Sign of the Kiwi
Sign of the Kiwi is a historic café, shop, and former toll house on Christchurch’s Summit Road.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Sign of the Kiwi is a small historic café, shop, and visitor stop at Dyers Pass on the road between Christchurch and Governors Bay in New Zealand’s Port Hills. The building was originally known as the Toll House and was established as part of Harry Ell’s long-running effort to create a scenic Summit Road and a connected system of reserves across the hills above Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. It opened on 9 June 1917 as a tearoom and rest house, after being built in 1916–17 with money borrowed by Ell from friends and supporters. Its intended toll function was tied to the financing and maintenance of the wider Summit Road project. Ell was a politician, Christchurch city councillor, and conservation advocate who sought to make the Port Hills accessible to the public. He promoted scenic reserves, roads, and a chain of rest houses. Sign of the Kiwi was the third of four such houses associated with his scheme, following the Sign of the Bellbird and Sign of the Packhorse and preceding the Sign of the Takahe. The building was designed by Christchurch architect Samuel Hurst Seager in a low, unlined bungalow style using local stone and a siting intended to harmonise with the landscape. The toll arrangements became controversial. A toll gate was established in 1922 after approval from Heathcote County Council, but motorists and the Canterbury Automobile Association objected to paying for access to a road supported by public taxation. The dispute concerned whether the toll should be compulsory. In 1932 Heathcote County Council ordered Ell to stop collecting tolls. A replacement gate was briefly established farther south under Halswell County Council, but it was removed after Ell’s death in 1934. The refreshment business also developed through a close relationship between Ell and his wife, Ada. She took over the tearoom operation in 1920 after conflict between Ell and the Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board. Under her management the tearoom reportedly operated profitably until illness forced her withdrawal in 1926. The building was later closed during the Second World War and remained closed through the 1940s. In 1948 ownership passed to Christchurch City Council, which used the property as a custodian’s residence and restricted public access largely to the porch. Restoration work began in 1989, and the site reopened as a refreshment venue and information centre. Its heritage importance was formally recognised on 21 September 1989, when the New Zealand Historic Places Trust registered it as a Category I historic place. The listing covers the building, the toll gate, and the stone pillar outside, reflecting the site’s importance to the history of the Summit Road, early conservation efforts in New Zealand, and Seager’s vernacular architecture. The 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake caused serious structural damage. The building was stabilised after engineers determined that its seismic capacity was only about 9.5 percent of the applicable building-code level, below the legal threshold of 33 percent. Structural upgrading and repairs began in October 2015, and the site reopened on 23 January 2017 after a reported cost of NZ$760,000. Although it lay within the area affected by the 2017 Port Hills fires, the building was not damaged. Today, Sign of the Kiwi functions as a heritage destination and local visitor amenity, serving tourists, walkers, motorists, and Christchurch residents in the Summit Road landscape.
History
Sign of the Kiwi originated in Harry Ell’s plan to develop a scenic route and reserve network across the Port Hills. Ell, a New Zealand Member of Parliament and Christchurch city councillor, believed that roads and rest houses could make the hills accessible to the public while supporting the preservation of bush remnants and scenic land. By 1915 he had secured numerous reserves, although his methods sometimes created tension with the Summit Road Scenic Reserve Board. The building was constructed in 1916–17 in Coronation Hill Reserve, a reserve created in 1912 to commemorate the coronation of George V. The project began despite opposition from the reserve board and was financed through money Ell borrowed from friends and sympathisers. Originally called the Toll House, it opened on 9 June 1917 as a tearoom and rest house. Its planned toll revenue was intended to help fund the unfinished sections of the Summit Road. A toll gate was finally established in 1922 with the consent of Heathcote County Council. Toll collection soon became contentious. The Canterbury Automobile Association and motorists argued that compulsory tolls were inappropriate on a road maintained through public taxation. Heathcote County Council ordered Ell to cease collecting tolls in October 1932. Halswell County Council briefly supported moving the toll operation farther south, but the replacement gate was removed following Ell’s death in June 1934. The tearoom’s operation also reflected Ell’s disputes with the reserve board. In 1920 his wife, Ada, took over the refreshment business. She achieved profitable operations but left after suffering a nervous breakdown in 1926. During the Second World War the building was abandoned and was later closed by the Department of Lands and Survey. Christchurch City Council acquired it in 1948 and used it as a custodian’s residence, limiting public access. A new phase began with renovation work in 1989. The building reopened as a refreshment venue and information centre and was registered the same year as a Category I historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, now Heritage New Zealand. The listing recognises the site’s connection with the Summit Road, early New Zealand conservation, and architect Samuel Hurst Seager’s use of vernacular design. The toll gate and external stone pillar are also included. The 2011 Christchurch earthquake exposed severe structural vulnerability. Although the premises remained open for a period, subsequent assessment found an estimated seismic strength of only 9.5 percent of the building-code standard. Stabilisation and a major structural upgrade commenced in October 2015. The restored site reopened on 23 January 2017 after reported expenditure of NZ$760,000. It was not damaged by the Port Hills fires that followed a month later. Sign of the Kiwi continues as a small café, shop, and heritage destination serving visitors and local users of the Summit Road and surrounding recreational areas.
- 2017
Reopens after restoration
[1]Sign of the Kiwi reopens on 23 January after six years of closure following the earthquake.
- 2015
Structural upgrade starts
[1]Repair and seismic strengthening work begins in October.
- 2011
Christchurch earthquake damage
[1]The February earthquake causes serious structural damage and leads to stabilisation and later seismic assessment.
- 1989
Heritage registration and reopening project
[1]The property is registered as a Category I historic place and renovation begins for renewed public use.
- 1948
Christchurch City Council takes ownership
[1]Ownership transfers to Christchurch City Council, which uses the building as a custodian’s residence.
- 1934
Toll operation concludes
[1]After Ell dies in June, the relocated toll gate is removed and the proposed replacement toll lodge is not built.
- 1932
Compulsory toll dispute ends at Heathcote
[1]Heathcote County Council instructs Ell to stop collecting tolls by the end of October.
- 1922
Toll gate established
[1]Heathcote County Council consents to the establishment of a toll gate associated with the road.
- 1920
Ada Ell takes over the tearoom
[1]Harry Ell’s wife Ada assumes responsibility for operating the refreshment business.
- 1917
Toll House opens
[1]The building opens on 9 June as a tearoom and rest house on the Summit Road.
Products and positioning
A heritage-led café and visitor destination combining refreshments, local history, scenic access, and conservation heritage in the Port Hills.
Hospitality · 1917
Tearoom and café
The site’s principal public offering is a small tearoom and café serving visitors using the Summit Road and nearby recreational areas. The refreshment function dates from the building’s opening in 1917, although operations have changed over time as ownership, access, and restoration conditions evolved.
Visitor services · 1989
Visitor information and shop
After renovation in the late twentieth century, Sign of the Kiwi operated as an information centre as well as a refreshment venue. Its shop and visitor role complement the building’s position as a stopping point within the Port Hills heritage and recreation network.
Brand decisions
2015
Seismic strengthening and restorationOtherBackground
An engineering assessment after the 2011 earthquake found the building’s estimated seismic strength to be about 9.5 percent of the building-code level, below the legal minimum of 33 percent.
Action taken
Repair and structural upgrade work began in October 2015.
Aftermath
The building reopened on 23 January 2017 after the restoration programme.
Reported repair and structural upgrade cost. NZ$760,000 (2015–2017)
1922
Establishment of a Summit Road toll gateStrategyBackground
Harry Ell intended toll income to support the development and maintenance of the wider Summit Road project.
Action taken
A toll gate was established after Heathcote County Council gave permission.
Aftermath
The toll became controversial among motorists and the Canterbury Automobile Association, with the dispute eventually leading Heathcote County Council to order its closure in 1932.
Recent events
- 2017
Sign of the Kiwi reopens after seismic upgrade[1]
Other
Following repairs and structural strengthening that began in 2015, Sign of the Kiwi reopened to the public on 23 January 2017, six years after the earthquake.
- 2017
Sign of the Kiwi survives Port Hills fires[1]
Other
The building was located within the area affected by the February 2017 Port Hills fires but was not damaged by the fire.
- 2011
Christchurch earthquake damages Sign of the Kiwi[1]
Other
The 22 February 2011 earthquake caused significant structural damage to the building. It was stabilised after an engineering assessment found its seismic capacity to be substantially below the applicable building-code threshold.
Sources1 sources
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