On 15th May 1882, shortly after breakfast, John Deans II (pictured here with his family in 1890) made his way from Riccarton House into Deans Bush. He was to select a tree to be felled so new railing could be made. As the morning was chilly, he put a few more layers of warm clothing …
Referred to as a ‘Puffing Billy’ – as it was powered by steam – Christchurch’s first is pictured here, leaving Cathedral Square and heading to the Addington Railway Station – where the Tower Junction shopping centre is now situated. This route through the city was opened on 5 January 1882, though trams had been running …
The Antigua Boats Sheds are such a great Christchurch icon and they are even more special for two other reasons: they are the only surviving 19th century river boat sheds built for commercial boat hire in New Zealand and secondly, the sheds are still doing just that, 135 years later (2017)! The sheds were built …
On 15 October 1881, an athletic event officially opened Lancaster Park. A cricket match had been the original idea five days earlier but rain forced a cancellation. With the formation of the Canterbury Cricket and Athletics Sports Company Limited in 1880, land began to be sourced for a sports area and where a club house …
On 11th July 1879, the Government Building – now known to most of us as the old chief Post Office – was officially opened in Cathedral Square. In 1881, the building hosted New Zealand’s first Telephone Exchange. As early as 1863, the Canterbury Provincial Council had seen the need of Christchurch replacing Lyttelton as the …
In 1881, one of Christchurch’s oldest trees, a Tasmanian Blue Gum (eucalypts globules), was planted at what is now recorded down as 314 Yaldhurst Road. It is 40 metres tall. This beauty of a landmark has not only survived earthquakes and record-breaking storms but decades of changing tides also known as progress. The Tasmanian Blue …
Henry Rouse (aka Henry Beresford Garrett) is regarded as New Zealand’s first bushranger – and has been described as our very own Ned Kelly. If his fellow Lyttelton Gaol inmates knew anything of him or his past, they may have been surprised when they actually saw him in person. Nicknamed years before as ‘Long Henry’, …
On 11 November 1880, Christchurch Amateur Swimming Club opened – the first of its kind in New Zealand. It would be another ten years before another would open nationwide. The newspapers of the day are filled with the results of the races that took place around the city; some even taking place at the Estuary …
On 19th July 1880, Lincoln College welcomed sixteen students onto its campus to study practical farming and related sciences. It was the first agricultural university in the southern hemisphere. As early as 1873, money had been set aside for the set up of a college of Canterbury that would also have agricultural programme as well. …
On 27th April 1880, Christchurch hosted New Zealand’s first intercity Brass Band Contest. It is believed that the first time New Zealand crowds were delighted by the sound of a brass band was in Wellington in 1843. The French warship, ‘Le Rhin’ was arriving in Port and this musical sideshow was part of the welcome. …
