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Canterbury’s 2nd Hanging Took Place – 7th April 1871
Eliza Robinson had no idea what to think when loud screaming from the hallway made her look up from her cup of tea. She had been enjoying a hot drink with her daughters and house guest Patrick Campbell in the dining room, when, suddenly, her maid Margaret Burke burst into the room, stumbling down onto …
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Canterbury’s First Rural Catholic Church Opened – 1871
In 1871, Canterbury’s first Catholic Church was opened on Shands Road, near the intersection with Boundry Road, near Rolleston. The parish of this tiny church (Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament) stretched from The Conway (Kaikoura) to the Rangitata River! (Ashburton) The land was gifted by Patrick Henley and the first Father was named Chervier. …
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The Lyttelton Fire – 24th October 1870
On 24 October 1870, around 10am, a fire was discovered in an empty house in Lyttelton. In no time at all, the fire jumped over the street and soon the block that sat between London, Oxford, Canterbury Streets and Norwich Quay was ablaze. The fire did burn as far as Dublin Street though, threatening the …
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Christchurch’s First Art Exhibition – 8th February 1870
In the early hours of 8 February 1870, the last preparations were still underway for the opening of Christchurch’s first art exhibition. Set up in the brand new museum buildings, three to four hundred people gathered outside for the opening ceremony at 3pm. Amongst the notables attending were the Canterbury Superintendent William Rolleston, Christchurch Mayor …
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