Heritage

Christchurch: a chronology

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

Go to a year between 1700 & 1989

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This week in history

October 8, 1989
Redesigned portion of Victoria Square opened.
October 9, 1962
Town Hall site chosen in Kilmore Street. Assisted by advice from visiting Professor Gordon Stephenson, the unanimously accepted proposal ended years of dispute over this choice. Other sites considered were the old public library site in Hereford Street and an area near Latimer Square. Another often debated site was Victoria Square.
October 9, 1971
Councillor N.G. Pickering ousts sitting first-term Mayor A.R. Guthrey after an intense and controversial election campaign over the issues of the Hagley Park road and the siting of the proposed Commonwealth Games facilities. This resulted in the scrapping of the park road, the abandonment of the uncompleted Centennial Pool alterations and the building of new athletic and swimming facilities at Queen Elizabeth II Park.
October 10, 1885
Life insurance fraud ("The Case of the Severed Hand") at Sumner. The perpetrator, Arthur Howard, was sentenced to 2 years prison on April 11 the following year.
October 10, 1953
The "last great air race" from London to Christchurch won by an RAF Canberra bomber.
October 11, 1988
"The Wizard" wages war against the "Tasteless tyrants of Telecom" by repainting the new blue telephone boxes traditional red.
October 11, 1989
Waitangi Tribunal Hearing of land claim by Ngai Tahu closes at Tuahiwi Marae.
October 12-14, 1981
Visit by Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
October 12, 1939
Battery point guns in Lyttelton Harbour accidentally sink fishing boat "Dolphin". 1 man killed.
October 13, 1866
Railway south open to Rolleston.
October 13, 1986
Sir Hamish Hay begins his fifth and final term as Mayor of Christchurch.
October 14, 1989
Vicki Buck, first woman and youngest to be elected, wins Christchurch Mayoralty.

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