Christchurch: A History

Who we were, who we are, and who we want to be

Sophie Taylor-Brown

Credit: Lost Christchurch. Source: https://www.ceismic.org.nz/search/32230583/

The city we know as Ōtautahi, Christchurch dates back to the mid 19th century, when an English group known as the Canterbury Association decided to establish a colony in New Zealand. Headed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield and John Robert Godley, the capital of the settlement was to be called Christchurch, after Godley’s college at Oxford University. The land – made of swampland, marshland and grassland – had already been occupied by Māori since the 12th century, and the first Europeans didn’t truly establish themselves until the 1840s with the Deans family’s farm, where they built the first European house on the Canterbury Plains. They named the area Riccarton, and the nearby river the Avon. Captain Joseph Thomas and Edward Jollie were responsible for planning the city that the Canterbury Association wanted, complete with the principles and ideals of colonial cities at the time.

The first four ships of settlers arrived in the portside town of Lyttelton in December 1850. Separated from the plains by the Port Hills, it took some time and effort to move everyone and everything to the other side, but by 1851 the city was beginning to take shape. Over the years, the population of Christchurch increased steadily and business from farming enabled the region to prosper. In 1856, Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter and saw the construction of many significant buildings before the turn of the century. Architect Benjamin Mountfort was behind many familiar Gothic Revival structures, such as the Christ Church Cathedral, Provincial Council Buildings, Arts Centre and Museum.

It was during this time that the new settlers of Christchurch became aware of significant earthquakes. In 1869, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake damaged many stone buildings in the city, prompting the design of a new church to be made from timber. In December 1881 - as the Cathedral was being constructed - damage was done to the spire. In 1888 an earthquake with a magnitude 7-7.3 centred in North Canterbury caused the Cathedral spire to fall. And finally in 1901, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake near Cheviot toppled the spire for the third time, dictating that it be rebuilt in timber and metal instead of stone.

The 20th century brought industrialisation to the city, bringing the population to 100,000. In 1950, Christchurch became the first city in New Zealand to have an International Airport and in 1964, gained the title of New Zealand’s longest road tunnel – from Christchurch to Lyttelton. The narrative of the city's recent history has been dominated by disaster: from 2010 the greater region of Canterbury fought through two major earthquakes: The first on 4 September 2010, the second a little over five months later, on 22 February 2011. 185 people were killed in the second quake, and thousands of aftershocks shook the city in the months and years that followed.

This page is dedicated to Christchurch and all its history – from then until now – but for further information, have a look at our Significant Buildings page, Earthquake Timeline, Māori Experiences, or Schools page, or return to the research page to explore other topics.

Credit: BeckerFraserPhotos, 2011. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/181289

Stability City:

• Picturing Christchurch | Christchurch Uncovered - This page offers glimpses into the past through photographs of familiar places such as High Street, Victoria Bridge, Cathedral Square and Oxford Terrace.
• Christchurch, New Zealand, revisited | Lost Christchurch - This page transcribes an article from The Daily News, a 12-page long bulletin sold in London, England. On Monday 30th of June 1890, this article appeared from a visitor to Christchurch describing their time there. From visiting Christchurch a decade prior, finding it to have “want of finish everywhere”, to then be blown away by the progress and sites of “superb” buildings like “palaces” and verandas made of iron and glass.
• Christchurch Press 22 June 2012: Go, Page 7 | “Building on History.” - This article is dedicated to an exhibition by the Christchurch Art Gallery titled: ‘Reconstruction: Conversations on a City’ that took place in 2012. It was an outdoor expedition of photographs, sketches and paintings that depicted 164 years of Christchurch. It was displayed along Worcester Blvd amongst the ruins of the city.
• Quakes Haunt Christchurch Since Settlement Began | Lost Christchurch - This page includes the Christchurch earthquake experience over the course of 20 years during the 19th and 20th centuries. There are personal stories from letters and newspaper articles about how the earthquakes felt and the damage they did to the city. In 1851, before the construction of the Cathedral, discussion was had on how to make a stone building safer; the use of wooden frames reinforced with bricks would ensure both appearance and stability.

Credit: Frederick George Radcliffe. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/61622

Quake City:

• Heritage versus demolition in Christchurch | RNZ - This 14-minute radio interview from RNZ contains a discussion with Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee about heritage demolition. It took place on the 7th of March 2011, approximately two weeks after the 22nd of February. Plans to begin demolition had already been recognised as those in control of emergency provisions saw immediate danger in many of the 1600 category listed buildings. It was made clear that the priority was to get the “city opened up as much as possible” and not “bring out the bulldozers”.
  • Heritage versus demolition in Christchurch | RNZ - This is a follow-up interview with Anna Crighton, Chairperson of the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Building Trust Board. Crighton was in agreement on the need to demolish certain buildings that were immediately hazardous, but emphasised the importance of internationally recognised heritage practice, to ensure that decisions get made for the right reasons, and not out of panic and haste.
• The demolition of heritage buildings in Christchurch | RNZ - This 12-minute audio file broadcast on 27 September 2011 with Anna Crighton, six months on from the last heritage discussions, presents a distinct change in the demolition and preservation climate. 150 listed heritage buildings had been marked for partial or complete demolition by this time, and CERA was in control of all decisions. It speculates about the potential failure and flawed planning of CERA to follow the correct procedures.
• Fairfax Video, October 2011 (4) | UC QuakeStudies - Architectural historian and heritage consultant Dr Ann McEwan speaks on Christchurch heritage buildings within their social context to show how they were more than just externally aesthetic. They existed as a statement of confidence, commitment, wealth, and splendour of Christchurch before.
• Christchurch Press 2 June 2012: Section A, Page 9 | "'No sleep lost' over millions spent." - This press article describes how some heritage buildings that were previously strengthened - with substantial investment from the Christchurch City Council and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust - were still pulled down despite covenants put in place against demolition or major changes. This resulted in a loss of $3.5 million.

Credit: Bernard Spragg, Cranmer Centre, 2010. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/70824

Credit: Sophie Taylor-Brown, Cranmer Centre, 2024

Ōtautahi: Future and Legacy:

• Christchurch Press 4 August 2012: Section C, Page 2 | "Grand design: Plan will change the face of Christchurch." - This press article from August 2012 details what was known as the ‘Blueprint’, the new map for the rebuild of Christchurch’s central city. It follows the process that CERA used to develop the plan, describing several “anchor” projects, such as the stadium, justice precinct and convention centre. It discusses the priorities of the development unit, such as ensuring investments and stakeholder support. The article also includes criticisms for the blueprint, continuing on page 3.
• Three years on: getting creative in post-quake Christchurch | The Conversation - This article from the author of Christchurch: The Transitional City contains a snapshot of the city and the community feeling in 2014. It describes the total amount of demolished buildings in the CBD, including the hundreds of heritage buildings and thousands of residential houses that were lost.
• How the post-earthquake rebuild redefined Christchurch | Newshub - This Newshub report from 2021 provided an update on the rebuild plan. It mentions the number of anchor projects involved, and the intended timeline for completion. It discusses what progress was made by this time, and how the residents were feeling.
• The Guardian 22 February 2021 | "Before and after: how the 2011 earthquake changed Christchurch." - This article from The Guardian contains interactive before/after images of Christchurch as well as thoughts from then mayor Lianne Dalziel. It delves into what Christchurch is and what it was; how its residents vs non-residents felt; and how it became a beacon of resilience to some places, and a lesson to others. It references the Share an Idea plan and how it failed, as well as the general misalignment of ideas and ideals.
• Stuff August 17 2019 | "Emergency power that took over 700 Christchurch buildings is still in force." - This article from 2019 describes both the legacy of CERA, and the public response/opinion of how it dealt with Christchurch’s recovery. It pays reference to the frequent use of a section 38 notice used to demolish buildings - from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011, explained in this article. Many heritage listed buildings were given a section 38 notice, like the Christ Church Cathedral, the Christchurch Basilica, Majestic Theatre and Cranmer Courts.
• Museum of Archaeology Ōtautahi reveals Christchurch's long-lost hidden artefacts in new digital collection | Newshub - This report from June 2024 describes the opening of New Zealand’s first online archaeological museum, Museum of Archaeology Ōtautahi. The article recounts how nearly one million historical artefacts were unearthed during the demolition of many earthquake-hit buildings. These artefacts have been curated and logged in the database for the public to view; hopes for a physical display is the next step for the future to further retain Ōtautahi’s rich heritage.
• "Christchurch's top 10 post-earthquake heritage restorations." | Stuff February 22 2021 -This article shows how some of the city's heritage buildings not only survived the earthquakes but were saved from a section 38 notice, restored, currently under restoration or had plans to restore. Many iconic landmarks feature on the list, and details are given of some of the delicate processes involved in the journey to restoration.
• Looking at Christchurch's heritage buildings | RNZ - This 12-minute audio file from 2019 is about the creation of the event ‘Open Christchurch’. Architectural historian and co-founder of Te Putahi, the organisation behind the event, describes how it is intended to bring life back into the CBD, and explore all the buildings - both old and new - that have survived the earthquakes. It is a celebration of architecture and its impact and has become an annual fixture for the city. 

General Searches:

For more information on Christchurch's history and the Canterbury earthquakes, search the CEISMIC collection or get started with one of the links below:

• For a general search of CEISMIC that includes the keywords Christchurch, heritage and future, click here.
• To view the extensive collection of heritage images, click here.
• For audio files related to Christchurch heritage click here.
• To find video footage of Christchurch after the earthquakes click here.
• For research papers that explore the subject of Christchurch and its past, click here.