descended a ridge to footpaths that led to Riccarton as well as Christchurch. That path was just passable by cattle or horses at walking pace though considered easy for pedestrians or sheep to negotiate. Little was done to develop this westerly walking path until the early 20th century when the Summit Road was built. By 8 November 1851, a refreshment stall had been set up at the summit. The fate of this enterprise is not recorded. Between 1851 and 1854 nothing much was done to provide a better means of communication between the port and the plains. Both a "Select Committee" of the "Society of Land-Purchasers" and a Commission appointed by the Canterbury Provincial Council recommended completing the road to Sumner. Both examined various options, including road and railway tunnels, and the Commission devised a new, and easier road line, which involved a short tunnel under Evans Pass but avoided the difficult ground that involving blasting hard volcanic rock. The Council even passed enabling legislation in July 1855 to facilitate acquiring land for road construction. By 24 August 1857 road construction was sufficiently advanced that Superintendent Fitzgerald was able to navigate his "dog cart" all the way from Christchurch to Lyttelton to "open" the road, although it took until January 1858 for the road to be open to light traffic. In 1862, New Zealand's first telegraph line between Christchurch and Lyttelton was constructed following this route, opening on 1 July 1862. The opening of the Christchurch to Lyttelton Railway via the Moorhouse Tunnel in 1869 rendered this means of communicating between Lyttelton and Christchurch largely obsolete. During the 1930s, the Bridle Path was reformed by the Public Works Department. The Summit Road was also opened in 1938, providing easier access. The Bridle Path became a Historic Area on 6 April 2001. After the 22 February 2011 earthquake the Bridle Path was one of the only ways to get to Lyttelton because other roads were blocked. The path remains a popular walking track today. Memorials Pioneer Women in Canterbury At a meeting that re-established the Women's Branch of The Citizens' Association held on 29 November 1938, Miss Mildred Trent suggested that, as a centennial gift, a memorial to the pioneer women in Canterbury be erected at the intersection of the Bridle Path and the, then, recently opened Summit Road. The memorial was envisaged to take the form of sheltered seats and