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

March 12-15, 1927: Visit of Duke of York (later King George VI).
March 14, 1987: “Te Maori” exhibition opens at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. Over a nine week period, 147,012 people visited “Te Maori”, the largest number to a single exhibition at the Gallery
March 15, 1854: Sheepstealer James McKenzie arrested and imprisoned at Lyttelton. He subsequently escaped and was recaptured several times, and was conditionally pardoned on January 11, 1856.
March 15, 1856: Christchurch Club formed.
March 15, 1982: City Council resolution declares Christchurch City a nuclear weapons free zone.
March 15, 1983: New Zealand’s first "test-tube" baby born at St Georges Hospital.
March 16-17, 1970: Visit by the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne.
March 17, 1857: First vehicle crosses the Port Hills - a spring cart pulled by bullocks negotiates the Bridle Path.
March 17, 1864: Arthur’s Pass crossed by Arthur (later Sir Arthur) Dudley Dobson. He became the Christchurch City Surveyor in 1901.
March 17, 1928: Civic Theatre opens in Manchester Street. The theatre was built in the burned out shell of the old Alexandra Hall; part of the Canterbury Exhibition Hall. See 1900 and 1917.
March 18, 1850: Jollie completes survey and plan of Christchurch.