Stone Chamber and Bellamys'

Mountfort’s masterpiece.

By 1861 the numbers on the Provincial Council had swelled to 35, making it a tight squeeze in the small timber chamber. Mountfort drew up plans for, not only a new chamber, but also social and dining facilities (giving them the same name – Bellamy’s – as those in London’s Westminster!) and accommodation for a housekeeper. With these buildings Mountfort used a variety of local stone as the main building material.

The Stone Chamber is in the High Victorian Gothic style and the stonework is magnificently elaborate. As Canterbury historian John Wilson says, ‘The interior of the Council Chamber is the building’s greatest glory.’ There is a double-faced clock, believed to be one of only five in the world; the stained glass windows are beautiful; and the carvings – done in Christchurch by William Brassington – are an absolute delight. Visitors can share Brassington’s sense of fun by searching for heads, birds, a cat, frogs and other creatures that he carved. The timbers used in the interior of the Stone Chamber include native kauri and rimu.