansions and modifications to accommodate the increasing demand for postal and communication services. The original building was extended to provide additional space for sorting mail, handling telegraph and telephone operations, and housing postal workers.
With the advent of modern communication methods like the internet and email, the importance of physical postal and telecommunication services began to decline. As a result, many historic post office buildings faced challenges in remaining relevant and functional. The Chief Post Office was no exception. Telecommunication and postal services were moved to other locations and by 2000 the building was mainly used for offices, along with a cafe, restaurant and tourist information centre.
The February 2011 earthquake left the building in an unusable state however after much public discussion, it was eventually decided that the Chief Post Office would be restored rather than demolished. The restoration process aimed to retain the building's historic character while adapting it for contemporary use. It is currently being transformed into a beautiful multi-purpose hospitality space called 'The Grand'.
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/chief-post-office/