Exploring Wigram

Southwest of Christchurch’s city centre, Wigram has experienced considerable growth during the past decade.

Today it is home to a variety of cafes, restaurants, licensed premises, and retail outlets, with a population of 11,102 just a year ago.

While close to Hornby’s retail zone, Wigram has its own expanding business hub, in addition to a variety of new and established housing developments. Post-earthquake, it is one of the region’s fastest growing satellite towns.

Named after a former mayor of Christchurch, Sir Henry Wigram, the suburb is largely known for its links to the region’s aviation history. Sir Henry established a flying school there in 1916, which was bought by the then government seven years later, and run as a military airbase.

In June 1923 the base was officially handed over and renamed Wigram Aerodrome.

Home to RNZAF base Wigram, until military cutbacks closed it in 1995, it has since been developed into housing and an industrial estate, although it still houses the popular Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

Did you know?
The first trans-Tasman flight landed at Wigram in September 1928, piloted by Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. It had taken off from Richmond, near Sydney, and was welcomed at Wigram by a crowd of 30,000 people.