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James Cook sights Banks Peninsula
On 16 February 1770 Captain James Cook in his ship the Endeavour first sighted the Canterbury peninsula. He thought it was an island, and named it Banks Island after the ship’s botanist, Joseph Banks. -
Captain William Rhodes first arrives in NZ
Captain William Rhodes first visited in 1836. He came back in 1839 and landed a herd of 50 cattle near Akaroa. -
First planning for a Canterbury settlement
In November 1847 John Robert Godley and Edward Gibbon Wakefield met to plan the Canterbury settlement.
Wakefield believed that colonisation of countries like New Zealand could be organised in such a way that towns could be planned before settlers arrived. These towns would be like a community back in England, with landowners, small farmers and workers, and with churches, shops and schools. -
New arrivals
Captain Joseph Thomas, a surveyor, was sent to Canterbury to choose a site for the Canterbury settlement, and prepare for the first settlers. By the time that John Robert Godley, leader of the Canterbury settlement arrived with his family on the Lady Nugent on 12 April 1850, Captain Thomas had built a jetty, customs house and barracks accommodation for the newly arrived settlers. -
Settling in
The ships stayed in the port at Lyttelton for several weeks while goods were unloaded. The passengers from the ships stayed in the Immigration Barracks, in tents, or V-huts -
Canterbury ‘firsts’
6 January
First school opened in Lyttelton by the Reverend Henry Jacobs. 11 January
First issue of the Lyttelton Times. 18 January
First bank (Union Bank of Australia) opens in Lyttelton. February
First bridge across the Avon (a footbridge) at Worcester Street. 3 April
George Gould opens first shop in Christchurch. April
Collegiate Grammar School opens in Lyttelton (later Christ’s College). May
Ferrymead ferry service begins. 20 July
First church - later dedicated as St Michael an -
Canterbury becoming a province
Under the new provincial system, Canterbury’s first superintendent was James Edward Fitzgerald, elected on 20th july 1853 During the time he was superintendent, the sale of the back-country runs gave the Provincial Council a regular source of money.
