Heritage

Christchurch: A Chronology to 1989

Christchurch: New Zealand firsts, bests, worsts and lasts.

1837
First German settlers
1853
First "rugby" game
1854
First jockey club
1856
First city
1857
First reaping machine
1861
First rowing club
1862
Oldest established choral society
First telegraph
First rowing regatta
First professional boxing
1863
First railway
1864
First hansom cab
First steel bridge
1865
First medical association
First steam fire engine
1866
First chess by telegraph
1867
Worst crime and drink record
First temperance movement
First public statue
First museum
1869
First bicycle
First bicycle race
1875
Unhealthiest city (worst fever deaths)
1876
Best linguist
1877
First training college
1879
First rugby football association
First telephones
1880
First amateur swimming club
First agricultural college
First brass band competition
1881
First telephone exchange
First century in
First class cricket
1882
First sewage farm
1884
First first-aid examinations
1886
First N.Z. swimming championships
1889
First N.Z. built locomotive
1890
First inter-provincial soccer match Winners
First polo tournament
1891
First phonograph
First agricultural conference
1892
First water polo championships
1894
First radio waves transmitted
1896
First movies (possibly)
First meeting National Council of Women
1897
First (and only) reading of the Riot Act
1898
First Australasian swimming championships
1900
Biggest private house
1902
First N.Z. boxing championships
1904
First coin-in-the-slot franking machine
First all women school committee
1905
First official car race
1906
First pipe band contest
1907
First Plunket Shield cricket match
1908
First Boy Scouts
1909
First retail rubber store
1910
First croquet association
1912
First croquet championships
1913
First inter-collegiate rowing championships
1915
First N.Z. W.W.I casualties
First WEA
1917
First airport
1919
First commercial aviation accident
1920
First Cook Strait flight
1921
First regular air mail
First provincial defeat of Springboks
1922
Best school attendance
1924
Last leper colony
1925
First Labour mayor
First public radio company
1926
First sports broadcast
First aerial mapping
First vocational guidance
1927
First modern theatre
1928
First speedway
First woman pilot
First trans-Tasman flight
1930
First country library service
First speech therapy
First regular air service
1931
First remedial teaching
1933
First woman MP: Mrs E. R. McCombs
1935
First women’s cricket test match
Worst Newspaper war
1936
First plastic products Winners
First national contract bridge
1938
First inter-Dominion trotting
1939
First local body pensioner housing
1940
Rail speed record
1947
First woman cabinet minister
First ticketed international flight
Worst fire
First women’s pipe band
1949
First large town community centre (see 1943)
First true motor racing circuit
First commercial aerial topdressing
First tyre manufacture
1950
First international airport
1951
First meals on wheels
Worst yachting disaster
1952
First TV transmissions
1953
Last great air race
First Round Table
1955
First flights to Antarctica
1959
First woman minister of religion
1960
First jury forewoman; Longest lawsuit
1964
Longest road tunnel
1965
First jet airport
1967
First paraplegic sports
First defeat of Australia in cricket
1969
First traffic control computer
1971
First building insulation by-law
1973
Hottest day
Biggest temperature change
Worst road accident record
1974
Biggest sporting event
1975
First N.Z. Games
First mini roundabout
Worst smog
Youngest city councillor
1977
Biggest high school (see 1960)
First traffic TV monitors
1978
First religious radio station
1982
Biggest musical stage show
1983
Most golf courses (see 1873)
Only city without fluoridation (see 1965)
First "test tube" twins
Highest Ranfurly Shield rugby score

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