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1000
First inhabitants
The first people to live in Christchurch were the Moa hunters who killed all the Moa by about 1450. They would kill off large portions of forests and bushes via fire. -
1500
Iwi migrate to the South Island
In this time, the first Maori came to the South Island from the North. First came Ngati Māmoe, then soon after came Ngai Tahu. When they came, they killed the Moa hunters who previously lived there. This happened around 1500 to 1700. -
Cook sights the Canterbury Peninsula
Captain Cook went past the Canterbury peninsula. He originally just thought it was an island, and named it Banks Island after Joseph Banks, the Botanist. -
Kaiapoi established by Ngāi Tahu as a central trading kainga
In around 1800 they were in control from the coast of the Hurunui river, to lake Ellesmere. This area included a large trading area, which was mostly used for trading greenstone/waiponamu. -
Tracks developed in Ōtautahi between Kaiapoi and Rāpaki
Another event happened around the 1800s, and this was tracks being developed around the settlements. Most if the trees had been cut down. But the forested areas that did remained as food gathering areas. -
Europeans land on Banks Peninsula
The sailors on the sealing ship Governors Bligh were the first Europeans to set foot on on Banks Peninsula. 13 years later, William Wiseman named Lyttleton Harbour "Port Cooper" after a trading firm. -
Māori population declines
Around the 1820-1830s, the population of Māori significantly declined. This was because or many fights breaking out between Māori and Europeans, because of European diseases like the flu and measles, and because of many raids that happened around 1830. -
Te Tiriti o Waitangi signed
In May of 1840, Major Thomas Bunbury came to the South island to collect signatures for the Tiriti o Waitangi. Many North island chiefs had already signed in February. Only 2 chiefs in the South island signed. -
Deans family establish farming at Riccarton Bush/ Pūtaringāmotu
John Robert Godley and Edward Gibbon Wakefield decided that settlements would be good for NZ, so they organised the area in to multiple settlements. The towns would be like communities, with everyone relying on each other. -
Canterbury Settlement underway
Early in 1848 they decided to named the main area after one of the creators university, Oxford. The plan was the settlers could purchase land, and that money would be used to pay the workers. -
Ngāi Tahu chiefs signed ‘Kemp’s Deed’
Henry Kemp came to the South Island to purchase land from Ngāi Tahu. They agreed, and the larger of their land was sold for 2000 pounds. Part of the agreement was that Ngāi Tahu could keep part of their land for settlements and mahinga kai. The Europeans scammed Ngāi Tahu out of part of their land, like when they aid they would let them have 10 acres, but only gave them four. -
Immigrants from England arrive on the ship Charlotte Jane
Captain Joseph Thomas was sent to Canterbury to check the land was ready for settlers. John Robert Godley came with his family on the boat Lady Nugent, where he saw many jetties and houses had been built for the new settlers. -
Farming settlements established in Akaroa
Captain William Rhodes first came to Akaroa in 1863. He then came back again and left 50 cattle there. They tried to create settlements, but there were too many rats.