Christchurch: A Chronology to 1989

A timeline of Christchurch events in chronological order from pre-European times to 1989.

Go to a year between 1700 & 1989

April 23-24, 1966: Visit by Queen Mother.
April 23, 1895: Regular Lyttelton - Wellington Cook Strait ferry service inaugurated by "Penguin".
April 24, 1858: Contract let for fortnightly mail service between Christchurch and Timaru.
April 25, 1850: Canterbury Association settlers meet in London.
April 25, 1854: Coal from the Malvern Hills on sale in Christchurch at £5-10s a ton.
April 25, 1864: Canterbury Horticultural and Acclimatisation Society formed. This group introduced many animals, birds and fish to Canterbury, and helped to establish the Government Gardens, which eventually became the Botanic Gardens.
April 25, 1977: Bridge of Remembrance becomes a pedestrian precinct.
April 25, 1981: New $16 million postal centre in Hereford Street in operation. A determined fight by civic groups had failed to prevent its siting next to the old Public Library.
April 26, 1852: Christ’s College moves from Lyttelton to Christchurch.
April 27, 1872: Railway north open to Kaiapoi.
April 28-29, 1983: Visit of Prince and Princess of Wales.
April 29, 1925: Rev J.K. Archer becomes Mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand’s first Labour mayor.
April 29, 1974: Cr. David Caygill, aged 25, becomes the city’s youngest ever acting Mayor (for 5 days).

Information for this resource was based on the second edition of John Densem’s Christchurch chronology: a history of settlement. Environmental Policy and Planning Policy Unit, Christchurch City Council, 1990.
More about the Christchurch Chronology.
This resource includes links to various other local history resources on our websites and images from our photographs collection - clicking on the image will take you to a larger version of that image.