 | LOCAL HISTORY |
YEAR: 1908
Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton is farewelled from Lyttleton.
Fire destroys a central-city block.
The Theatre Royal opens.
Work begins on the Summit Road.
New Zealand population passes one million.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1907
July - First Meeting of the Christchurch Fire Board.
First Plunket Shield Cricket match at Lancaster Park. Auckland defeated Canterbury.
Whaling ended in the Kaikoura region.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1906
June 10 - Death of Richard Seddon. Known as 'King Dick', Seddon had dominated the New Zealand political scene since the early 1890s. His Liberal party government is widely credited with establishing the tradition of state welfare in this country
November 1 - NZ International Exhibition (the biggest in the country to that time) opens in Hagley Park. Over 1 million people visited the exhibition during the next few months. A branch railway line was built across North Hagley Park to service the exhibition. The attractions included NZ's first professional symphony orchestra and the first Dominion pipe band contest which was won by the Dunedin Highland Pipe Band.
The first state house in Ch-Ch was built in Sydenham.
The foundation stone is laid of Technical College, now the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1905
Feb 12 - Catholic Cathedral (the Basilica) opens.
June 24 - New Zealand Truth hits the newstands. Truth prided itself on being 'the champion of the little person and the scourge of corruption and scandal in high places'. At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, one in two New Zealand households bought the paper.
July 13 - Construction of King Edward barracks begins in the area bounded by Cashel, Hereford & Monteal Steets and Cambridge Terrace. The building was completed in an amazing 25 days. In the absence of a true town hall, it was the venue for large concerts and civic occasions.
September 16 - 'Originals' kick off All Black tradition. New Zealand's first fully representative rugby team to tour the Northern Hemisphere was known as the 'Originals'. Winning 34 of the 35 matches they played, they popularised both the haka and the 'All Black' nickname.
December 16 - Ch-Ch's Bob Deans scores "the try that wasn't" in Wales on the first All Black tour of the United Kingdom. The only loss on the tour. Deans died of pneumonia in 1908, aged 24.
December 26 - Automobile Association holds a "Great Automobile Gymkhana" at the Addington trotting grounds. 30 cars took part, and the programme included NZ's first official car race. Events included a driving competition and races around the trotting track, the number of laps varying according to each vehicles horsepower. The under 6 horsepower class was won by a local GP, Dr Diamond, in a de Dion car.
Car registration became compolsory
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1904
The Cathedral is completed.
February 23 - First step in creation of Fiordland National Park. 940,000 hectares of west Southland were permanently reserved for a national park. The 1952 National Parks Act formally created what has become New Zealand's largest national park and one of the largest in the world
May 16 - Motor Bus service to Timaru begins.
June 27 - Yaldhurst School elects NZ's first all-woman school committee.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1903
Apr 1 - Sydenham, Linwood and St Albans amalgamated with the city to form greater Christchurch.
Nov 1 - Christchurch to Invercargill rail express service begins.
The now extinct Waimangu Geyser, for a time one of the world's highest (est over 450 metres) erupted killing four people. It erupted again in 1917 killing two and destroying an accommodation house.
Richard Pearce of Waitohi becomes briefly airbourne in an aircraft he built himself.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1902
July 4 - The New Zealand Boxing Association was formed to promote and foster amateur boxing in this country. Having drawn up the rules for fighting, the Association staged the inaugural New Zealand championships at Christchurch later in 1902.
Oct 28 - While bound for Hong Kong with the remains of 499 Chinese who had died in New Zealand, the Ventnor struck a rock off Cape Egmont. As there were no suitable dock facilities at Wellington, the master decided to proceed to Auckland via North Cape for repairs. By 9 o’clock on the Tuesday night, when the ship was about 10 miles off Omapere, Hokianga Harbour, she became unmanageable and it was apparent that she would soon founder. Although all life boats were launched, at least 13 lives were lost when the captain’s boat was sucked under the ship.
Plague hospital (which became Burwood Hospital) built at Bottle Lake.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1901
NZ declined invitation to join Australian Federation
Nov 16 - Earthquake (most severe at Cheviot) damages the Cathedral Spire. After this third incident, the top of the spire was rebuilt in timber and metal instead of stone.
The Duke & Duchess of York visit. The will become King George V and Queen Mary.
Robert Falcon Scott's first Antartic expedition arrives.
Credit: Ch-ChCity Libraries
YEAR: 1900
First sealed street in Ch-Ch (part of Cashel Street) built.
Nicholas Oates receives Ch-Ch's first motor traffic violation for frightening a horse with his newly imported motor car.
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
YEAR: 1899
October - First car imported to the South Island by Nicholas Oates.
October 5 - First Boer War contingent leaves Lyttelton. A total of 6495 served, of which 228 were killed.
NZ is the first country to give the elderly the pension
Credit: Ch-Ch City Libraries
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