Early Christchurch By eastwisu13 Jan 1, 1000 First Inhabitants The first people to arrive to what would be know as Christchurch were Maori Moa Hunters. Jan 1, 1642 Able Tasman discovered the North Island "Statenland" 1642 Period: Jan 1, 1769 to Jan 1, 1777 Captain cook mapped the whole of Aotearoa in series of 3 voyages Feb 7, 1839 New Zealand company founded with aim to create english colonies in NZ Feb 6, 1840 Treaty of waitangi signed 6 feb 1840 Feb 7, 1981 First whaling ship in NZ 1981