Heritage

Christchurch: a chronology

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

Go to a year between 1700 & 1989

Begin at the beginning Start here

This week in history

May 27, 1949
New Zealand’s first commercial aerial topdressing on Banks Peninsula.
May 27, 1986
Court Theatre’s 15th anniversary celebrated with two week season of Steven Sondheim’s play "Sweeney Todd" in James Hay Theatre.
May 28, 1840
Major Bunbury on HMS “Herald” visits Akaroa collecting signatures of Maori chiefs for the Treaty of Waitangi.
May 28, 1866
George Dobson (brother of Arthur Dudley Dobson) murdered by the Burgess and Kelly gang in the Southern Alps. The gang mistook him for a gold courier.
May 28, 1955
First parking meters installed.
May 28, 1983
Visit of Professor Zhu Xuanren, Vice Governor, Gansu Province China.
May 29, 1886
First trotting meeting held at Lancaster Park.
May 29, 1926
New Zealand’s first sports broadcast - a rugby match from Lancaster Park. Commentator Allan Allardyce was soon to pioneer broadcasts of racing, cricket and hockey for station 3YA. He also gave live coverage of Kingsford-Smith’s landing at Wigram in 1928.
May 29, 1967
Opening of the new Bank of New Zealand building in Cathedral Square.
May 30, 1866
Moorhouse elected as Provincial Superintendent - his second term of office.
May 30, 1874
First rugby match played.
May 30, 1890
Richmond joins City.
May 30, 1912
First netball match in City.
June 1, 1862
Hospital opens on site in Hagley Park. But only after the first vigorous “Hands off Hagley” protests by irate citizens.
June 1, 1961
Television transmission begins from CHTV 3, Christchurch.
June 2, 1874
"The Press" publishes an evening paper, "The Globe" to compete with "The Star". It became "The Telegraph", then "The Truth", then "Evening News". Publication ceased in May 1917.
June 2, 1902
Municipal refuse destructor in operation. The destructor chimney, by the present site of the MED, was a dominant city landmark for many years.

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