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

April 2, 1873: First and second Town Halls destroyed by fire. It took 99 years to replace this civic amenity.
April 3, 1912: Lyttelton dredge "Manchester" leaves port for new owners in Sydney. The ship and her crew disappeared without trace during the voyage.
April 3, 1914: North Richmond joins City.
April 3, 1967: Re-built Ferrymead Bridge opens.
April 5, 1844: Frederick Tuckett and a party including surveyors, land at Lyttelton from the “Deborah” looking for a suitable site for a Scottish settlement in the South Island. They subsequently got lost in the swamps, so it is not surprising that their eventual choice was Otago, not Canterbury.
April 5, 1985: Visit by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
April 6, 1982: Premiere of "Roadshow" road safety stage show. The show was later taken on a national tour for 6 months from February 1983. It played to a total audience of over 250,000, probably the biggest of any New Zealand musical show.
April 7, 1859: Canterbury Rifles organised - the first military force in the Province. It was formed as a result of the Taranaki land wars.
April 8, 1865: First issue of ”Punch in Canterbury“. It was modelled on the English magazine, but did not survive for long.
April 8, 1883: First shipment of frozen "Canterbury lamb" leaves Lyttelton for the United Kingdom on the "British King".
April 8, 1959: Billy Graham crusade draws 50,000 to Lancaster Park.