Named after its benefactor, Avice Hill Reserve is located at 396 Memorial Avenue.
Set on 1.5 acres of public reserve, beautiful gardens and established trees surround.
The Avice Hill Crafts Centre, home to the Canterbury Potters Association and Canterbury Herb Society.
This Christchurch City Council facility is primarily used for arts and crafts tuition and as a meeting place for art and craft interest groups.
Avice Hill (1906-2001) was a founding member of the Canterbury Herb Society, and an avid supporter of the Canterbury Potters Association. A variety of lavender Lavandula angustifolia “Avice Hill” was named after her, for her great love of the plant:
In 1997, Hill received a Christchurch Civic Award for her work in the arts and crafts community.[1] In 2017 Avice Hill was selected as one of the Royal Society of New Zealand‘s “150 women in 150 words“, celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.
Older members of the Canterbury Herb Society who knew her personally still speak of Avice who was a fine example of a lady ahead of her time. As well as having a keen interest in herbs she was also an entomologist, botanist, a keen potter and craft enthusiast.
Avice Hill gifted her home and land to the Waimari District Council (now incorporated into Christchurch City Council), so that it would provide an art and crafts facility and herb garden for the benefit the community, She also wanted to protect the mature trees on her property.
It is always good to hear about inspiring women who used their talents and abilities in incredible ways. Read more about Avice’s Biography at .
Since 1989, the Christchurch City Council has managed and maintained the Avice Hill Reserve and Arts and Craft Centre. In 2000, a decision was made to upgrade and enhance both grounds and buildings including the craft and activities rooms which was once Avice and her husband Frank’s home.
For a number of years the Reserve hosted the annual Avice Hill Arts and Crafts Fair on the second Sunday of February. It was also an opportunity for local artisans to demonstrate their crafts and introduce people to herbs. This included items made from wood, clay and fine art. Have-a-go workshops were offered and potential members learned about art and the craft groups in Christchurch while the groups had an opportunity to canvas for new members.
The last Avice Hill Arts and Craft Fair which was arranged by the Christchurch City Council
in February, was held in 2016. The Council reallocated their budget and funds were no longer available to assist with the fair – which included the erecting of a stage and paying entertainers – musicians, dancers, mime artists – to entertain the crowd.
Many crafters – who attended the fair for the craft element – hoped that the Council might assist on a smaller scale with future events, such as marketing the event, providing portable toilets and allowing vendors to sell food and drink so that the Avice Hill Arts and Craft Fair might be celebrated once again could become a family day out and provide more art and craft individuals and groups groups as a platform .
In recent years, the Avice Hill Arts and Craft Fair has been a Canterbury Potters Association initiative mainly as a vehicle for their members and pottery artists to sell their artwork. The market is known as the Canterbury Potters Association Christmas Pottery Market and has been held in December in 2017 and 2018. The Canterbury Herb Society has also participated in this event.
It would be wonderful if the Council could re-instate the Avice Hill Arts and Craft fair to even get more community and craft groups involved to again celebrate the lovely space and the legacy Avice left us.
Avice Hill Reserve 