On 25 December 1864, Durham Street Methodist Church opened its doors. It was the city’s first stone church. Materials were gathered from the Port Hills, Halswell and even as far away as Charteris Bay on Banks Peninsula. After the first Methodist Chapel – situated on High Street – was sold earlier that year, a competition …
On 24 December 1864, Christchurch’s first gas powered street lights flickered to life. The first ever street lamp was erected in Market Place (now known as Victoria Square) in 1862 and was powered by kerosene. The following year the Christchurch Gas Company opened and by 1876, 152 gas street lights lit up the city. By …
December 16, 1864 was a very special day for Canterbury, for two very good reasons. Firstly, it was the 14th anniversary of the arrival of the Canterbury Association’s First Four Ships – the Charlotte Jane, the Randolph, the Sir George Seymour (arrived 17 Dec) and the Cressy (arrived 27 Dec). Secondly, the cornerstone of what …
