Christchurch: A Chronology to 1989

A timeline of some Christchurch events in chronological order from 1700s to 1989.

Go to a year between 1700 & 1989

October 15, 1881: Lancaster Park opens. This privately owned development was built so that sports clubs could charge admission fees to games.
October 15, 1979: Visit by King Tupou IV and the Queen of Tonga.
October 16, 1988: Victoria Square Amphitheatre opens.
October 17, 1861: Christchurch Club building opens. Designed by B.W.Mountfort and Isaac Luck, it was probably New Zealand’s first club.
October 19, 1978: Visit by President Walter Scheel of West Germany.
October 20, 1948: "Pleasure Garden" art controversy begins when a Frances Hodgkins painting (done in about 1933) is exhibited at "the Group" show. This fierce debate on art style was joined by people throughout New Zealand. It raged for 3 years until the City Council accepted the painting as a gift on September 3, 1951.
October 20, 1987: World-wide share market crash affects Christchurch Stock Exchange .