A timeline of Canterbury's development 1400-1900 By Rozhina 1000 First inhabitants- 1000AD or CE The first people to live in the place now known as Christchurch were Moa hunters, who probably arrived there as early as AD 1000. 1500 Iwi migrate to the South Island/ Te Waipounamu In the 16th century the Ngāti Māmoe made the move from the Hastings on the East coast of the North Island