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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
- November 15, 1851
- White Hart Hotel (possibly the city’s first) in operation.
- November 15, 1928
- First performance by Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society, a production of "Milestones".
- November 15, 1959
- City Council grants charter to the Canterbury Regiment.
- November 16, 1901
- Earthquake (most severe at Cheviot) damages Cathedral spire again! After this third incident, the top of the spire was re-built in timber and metal instead of stone.
- November 16, 1902
- Antarctic relief ship "Morning' arrives at Lyttelton.
- November 17, 1895
- Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) visits. He described Christchurch as a town where half the people rode bicycles and the other half were kept busy dodging them.
- November 18, 1874
- Addington saleyards open.
- November 18, 1947
- Disastrous fire in Ballantynes Department store. 41 lives lost in New Zealand’s worst fire tragedy. The fire led to drastic revisions of fire safety codes throughout the country.
