The history of early Christchurch

  • Jan 1, 1000

    first humans

    Early moa hunters have arrived to claim land and meat for maori tribes.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1000 to

    First inhabitants

  • Jan 1, 1450

    moa extinct

  • Feb 9, 1500

    North island maori arrive in cantebury start arriving

    Maori tribes from the north island arrive and kill remaining moa hunters within cantebury.
  • Period: to

    Early european contact

  • The Endeavor arrives

    Captain James Cook has arrived and first thiing sighted was the cantebury penninsula.
  • Ngai tahu claims large amunt of cantebury

    the ngai tahu, a sub tribe of ngai tuahuriri controlled the coast between the Hurunuri river and lake Ellesmere.their largest settlement was a fortified pa which kept their enemies out yet was a trading station for ponamu.
  • Period: to

    Early european settlements

  • Maori population drops

    The local Maori population of christchurch drops due to fighting each other and european diseases taking their toll.
  • Whaling base set up

    Progressively more and more sealing/whaling ships come to new zealand,a whaling base is set around 1837 by Captain George Hemplman around Peraki.
  • Treaty signatures gathered

    Within this date Major thomas Burnbury has went to Christchurch to collect the signatures of the Ngai Tahu cheifs.
  • First cantebury stettlement built

    Within 1843 the Deans brothers (William and John) have built the first house upon the cantebury plains.
  • First farm established

    The Deans brothers have now established themselves a farm at putaringamotu.The manson and Gebbie families have came to work upon the farm.Together they named the area that they lived in Riccarton