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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
- December 5, 1881
- Earthquake damages Cathedral spire.
- December 5, 1987
- Rev Margaret Wood elected the first female Archdeacon in the Christchurch Anglican Diocese.
- December 6, 1983
- 16 year old Christchurch student David Tan completes B.Sc Honours degree at Canterbury University to become New Zealand’s youngest ever university graduate.
- December 7, 1883
- Second Industrial Exhibition opens.
- December 8, 1843
- Greenwood brothers (James and Joseph) settle at Purau, Lyttelton Harbour.
- December 9, 1867
- Lyttelton railway tunnel opens, the first in the world to be drilled through a volcano rim. It was New Zealand’s first tunnel, and at the time was described as one of the longest in the world, yet had been planned and financed by this tiny colonial settlement whose population was just over 9000, (6,647 in Christchurch and 2,510 in Lyttelton.)
- December 10, 1981
- Government announces its intention to preserve the Chief Post Office in Cathedral Square.
- December 10, 1989
- Sunday trading begins in Christchurch.
