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1450
Moa killed off in Canterbury area
Following first South Island inhabitants' arrival, the moa were killed off by 1450. -
Period: 1500 to
North Island Maori arrive in Canterbury
The remaining moa hunters were killed or taken into the tribes. -
First European sighting
Captain James Cook in his ship the Endeavour first sighted the Canterbury peninsula. -
First European house in Canterbury
William and John Deans arrived and established a farm at Pūtaringamotu. Together they built the first European house on the Canterbury Plains. They named the area Riccarton after the parish they came from in Scotland, and the nearby river the Avon, after a stream on their grandfather’s farm -
Planning of Canterbury settlement
John Robert Godley and Edward Gibbon Wakefield met to plan the Canterbury settlement. -
Christchurch named as capital city of Canterbury
Early in 1848 the Canterbury Association was formed, and it was decided to name the capital city Christchurch after the college John Godley had gone to at Oxford University. -
Canterbury towns planned
Christchurch, Sumner and Lyttelton planned, with a road to Sumner being built. -
Canterbury's first superintendent
Canterbury’s first superintendent was James Edward Fitzgerald. -
Christchurch Sewer System Finished
The new Christchurch Drainage Board decided to install a system of sewers in the central city. Building began in 1879, and the system started pumping in 1882. Christchurch became the first city in NZ to have a sewer system. -
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrated in Christchurch