Miss Ann Bowen, at the age of 44, it seems, wasn’t afraid of a new adventure. She boarded the ‘Charlotte Jane’ – the Canterbury Association’s first ship with her brother and his family to start a new life in Canterbury. She was also determined to lead her own life – taking up her own land …
On the 25th December 1856, at the Christmas Day service at Christ’s Church (St Michael and All Angels), Chaplin Henry John Chitty Harper became the first Canterbury Anglican Bishop, ordained by Bishop George Augustus Selwyn, the Bishop of New Zealand. Consecrated by Dr. Henry Bird Sumner, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Canterbury Association member, he …
On 15th March 1856, 12 gentlemen farmers founded The Christchurch Club. Referred to as ‘The Club’ at first, it started its life in a leased building in Durham Street. Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort drew up a design for a clubhouse which resulted in the building of their pre-earthquake location at 154 Worchester Street in 1863 – …
“…it seems to have been a perilous proceeding; the horses had to be led with great care, and even then could not keep their feet. My husband’s [John Robert Godley] fell, and very nearly upon him.” – 8th April 1850 Charlotte Godley, the wife of Canterbury’s founder, John Robert Godley, never forgot her numerous treks …