Early railway During the early European settlement of Christchurch, Ferrymead was the location of a ferry that took passengers across the Heathcote River on their way between Lyttelton and Christchurch. For approximately the first 17 years of the colony, beginning in 1850, Ferrymead was a hub of activity, and was the location of the first railway in New Zealand. The railway, opened to steam trains in 1863, was a service built on gauge rail that connected the
Bridle Path to the wharves at the Heathcote Estuary. After the tracks and buildings were removed, the area remained undeveloped as it was a low-lying swampy area and prone to flooding. Initial proposals for a location were at
Hornby,
Prebbleton or Heathcote, with the Prebbleton location being preferred initially. This was due to the proximity of existing track and an existing station building, but ultimately the deal fell through when the government Railways Department decided that increasing industrial activity in the area required the track to remain open. The museum association began outfitting buildings in Hornby in September 1964. The museum initially planned to open to the public in a large warehouse on Garvins Road in Hornby in October 1965, but vandalism at the site delayed this to March 1966.
Move to Ferrymead The location in the Heathcote Valley had been on the table from as early as October 1964, but existing train tracks and buildings at Hornby had made that a more viable option in the short term. Within only a few months of the Hornby site being opened, the organisers turned to establishing a presence on the Ferrymead site. This quick move was because the museum had received an unexpectedly large amount of interest from heritage equipment owners keen to provide exhibits, and so needed a larger site to accommodate them all. Additionally, the
Tramway Historical Society had been formed with the intention of creating a replica tram track for their rolling stock, which required the additional space available at Ferrymead. and by April the following year tracks were already being laid. However, from the very beginning it struggled to remain financially stable. It relied almost entirely on fundraising and volunteers from member organisations contributing their time and expertise to maintain the exhibits. In 1985 park management proposed a levy on Christchurch ratepayers to fund the park, though this would have required an act of parliament and never eventuated. In 1995, the financial issues came to a head, and the trust that oversaw the park turned to the
Christchurch City Council for help. In February 1996, the park was placed under interim management, and later the same year a deal was struck. Under this deal, the council would purchase a large portion of the park land, and then vest back to the park trust for their use. This effectively served as a bailout of the park to pay off their debt in exchange for the council acquiring the land. The council would also adopt responsibility for park management. The move was controversial among the societies that operated at the park, with some seeing it as a secret plan to eventually close the park and sell the land. The deal ultimately went through, and the park remained open. At the top level the park is operated by the Ferrymead Trust, with day-to-day operations handled by Ferrymead Park Ltd, which is wholly owned by the trust. The trust also represents the 15 non-profit societies that operate at the park. The oven was built in the 1970s and had been unused since the
2011 Christchurch earthquake. Park management claimed that the oven was irreparably damaged in the earthquake and was "riddled with
asbestos". ==Member societies==