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Canterbury Got A Military – 5th August 1859
On 5th August 1859, an upset crowd poured out of the Golden Fleece Hotel (the south eastern corner of Colombo and Armagh Streets) as the ranting of an ex-soldier disturbed what was meant to be a public meeting about forming Canterbury’s first volunteer militia. The second meeting didn’t go much better as the same soldier …
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The Christchurch City Libraries Opened – 4th August 1859
On 4th August 1859, the Mechanics Institute opened the Canterbury Public Library for those who wished to further educate themselves. A few hundred books were made available to one hundred subscribers, all set up in a single room at the Town Hall, High Street. The first books for public use arrived in Christchurch via the …
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Canterbury’s Second Superintendent Elected – 30th August 1857
When the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was established, New Zealand was split up into six provinces. Each province was its own sub-government and these were built around the six original settlements. The Canterbury Province sat between the Hurunui and Waitaki River and stretched right over to the West Coast. At the head was a …
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Teacherous Sumner Road Opened – 24th August 1857
The construction of Sumner Road had begun in 1849 under the instruction of Canterbury Association’s Chief Surveyor, Captain Joseph Thomas. When John Robert Godley arrived in April 1850, he halted the work as it was already causing the settlement to slip into debt. Where the road was stopped became known as Sticking Point or Windy …
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