The First Settler Spots

Over 700 settlers flooded into Lyttelton between the 16th and the 27th of December 1850 from our First Four Ships.  Although many public works had occurred to get the port as ready as it could be, the new immigration barracks would in no way be able to house everybody.  It was so bad, some took …

Christchurch’s First Christmas ~ 1848

On the 27th March 1848, the day the Canterbury Association was founded, the dream that was to become Christchurch was born.  Although at the time, the Port Cooper (Canterbury) Plains was just one of the options, by the month of December, it was almost a certainty. All throughout 1848, Canterbury Association surveyors began to replace …

Jimmy Robinson Clough

Jimmy Robinson Clough was an British ex-convict, ex-whaler, farmer, boat and fence builder, a drunk, suspected bigamist and the first European to settle in Canterbury. In 1837, after spotting a beautiful Maori woman in Akaroa where his ship had dropped anchor, he deserted his post and married her.  They had 5 children together. In 1840 …

Thomas Cass (1817 – 1895)

Tommy Cass knew life’s ups and downs.  By the time he was surveying the 33,000 acres that would become the Deans’ future rural station of ‘Homebush’ in 1851, Tommy had earned the respect and admiration of all those around him.  You get the feeling that he walked along with a great confidence and self knowledge …