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1988
- January
- Construction begins on Christchurch’s tallest building to date, the 76.3m Price Waterhouse building.
- February 16
- Mr William Burton, the last surviving member of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s "Terra Nova" expedition of 1910-1913, dies in Christchurch, aged 99. See 1910.
- April 19
- Proposal for 152 metre tower in Victoria Square abandoned after much public debate.
- May 22-25
- Snow falls in Central City for first time in 10 years.
- June 22
- Visit by Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
- July 19
- Jock Orr, nicknamed "The Birdman" after befriending birds in Cathedral Square, dies in Christchurch.
- September 5
- Stanley Reid, New Zealand’s longest serving prisoner (43 years) dies in Christchurch.
- September 9
- 8.5o frost coldest in September since records began at Airport 25 years ago.
- September
- Record 400 births for month at Christchurch Womens’ Hospital.
- October 3
- Park Royal Hotel opens in Victoria Square.
- October 11
- "The Wizard" wages war against the
Tasteless tyrants of Telecom
by repainting the New blue telephone boxes traditional red. - October 16
- Victoria Square Amphitheatre opens.
- October 22
- Announcement of the appointment of Patricia Costigan as Christchurch’s first female District Court Judge.
- November 12
- Richard Hadlee takes his 374th test wicket at Bangalore, India setting a new world record.
- November 23
- Human remains dating back to pre-European Māori settlement found while excavating for YMCA building on the corner of Hereford Street and Rolleston Avenue. Area declared tapu for 24 hours until remains removed.
- November 21
- Visit by Chinese Premier Li Peng.
- November 29
- Visit by Chinese delegates from Sister City of Gansu Province.
- December 1
- 125th anniversary of the opening of New Zealand’s first steam passenger railway from Christchurch to Ferrymead. (Commemorated Labour Weekend with a steam train cavalcade. See 1863)
- December 30
- Water restrictions in force for first time in City’s history as water tables dropped to record low levels.
- December
- Scimitar horned oryx born at Orana Park by artificial insemination. First in world and claimed as a milestone in animal park management.
