Discover your family’s history at our libraries
A timeline of some Christchurch events in chronological order from 1700s to 1989.
Go to a year between 1700 & 1989
Begin at the beginning 
This week in history
- July 25, 1903
- City Council generates Christchurch’s first public electricity from a generator driven by the municipal refuse destructor. This eventually led to the formation of the Municipal Electricity Department, which was derived from the City Engineer’s Department in 1925.
- July 26, 1879
- Canterbury Rugby Football Association (New Zealand’s first) formed.
- July 26, 1924
- Open air classrooms in use at Fendalton Primary School.
- July 27, 1851
- Storm wrecks 6 ships in Lyttelton Harbour.
- July 27, 1893
- Woolston becomes a Borough.
- July 28, 1964
- Rolleston Avenue trees cut down by City Council, at the request of Christ’s College Board. Intense public protest follows.
- July 28, 1986
- Grenadier Hotel demolished in Oxford Terrace. Formerly The Royal, it was the third hotel on this site since 1851.
- July 29, 1953
- Aviation pioneer Richard W. Pearse dies in Christchurch. Pearse made one of the world’s first powered flights on or about March 31, 1902 in South Canterbury. He moved to Christchurch in 1921, and worked on his astonishing "convertiplane" over many years.
- July 30, 1867
- ”Great Canterbury snowstorm“ begins. Although no accurate records are available, this may have been heavier than the record 1945 fall. Over 500,000 sheep and cattle died in Canterbury and Otago.
- July 30, 1911
- Over 40,000 people brave wet, cold weather to attend the funeral of Mayor T. E. Taylor (whose 6 weeks in office is the shortest on record).
- July 30, 1921
- Canterbury becomes the first New Zealand provincial rugby team to defeat the Springboks.
- July 30, 1976
- 7 Canterbury men in gold medal winning hockey team at the Montreal Olympics.
- July 31, 1856
- By Royal Charter, Christchurch becomes New Zealand’s first city.
