Christchurch
Encyclopedia
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island
of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area
after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula
which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch.
The city was named by the Canterbury Association
, which settled the surrounding province of Canterbury
. The name of Christchurch was agreed on at the first meeting of the association on 27 March 1848. It was suggested by John Robert Godley
, who had attended Christ Church, Oxford
. Some early writers called the town Christ Church, but it was recorded as Christchurch in the minutes of the management committee of the association. Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand.
The river that flows through the centre of the city (its banks now largely forming an urban park) was named Avon at the request of the pioneering Deans brothers to commemorate the Scottish Avon, which rises in the Ayrshire hills near what was their grandfathers' farm and flows into the Clyde.
The usual Māori
name for Christchurch is Ōtautahi ("the place of Tautahi"). This was originally the name of a specific site by the Avon River near present-day Kilmore Street and the Christchurch Central Fire Station. The site was a seasonal dwelling of Ngāi Tahu
chief Te Potiki Tautahi, whose main home was Port Levy
on Banks Peninsula. The Ōtautahi name was adopted in the 1930s. Prior to that the Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana, a transliteration of the English word Christian.
in 1876 has indicated that the Christchurch area was first settled by moa
-hunting tribes about 1250. These first inhabitants were thought to have been followed by the Waitaha
tribe, who are said to have migrated from the East coast of the North Island in the 16th century. Following tribal warfare, the Waitaha (made of three peoples) were dispossessed by the Ngati Mamoe
tribe. They were in turn subjugated by the Ngāi Tahu
tribe, who remained in control until the arrival of European settlers.
Following the purchase of land at Putaringamotu (modern Riccarton) by the Weller brothers
whalers of Otago
and Sydney a party of European settlers led by Herriott and McGillivray established themselves in what is now Christchurch, early in 1840. Their abandoned holdings were taken over by the Deans brothers in 1843 who stayed. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association
and brought the first 792 of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour
. These sailing vessels were the Randolph
, Charlotte-Jane
, Sir George Seymour
, and Cressy
. The Charlotte-Jane
was the first to arrive on 16 December 1850. The Canterbury Pilgrims had aspirations of building a city around a cathedral and college, on the model of Christ Church
in Oxford
.
The name "Christ Church" was decided prior to the ships' arrival, at the Association's first meeting, on 27 March 1848. The exact basis for the name is not known. It has been suggested that it is named for Christchurch
, in Hampshire
, England; for Canterbury Cathedral
; or in honour of Christ Church College
, Oxford. The last explanation is the one generally accepted.
Captain Joseph Thomas, the Canterbury Association's Chief Surveyor, surveyed the surrounding area. By December 1849 he had commissioned the construction of a road from Port Cooper, later Lyttelton
, to Christchurch via Sumner
. However this proved more difficult than expected and road construction was stopped while a steep foot and pack horse
track was constructed over the hill between the port and the Heathcote valley, where access to the site of the proposed settlement could be gained. This track became known as the Bridle Path
, because the path was so steep that pack horses needed to be led by the bridle.
Goods that were too heavy or bulky to be transported by pack horse over the Bridle Path were shipped by small sailing vessels some eight miles (13 km) by water around the coast and up the estuary to Ferrymead
. New Zealand's first public railway line, the Ferrymead railway
, opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch in 1863. Due to the difficulties in travelling over the Port Hills
and the dangers associated with shipping navigating the Sumner bar, a railway tunnel
was bored through the Port Hills to Lyttelton, opening in 1867.
Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter
on 31 July 1856, the first in New Zealand. Many of the city's Gothic Revival
buildings by architect Benjamin Mountfort
date from this period.
Christchurch was the seat of provincial administration for the Province of Canterbury
, which was abolished in 1876.
In 1947, New Zealand's worst fire disaster occurred at Ballantyne's Department Store
in the inner city, with 41 people killed in a blaze which razed the rambling collection of buildings.
The Lyttelton road tunnel
between Lyttelton and Christchurch was opened in 1964.
Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
.
with magnitude
7.1 occurred near Christchurch at 4:35 am local time, 4 September 2010 (16:35 UTC, 3 September 2010). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and despite widespread damage there were no fatalities. A large aftershock of magnitude 6.3 occurred on at 12:51 pm. It was centred just to the north of Lyttelton, 10 kilometres south east of Christchurch, at a depth of 5 km.
Although lower on the moment magnitude scale
than the previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be VIII on the MMI, among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area. The quake struck on a busy weekday afternoon and resulted in the deaths of 181 people. This event resulted in the declaration of New Zealand's first National State of Emergency. Many buildings and landmarks were severely damaged, including the iconic 'Shag Rock
' and Christchurch Cathedral. On 13 June 2011 Christchurch was again rocked by two more large aftershocks
. A 5.6 at only 9 km (6 mi) deep hit at 1.00 pm in the general location of Sumner, Christchurch this was followed by another 6.3 at only 6 km (4 mi) deep at 2.20 pm again in the general location of Sumner, Christchurch. This resulted in more liquefaction and building damage, but no more lives were lost.
–both Robert Falcon Scott
and Ernest Shackleton
used the port of Lyttelton as a departure point for expeditions, and in the central city there is a statue of Scott
sculpted by his widow, Kathleen Scott
. Within the city, the Canterbury Museum preserves and exhibits many historic artefacts and stories of Antarctic exploration. Christchurch International Airport
serves as the major base for the New Zealand, Italian and United States Antarctic programs.
The International Antarctic Centre
provides both base facilities and a museum and visitor centre focused upon current Antarctic activities. The United States Navy and latterly the United States Air National Guard, augmented by the New Zealand and Australian air forces, use Christchurch Airport as take-off for the main supply route to McMurdo and Scott Bases in Antarctica. The Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) in Christchurch, had more than 140,000 pieces of extreme cold weather (ECW) gear for issue to nearly 2,000 U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) participants in the 2007–08 season.
, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island
, east of the Canterbury Plains
. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay
, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean coast and the estuary
of the Avon
and Heathcote River
s. To the south and south-east the urban portion of the city is limited by the volcanic slopes of the Port Hills
separating it from Banks Peninsula. In 2006, Banks Peninsula was incorporated into the city, in effect tripling the city's land area while adding only about 8,000 people to the city's population. To the north the city is bounded by the braided Waimakariri River
.
Christchurch is one of only eight pairs of cities in the world that has a near-exact antipodal
city. Half of these antipodal pairs are in New Zealand and Spain/Morocco
–with A Coruña, Spain as Christchurch's antipode.
Christchurch is one of a group of only four cities in the world, that have been carefully planned following the same layout of a central city square, four complimenting city squares surrounding it and a parklands area that embrace the city centre. The first city built with this pattern was Philadelphia, later came Savannah and Adelaide. The fourth city using this pattern was Christchurch. As such Christchurch holds an important legacy and a strong platform for future development.
Christchurch has one of the highest-quality water supplies
in the world, rated one of the purest and cleanest water in the world. Untreated, naturally filtered water is sourced, via more than 50 pumping stations surrounding the city, from aquifer
s emanating from the foothills of the Southern Alps
.
, surrounding the now-damaged landmark Anglican
cathedral, Christ Church. The area around this square and within the 'four avenues' of Christchurch (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue) was considered the central business district of the city. The central city also has a number of residential areas, including Inner City East, Inner City West, Avon Loop, Moa Neighbourhood & Victoria. Cathedral Square stands at the crossing of two major central streets, Colombo Street
and Worcester Street, though both have been blocked off or detoured at the approaches to the square.
Cathedral Square, the heart of the city, hosted attractions such as (until recently) the Wizard of New Zealand, Ian Brackenbury Channell, and evangelist Ray Comfort
; regular market days; free standing food and coffee carts; an aquarium, pubs and restaurants and the city's chief tourist information centre.
The central city also included the pedestrianised sections of Cashel and High streets commonly known as 'City Mall'. Refurbished in 2008/09 the mall before the earthquake of February 2011 featured especially designed seating, flower and garden boxes, more trees, paving, and an extension to the central city tram route. The Bridge Of Remembrance commemorating war dead stands at the western end of the mall.
The Cultural Precinct provided a backdrop to a vibrant scene of ever-changing arts, cultural, and heritage attractions within an area of less than one square kilometre. The Arts Centre
, the Canterbury Museum and the Art Gallery
are located in the Cultural Precinct. The majority of the activities were free and a printable map was provided.
In 2010, the Christchurch City Council released "A City For People Action Plan", a program of work through to 2022 to improve public spaces within the central city to entice more inner city residents and visitors. A primary action was to reduce the impact of motorised private vehicles and increase the comfort of pedestrians and cyclists. The plan was based on a report prepared for the council by renowned Danish design firm Gehl Architects. Since the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake Wellington architect Ian Athfield
has been selected to re-plan, although many varied suggestions have been promoted for rebuilding the central city
climate
, with mean daily maximum air temperatures of 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in January, 11.3 °C (52.3 °F) in July. Under Koppen's climate classification
, Christchurch has an Oceanic climate
. The summer climate is often moderated by a sea breeze
from the Northeast, but a record temperature of 41.6 °C (107 °F) was reached in February 1973. A notable feature of the weather is the nor'wester
, a hot föhn wind that occasionally reaches storm force, causing widespread minor damage to property.
In winter it is common for the temperature to fall below 0 °C (32 °F) at night. There are on average 70 days of ground frost per year. Snow falls occur on average once or twice a year in the hill suburbs and about once or twice every two years on the plain.
On cold winter nights, the surrounding hills, clear skies, and frost
y calm conditions often combine to form a stable inversion layer
above the city that traps vehicle exhausts and smoke from domestic fires to cause smog. While not as bad as smog in Los Angeles or Mexico City, Christchurch smog has often exceeded World Health Organisation
recommendations for air pollution. The city has funding available to upgrade domestic home heating systems, and in order to limit air pollution has banned the use of open fires as of 1 January 2006. As of 2008, woodburners more than 15 years old are prohibited.
. The Christchurch urban area is the second-largest in the country by population, after Auckland
.
. The percentages add up to more than 100%, as some people counted themselves as belonging to more than one ethnic group. Figures for 2006 refer to just Christchurch City, not the whole urban area. The substantial percentage drop in the numbers of 'Europeans' was mainly caused by the increasing numbers of people from this group choosing to define themselves as 'New Zealanders'–even though this was not one of the groups listed on the census form.
Approximately 62% of the South Island
's Pacific Islander
community reside in Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury Province
, equalling approximately 11,500 people. People of Samoan descent
comprise about half the Pacific Islander population. There are also smaller communities of Cook Islanders
, Fijians, Niue
ans, Tokelau
ans and Tonga
ns residing in the city.
The 2006 Census also provides information about the multilinguality
of the region. Of those people in Christchurch City who provided data, 86% spoke one language only, 12% spoke two, and 2% could converse in three or more languages.
, New Zealand's leading agribusiness, is based in Christchurch. Its local roots go back to Pyne Gould Guinness, an old stock and station agency serving the South Island. That firm helped take deer farming techniques abroad. PGG Wrightson's overseas diversification includes dairy farming in Uruguay.
Other agribusinesses in Christchurch have included malting, seed development and dressing, wool and meat processing, and small biotechnology operations using by-products from meat works.
Dairying has grown strongly in the surrounding areas with high world prices for milk products and the use of irrigation to lift grass growth on dry land. With its higher labour use this has helped stop declines in rural population. Many cropping and sheep farms have been converted to dairying. Conversions have been by agribusiness companies as well as by farmers, many of whom have moved south from North Island dairying strongholds such as Taranaki and the Waikato.
Cropping has always been important in the surrounding countryside. Wheat and barley and various strains of clover and other grasses for seed exporting have been the main crops. These have all created processing businesses in Christchurch.
In recent years, regional agriculture has diversified, with a thriving wine industry springing up at Waipara, and beginnings of new horticulture industries such as olive production and processing. Deer farming has led to new processing using antlers for Asian medicine and aphrodisiacs. The high quality local wine in particular has increased the appeal of Canterbury and Christchurch to tourists.
In earlier years, Christchurch was one of the two heavy-engineering centres of New Zealand, with firms such as Anderson's making steel work for bridges, tunnels, and hydro-electric dams in the early days of infrastructure work. Now manufacturing is mainly of light products and the key market is Australia, with firms such as those pioneered by the Stewart family among the larger employers.
Before clothing manufacture largely moved to Asia, Christchurch was the centre of the New Zealand clothing industry, with firms such as LWR Industries. The firms that remain mostly design and market, and manufacture in Asia. The city also had five footwear manufacturers, but these have been replaced by imports.
In the last few decades, technology-based industries have sprung up in Christchurch. Angus Tait
founded Tait Electronics, a mobile-radio manufacturer, and other firms spun off from this, such as Dennis Chapman's Swichtec. Tait proteges include Chapman. In software, Gil Simpson founded LINC, which became Jade.
However, there have been spin-offs from the electrical department of the University of Canterbury engineering school. These included Pulse Data, which became Human Ware ( making reading devices and computers for blind people and those with limited vision) and CES Communications (encryption). The Pulse Data founders had moved from the Canterbury University engineering school to work for Wormald when they set up Pulse Data through a management buyout of their division.
Nowadays, the University of Canterbury
engineering school and computer science department play an important role in supplying staff and research for the technology industries, and the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
provides a flow of trained technicians and engineers. Similarly, nearby Lincoln University
has played an important role in Christchurch agribusiness.
Tourism is also a significant factor of the local economy. The closeness of the ski
-fields and other attractions of the Southern Alps
, and hotels, a casino, and an airport that meet international standards make Christchurch a stopover destination for many tourists. The city is popular with Japanese tourists, with signage around Cathedral Square in Japanese.
Christchurch's local government is a democracy with various elements including:
In 1993, Christchurch was selected as the "Best Run City in the World", also known as the 'Carl Bertelsmann Prize: Local Government', by the Bertelsmann Foundation
of Germany. Especially noted was the increased efficiency of communal services in competition with private enterprises. Christchurch shared the award honour with Phoenix, Arizona
, USA.
Some of the local governments in Canterbury and the New Zealand Transport Agency
have created the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy to facilitate future urban planning
.
, the second largest school in New Zealand with 2,788 pupils. Cashmere High School
at Rose Street is another large co-educational secondary school. In recent years, Papanui High School
has undergone rapid growth to reach a similar size. Riccarton High School
was one of the first state schools in the country to adopt a strong values base – the Riccarton Way. There are several single-sex schools; Shirley Boys' High School
& Christchurch Boys' High School
are the two state boys' high schools, Avonside Girls' High School
& Christchurch Girls' High School
are the state girls' high schools in Christchurch.
Christchurch is also well known for several very traditional schools of the English public school type, such as St Thomas of Canterbury College
, St Margaret's College, Christ's College
, St Bede's College
, St Andrew's College, Villa Maria College and Rangi Ruru Girls' School
, but also has several less conventional schools such as Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti
and Hagley Community College
.
institutions have campuses in Christchurch, or in the surrounding areas.
and by buses (local and long-distance) and trains. The local bus service, known as Metro
, is provided by Environment Canterbury. The car, however, remains the dominant form of transport. The central city has very flat terrain and the Christchurch City Council is establishing a network of cycle lanes and paths.
There is a functioning Christchurch tramway system
in Christchurch, but as a tourist attraction; its loop is restricted to a circuit of the central city. The trams were originally introduced in 1905, ceased operating in 1954, but returned to the inner city (as a tourist attraction) in 1995. In addition to normal bus services, Christchurch also has a pioneering zero-fare hybrid
bus service, the Shuttle, in the inner city.
The Main North Line railway travels northwards via Kaikoura
to Picton
and is served by the famous TranzCoastal passenger train, while the Main South Line
heads to Invercargill
via Dunedin
and was used by the Southerner until its cancellation in 2002. The most famous train to depart Christchurch is the TranzAlpine
, which travels along the Main South Line to Rolleston
and then turns onto the Midland Line
, passes through the Southern Alps
via the Otira Tunnel
, and terminates in Greymouth on the West Coast
. This trip is often regarded to be one of the ten great train journeys in the world for the amazing scenery through which it passes. The TranzAlpine service is primarily a tourist service and carries no significant commuter traffic. Commuter trains used to operate in Christchurch but were progressively cancelled in the 1960s and 1970s. The last such service, between Christchurch and Rangiora
, ceased in 1976.
Vehicles, as they do throughout New Zealand and most Commonwealth Nations, drive on the left side of the road.
and the 30-hectare (75 acre) Christchurch Botanic Gardens
, founded in 1863, are in the central city, with Hagley Park being a site for sports such as golf, cricket
, netball
, and rugby
, and for open air concerts by local bands and orchestras. To the north of the city is the Willowbank
wildlife park. Travis Wetland
, an ecological restoration programme to create a wetland, is to the east of the city centre in the suburb of Burwood
.
Only one of the first generation of suburban cinemas, the Hollywood in Sumner, remains open. The largest multiplexes are the Hoyts
8 in the old railway station on Moorhouse Avenue and Reading Cinemas
(also eight screens) in the Palms shopping centre in Shirley. Hoyts in Riccarton opened in 2005 with one of its screens for a time holding the record for the largest in New Zealand.
The Rialto Cinemas on Moorhouse avenue specialise in international films and art house productions. The Rialto also hosts the majority of the city's various film festivals and is home to the local film society.
The Christchurch Arts Centre
includes two art house cinemas, Cloisters and The Academy, screening a wide selection of contemporary, classic and foreign language films.
The Canterbury Film Society is active in the city.
, and is the base of professional opera company, Southern Opera.
Christchurch is a home for experimental music scene of New Zealand. The town is the home to such bands as The Bats
, Shocking Pinks
and Bailter Space
.
There are usually buskers around the town square, and Christchurch also hosts the World Buskers Festival in January each year.
Singer/songwriter Hayley Westenra
famously launched her very successful international career by busking in Christchurch. Soon she was signed to Universal Music Group
New Zealand, then later to Decca Label Group in London, England, where she now bases her career.
Christchurch also has an active and relatively large Metal scene
, with metal acts playing in various locations around the central city almost weekly.
Christchurch is considered the New Zealand home of Drum and Bass
and to a lesser extent Dubstep
and various other "Bass Heavy" genres. Some of New Zealand's top performing acts such as Shapeshifter, Tiki Taane
and Truth
are from Christchurch. Venues and clubs such as The Bedford, Ministry, and Double Happy and many more regularly have international and New Zealand leading acts within the Drum and Bass scene performing live in Christchurch, along with dance parties, raves and gigs all featuring NZ and local Drum and Bass DJs, with often 2 or 3 happening on a single night or weekend (e.g. 2010 when UK Dubstep DJ Doctor P
with Crushington
was playing at The Bedford, while simultaneously Concord Dawn
featuring Trei and Bulletproof was playing at Ministry). Independent Christchurch based radio station Pulzar FM
is one of the few radio stations in New Zealand that plays Drum and Bass during the day.
In recent movements, hip hop has effectively landed in Christchurch. In 2000, First Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit was held there. And in 2003, Christchurch’s own Scribe
, released his debut album in New Zealand and has received five times platinum in that country, in addition to achieving two number one singles.
. CTV was first formed in 1991 and still today reflects the Canterbury community through locally made programmes.
The building collapsed on the 22 February 2011 due to a 6.3 magnitude aftershock. The cause of the collapse is yet to be investigated.
championships and has been host to many concerts in recent years.
The Christchurch Town Hall
auditorium (2500 seats, opened 1972) was the first major auditorium design by architects Warren
and Mahoney and acousticians Marshall Day. It is still recognised as a model example of concert-hall design. It has an excellent modern pipe organ
.
Christchurch also has a casino
, and there are also a wide range of live music venues–some short-lived, others with decades of history. Classical music concerts are held at the Christchurch Music Centre.
note: The Rugby World Cup 2011 was set to host events in Christchurch, due to the damage to AMI stadium, due to the 2011 earthquake, these events were moved to other venues.
around the world. They are: Adelaide
, South Australia, Australia Christchurch
, Dorset, United Kingdom Lanzhou
, Gansu, China Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan Seattle, Washington, United States of America Songpa-gu
, Seoul
, South Korea Wuhan
, Hubei, China
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area
Urban areas of New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand defines New Zealand urban areas for statistical purposes. The urban areas comprise cities, towns and other 'conurbations' of a thousand people or more. In combination, the urban areas of the country constitute New Zealand's urban population...
after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves...
which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch.
The city was named by the Canterbury Association
Canterbury Association
The Canterbury Association was formed in order to establish a colony in what is now the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand.- Formation of the Association :...
, which settled the surrounding province of Canterbury
Canterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
. The name of Christchurch was agreed on at the first meeting of the association on 27 March 1848. It was suggested by John Robert Godley
John Robert Godley
John Robert Godley was an Irish statesman and bureaucrat. Godley is considered to be the founder of Canterbury, New Zealand, although he lived there for only two years.-Early life:...
, who had attended Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. Some early writers called the town Christ Church, but it was recorded as Christchurch in the minutes of the management committee of the association. Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand.
The river that flows through the centre of the city (its banks now largely forming an urban park) was named Avon at the request of the pioneering Deans brothers to commemorate the Scottish Avon, which rises in the Ayrshire hills near what was their grandfathers' farm and flows into the Clyde.
The usual Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name for Christchurch is Ōtautahi ("the place of Tautahi"). This was originally the name of a specific site by the Avon River near present-day Kilmore Street and the Christchurch Central Fire Station. The site was a seasonal dwelling of Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand, with the tribal authority, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, being based in Christchurch and Invercargill. The iwi combines three groups, Kāi Tahu itself, and Waitaha and Kāti Mamoe who lived in the South Island prior...
chief Te Potiki Tautahi, whose main home was Port Levy
Port Levy
Port Levy is a long, sheltered bay and settlement on Banks Peninsula in Canterbury, New Zealand.The current population is under 100, but in the mid-19th century it was the largest Māori settlement in Canterbury with a population of about 400 people...
on Banks Peninsula. The Ōtautahi name was adopted in the 1930s. Prior to that the Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana, a transliteration of the English word Christian.
Overview
Archeological evidence found in a cave at RedcliffsRedcliffs
Redcliffs is an outer coastal suburb of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.-Location :The suburb is most directly accessed from the city centre by a causeway that crosses the Avon Heathcote Estuary and is the suburb immediately before Sumner. Alternatively, Redcliffs can be accessed through...
in 1876 has indicated that the Christchurch area was first settled by moa
Moa
The moa were eleven species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about ....
-hunting tribes about 1250. These first inhabitants were thought to have been followed by the Waitaha
Waitaha
Waitaha is an early historical Māori iwi . Inhabitants of the South Island of New Zealand, they were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest first by the Kāti Mamoe and then Ngāi Tahu from the 16th century onward....
tribe, who are said to have migrated from the East coast of the North Island in the 16th century. Following tribal warfare, the Waitaha (made of three peoples) were dispossessed by the Ngati Mamoe
Kati Mamoe
Kāti Mamoe, or Ngāti Mamoe, is an historic Māori iwi. Originally from the Heretaunga area they moved in the 16th century to the South Island which at the time was occupied by Waitaha....
tribe. They were in turn subjugated by the Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand, with the tribal authority, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, being based in Christchurch and Invercargill. The iwi combines three groups, Kāi Tahu itself, and Waitaha and Kāti Mamoe who lived in the South Island prior...
tribe, who remained in control until the arrival of European settlers.
Following the purchase of land at Putaringamotu (modern Riccarton) by the Weller brothers
Weller brothers
The Weller brothers, Englishmen of Sydney and Otago, New Zealand, were the founders of a whaling station on Otago Harbour and New Zealand’s most substantial merchant traders in the 1830s.-Immigration:...
whalers of Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
and Sydney a party of European settlers led by Herriott and McGillivray established themselves in what is now Christchurch, early in 1840. Their abandoned holdings were taken over by the Deans brothers in 1843 who stayed. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association
Canterbury Association
The Canterbury Association was formed in order to establish a colony in what is now the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand.- Formation of the Association :...
and brought the first 792 of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
. These sailing vessels were the Randolph
Randolph (ship)
Randolph was a 664-ton ship-rigged merchant vessel constructed in 1849 in Sunderland. She was one of the first four ships to settle Christchurch, New Zealand ....
, Charlotte-Jane
Charlotte-Jane
The Charlotte Jane was one of the First Four Ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand.-Arrival in Lyttelton:...
, Sir George Seymour
Sir George Seymour (ship)
The Sir George Seymour was one of the first four ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand. The other three ships were Cressy, Charlotte-Jane and Randolph.-Voyage:...
, and Cressy
Cressy (ship)
The Cressy was one of the first four ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand. The Cressy was the last to arrive on 27 December. The other ships were Charlotte-Jane, Sir George Seymour and Randolph.The passengers aboard these four ships were...
. The Charlotte-Jane
Charlotte-Jane
The Charlotte Jane was one of the First Four Ships in 1850 to carry emigrants from England to the new colony of Canterbury in New Zealand.-Arrival in Lyttelton:...
was the first to arrive on 16 December 1850. The Canterbury Pilgrims had aspirations of building a city around a cathedral and college, on the model of Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
The name "Christ Church" was decided prior to the ships' arrival, at the Association's first meeting, on 27 March 1848. The exact basis for the name is not known. It has been suggested that it is named for Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England; for Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
; or in honour of Christ Church College
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, Oxford. The last explanation is the one generally accepted.
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, to Christchurch via Sumner
Sumner, New Zealand
Sumner is a coastal seaside suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand and was surveyed and named in 1849 in honour of John Bird Sumner, the then newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and president of the Canterbury Association...
. However this proved more difficult than expected and road construction was stopped while a steep foot and pack horse
Packhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
track was constructed over the hill between the port and the Heathcote valley, where access to the site of the proposed settlement could be gained. This track became known as the Bridle Path
Bridle Path, New Zealand
The Bridle Path is a steep track that traverses the northern rim of the Lyttelton volcano connecting the city of Christchurch and the port of Lyttelton in the South Island of New Zealand....
, because the path was so steep that pack horses needed to be led by the bridle.
Goods that were too heavy or bulky to be transported by pack horse over the Bridle Path were shipped by small sailing vessels some eight miles (13 km) by water around the coast and up the estuary to Ferrymead
Ferrymead
-Geography:Ferrymead is located on the Avon Heathcote Estuary, close to the point where the Heathcote River drains into the estuary, and three km west of the eventual outflow into Pegasus Bay. To the north lie the oxidation ponds from Christchurch's main sewage treatment works, which are within a...
. New Zealand's first public railway line, the Ferrymead railway
Ferrymead Railway
The Ferrymead Railway is a New Zealand heritage railway built upon the formation of New Zealand's first public railway, the line from Ferrymead to Christchurch, which opened in 1863. On the opening of the line to Lyttelton on 9 December 1867, the Ferrymead Railway became the Ferrymead Branch and...
, opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch in 1863. Due to the difficulties in travelling over the Port Hills
Port Hills
The Port Hills form the northern rim of the ancient Lyttelton volcano, separating the port of Lyttelton from the city of Christchurch in Canterbury, New Zealand...
and the dangers associated with shipping navigating the Sumner bar, a railway tunnel
Lyttelton rail tunnel
The Lyttelton Rail Tunnel, initially called the Moorhouse Tunnel, links the city of Christchurch with the port of Lyttelton in the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s South Island. It is the country’s oldest operational rail tunnel, and is on one of the first railway lines in the district...
was bored through the Port Hills to Lyttelton, opening in 1867.
Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
on 31 July 1856, the first in New Zealand. Many of the city's Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
buildings by architect Benjamin Mountfort
Benjamin Mountfort
Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort was an English emigrant to New Zealand, where he became one of that country's most prominent 19th century architects. He was instrumental in shaping the city of Christchurch's unique architectural identity and culture, and was appointed the first official Provincial...
date from this period.
Christchurch was the seat of provincial administration for the Province of Canterbury
Canterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
, which was abolished in 1876.
In 1947, New Zealand's worst fire disaster occurred at Ballantyne's Department Store
Ballantyne's store disaster
The Ballantyne's fire on 18 November 1947 remains the deadliest fire in New Zealand history. Forty one people died in the blaze in the Christchurch Central City; all were employees who found themselves trapped by the fire or were overcome by smoke while evacuating the store complex without a fire...
in the inner city, with 41 people killed in a blaze which razed the rambling collection of buildings.
The Lyttelton road tunnel
Lyttelton Road Tunnel
The Lyttelton road tunnel links the New Zealand city of Christchurch and its seaport, Lyttelton. It opened in 1964 and carries just over 10,000 vehicles/day...
between Lyttelton and Christchurch was opened in 1964.
Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
1974 British Commonwealth Games
The 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games....
.
2010–2011 earthquakes
An earthquake2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time ....
with magnitude
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
7.1 occurred near Christchurch at 4:35 am local time, 4 September 2010 (16:35 UTC, 3 September 2010). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and despite widespread damage there were no fatalities. A large aftershock of magnitude 6.3 occurred on at 12:51 pm. It was centred just to the north of Lyttelton, 10 kilometres south east of Christchurch, at a depth of 5 km.
Although lower on the moment magnitude scale
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
than the previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be VIII on the MMI, among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area. The quake struck on a busy weekday afternoon and resulted in the deaths of 181 people. This event resulted in the declaration of New Zealand's first National State of Emergency. Many buildings and landmarks were severely damaged, including the iconic 'Shag Rock
Rapanui Rock
Rapanui, better known as The Shag Rock or simply "Shag Rock" was a notable sea stack which stood at the entrance of the Avon Heathcote Estuary near Christchurch, New Zealand. The boating channel into the estuary lies on the northern side of the rock. Although not used as a shipping port, the...
' and Christchurch Cathedral. On 13 June 2011 Christchurch was again rocked by two more large aftershocks
June 2011 Christchurch earthquake
The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.3 ML earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST . It was centred at a depth of 6.0 km , about 13 km from Christchurch, which had previously been devastated by the February 2011 magnitude 6.3 ML earthquake...
. A 5.6 at only 9 km (6 mi) deep hit at 1.00 pm in the general location of Sumner, Christchurch this was followed by another 6.3 at only 6 km (4 mi) deep at 2.20 pm again in the general location of Sumner, Christchurch. This resulted in more liquefaction and building damage, but no more lives were lost.
Garden City
The Christchurch city council have announced that Christchurch will be built as a "city in a garden" with an estimated cost of NZ$2 billion. The size of the city's business district will be reduced and the height of building will be limited in the centre, giving over much more space to parkland.Gateway to the Antarctic
Christchurch has a history of involvement in Antarctic explorationHistory of Antarctica
The history of Antarctica emerges from early Western theories of a vast continent, known as Terra Australis, believed to exist in the far south of the globe...
–both Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
and Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
used the port of Lyttelton as a departure point for expeditions, and in the central city there is a statue of Scott
Scott Statue
The Scott Statue commemorates Robert Falcon Scott. It is located at the intersection of Oxford Terrace and Worcester Street in the Christchurch Central City, New Zealand. The statue, carved by Scott's widow Kathleen Scott, is registered as a Category II historic place...
sculpted by his widow, Kathleen Scott
Kathleen Scott
Kathleen Scott, Baroness Kennet, FRSBS was a British sculptor.-Early life:Born Edith Agnes Kathleen Bruce at Carlton in Lindrick, Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, she was the youngest of eleven children of Canon Lloyd Stuart Bruce and Jane Skene Kathleen Scott, Baroness Kennet, FRSBS (27 March...
. Within the city, the Canterbury Museum preserves and exhibits many historic artefacts and stories of Antarctic exploration. Christchurch International Airport
Christchurch International Airport
-Facts & figures:As the gateway for Christchurch and the South Island, Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand’s second largest airport.5,908,077 passengers travelled in and out of Christchurch International Airport from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009...
serves as the major base for the New Zealand, Italian and United States Antarctic programs.
The International Antarctic Centre
International Antarctic Centre
The International Antarctic Centre is located in the suburb of Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand, close to Christchurch International Airport. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the city.-Description:...
provides both base facilities and a museum and visitor centre focused upon current Antarctic activities. The United States Navy and latterly the United States Air National Guard, augmented by the New Zealand and Australian air forces, use Christchurch Airport as take-off for the main supply route to McMurdo and Scott Bases in Antarctica. The Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) in Christchurch, had more than 140,000 pieces of extreme cold weather (ECW) gear for issue to nearly 2,000 U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) participants in the 2007–08 season.
Geography
Christchurch lies in CanterburyCanterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, east of the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains
The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...
. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay
Pegasus Bay
Pegasus Bay is on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand.-Location:The bay has a sandy beach and runs from Banks Peninsula to the Waipara River mouth...
, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean coast and the estuary
Avon Heathcote Estuary
The Avon Heathcote Estuary is the largest semi-enclosed shallow estuary in Canterbury and remains one of New Zealand’s most important coastal wetlands. It is well known as an internationally important habitat for migratory birds, and it is an important recreational playground and educational resource...
of the Avon
Avon River, Canterbury
The Avon River flows through the centre of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and out to an estuary, which it shares with the Heathcote River, the Avon Heathcote Estuary.- Geology :...
and Heathcote River
Heathcote River
The Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templetons Road and also receives wet weather flows from as far west as Pound Road. It meanders around the base of the Port Hills from west to south-east.-Course:The catchment of the...
s. To the south and south-east the urban portion of the city is limited by the volcanic slopes of the Port Hills
Port Hills
The Port Hills form the northern rim of the ancient Lyttelton volcano, separating the port of Lyttelton from the city of Christchurch in Canterbury, New Zealand...
separating it from Banks Peninsula. In 2006, Banks Peninsula was incorporated into the city, in effect tripling the city's land area while adding only about 8,000 people to the city's population. To the north the city is bounded by the braided Waimakariri River
Waimakariri River
The Waimakariri River is the largest of the North Canterbury rivers, in the South Island of New Zealand. It flows for 151 kilometres in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean....
.
Christchurch is one of only eight pairs of cities in the world that has a near-exact antipodal
Antipodes
In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth....
city. Half of these antipodal pairs are in New Zealand and Spain/Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
–with A Coruña, Spain as Christchurch's antipode.
Christchurch is one of a group of only four cities in the world, that have been carefully planned following the same layout of a central city square, four complimenting city squares surrounding it and a parklands area that embrace the city centre. The first city built with this pattern was Philadelphia, later came Savannah and Adelaide. The fourth city using this pattern was Christchurch. As such Christchurch holds an important legacy and a strong platform for future development.
Christchurch has one of the highest-quality water supplies
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
in the world, rated one of the purest and cleanest water in the world. Untreated, naturally filtered water is sourced, via more than 50 pumping stations surrounding the city, from aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s emanating from the foothills of the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
.
Central city
At the city's centre is Cathedral SquareCathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...
, surrounding the now-damaged landmark Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
cathedral, Christ Church. The area around this square and within the 'four avenues' of Christchurch (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue) was considered the central business district of the city. The central city also has a number of residential areas, including Inner City East, Inner City West, Avon Loop, Moa Neighbourhood & Victoria. Cathedral Square stands at the crossing of two major central streets, Colombo Street
Colombo Street
Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square. As with many other central Christchurch streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo, in what at the time was known as...
and Worcester Street, though both have been blocked off or detoured at the approaches to the square.
Cathedral Square, the heart of the city, hosted attractions such as (until recently) the Wizard of New Zealand, Ian Brackenbury Channell, and evangelist Ray Comfort
Ray Comfort
Ray Comfort is a New Zealand-born Christian minister and evangelist. Comfort started Living Waters Publications and The Way of the Master in Bellflower, California and has written a number of books.-Early life and career:...
; regular market days; free standing food and coffee carts; an aquarium, pubs and restaurants and the city's chief tourist information centre.
The central city also included the pedestrianised sections of Cashel and High streets commonly known as 'City Mall'. Refurbished in 2008/09 the mall before the earthquake of February 2011 featured especially designed seating, flower and garden boxes, more trees, paving, and an extension to the central city tram route. The Bridge Of Remembrance commemorating war dead stands at the western end of the mall.
The Cultural Precinct provided a backdrop to a vibrant scene of ever-changing arts, cultural, and heritage attractions within an area of less than one square kilometre. The Arts Centre
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
, the Canterbury Museum and the Art Gallery
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu
The Christchurch Art Gallery, with the formal name of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, is the public art gallery of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is funded by Christchurch City Council. It has its own substantial art collection and presents a programme of New Zealand and...
are located in the Cultural Precinct. The majority of the activities were free and a printable map was provided.
In 2010, the Christchurch City Council released "A City For People Action Plan", a program of work through to 2022 to improve public spaces within the central city to entice more inner city residents and visitors. A primary action was to reduce the impact of motorised private vehicles and increase the comfort of pedestrians and cyclists. The plan was based on a report prepared for the council by renowned Danish design firm Gehl Architects. Since the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake Wellington architect Ian Athfield
Ian Athfield
Ian Charles Athfield is a New Zealand architect. He was born in Christchurch and graduated from the University of Auckland in 1963 with a Diploma of Architecture. That same year he joined Structon Group Architects, and he became a partner in 1965...
has been selected to re-plan, although many varied suggestions have been promoted for rebuilding the central city
Inner suburbs
(clockwise, starting north of the city centre)- MairehauMairehauMairehau is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located four kilometres north of the city centre, close to the edge of the urbanised central city area. Much new development is being carried out on the northern edge of Mairehau....
- ShirleyShirley, New ZealandShirley, sometimes referred to as Windsor, is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, about north-east of the city centre.-Naming:Susannah Buxton was married to John Buxton . On her deathbed in 1868, she asked her son, Joseph Shirley Buxton , to gift land to the Methodists to build a church...
- DallingtonDallington, New ZealandDallington is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, on the north-east side of the city.It is bounded mainly by the Avon river, stretching in a circular area from the intersection of Gayhurst Road, Dallington Terrace and Locksley Avenue along to New Brighton Road, North Parade and Banks Avenue...
- RichmondRichmond, CanterburyRichmond is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand.Situated to the inner north east of the city centre, the suburb is bounded by Shirley Road to the north, Hills Road to the west, Gloucester Street to the south and the Avon River to the east....
- AvonsideAvonsideAvonside is an eastern suburb in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is one of the oldest suburbs of the city, with only Heathcote being older.-History:...
- LinwoodLinwood, New ZealandLinwood is an inner suburb of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It lies to the East of the city centre, mostly between Ferry Road and Linwood Avenue, two of the major arterial roads to the Eastern suburbs of Christchurch.-History:...
- WoolstonWoolston, New ZealandWoolston is a light industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated three kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to major arterial routes including State Highways 73 and 74 to Banks Peninsula...
- OpawaOpawaOpawa is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located 2.5 kilometres south-east of the city centre.The name is a contraction of Opaawaho, which means a place of an outer pā or outpost in Māori. Opaawaho or Ōpāwaho is the Māori name for the Heathcote River....
- WalthamWaltham, New ZealandWaltham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres southeast of the city centre. State Highway 73, part of Christchurch's ring road system, runs through the suburb, as does the Heathcote River and the Christchurch - Lyttelton rail corridor. The Christchurch gasworks was...
- St MartinsSt Martins, New ZealandSt Martins is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres south of the city centre. Primarily a residential area, St Martins was until recently host to a small shopping mall complex situated on Wilsons Road, the main thoroughfare through the suburb...
- BeckenhamBeckenham, New ZealandBeckenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located three kilometres south of the city centre. The Heathcote River winds through this predominantly residential suburb, a section of which is often referred to locally as the "Beckenham Loop"....
- SydenhamSydenham, New ZealandSydenham is an inner suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located two kilometres south of the city centre, on and around the city’s main street, Colombo Street...
- Somerfield
- SpreydonSpreydonSpreydon is a middle-class suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. The most central street through Spreydon is Lyttelton Street. Spreydon is flanked by the suburbs Barrington, Hoon Hay, Riccarton, and Lower Cashmere....
- AddingtonAddington, New ZealandAddington is a major suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is sited south-west of the city centre.-Description:The suburb was named for the country residence of Bishop John Sumner, one of the leading members of the Canterbury Association....
- RiccartonRiccarton, New ZealandRiccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of the city centre, separated from it by Hagley Park. Upper Riccarton is to the west of Riccarton.-History:...
- IlamIlam, New ZealandIlam is a leafy suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand about five kilometres west of the city centre. It is the location of the University of Canterbury....
- Burnside
- FendaltonFendaltonFendalton is a suburb of Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand.-History:Fendalton was originally known at Fendall Town, named after the original settler of the land, Walpole Cheshire Fendall . Fendall emigrated from Yorkshire in 1850 and took up land north of the Waimairi Stream...
- BryndwrBryndwrBryndwr is a suburb of Christchurch New Zealand, and is one of the few places in New Zealand with a name of Welsh origin.It was given its Welsh name by Charles Jeffreys who bought there in 1880...
- StrowanStrowanStrowan is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand.It is located between the suburbs of Merivale , Papanui , Bryndwr , Fendalton , and St Albans . The area is predominantly residential, containing mostly parks and schools and few retail or commercial buildings. A school in the area is St. Andrew's...
- MerivaleMerivaleMerivale is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, north of the city centre. Its boundaries are defined by Statistics New Zealand as being Heaton Street to the north, Papanui Road to the east, Harper and Bealey Avenues to the south and Rossall Sreet to the west, although Real Estate advertising...
- PapanuiPapanuiPapanui is a major suburb of Christchurch New Zealand. It is sited five kilometers to the northwest of the city centre. Papanui is a middle socio-economic area with a population of 3,543 consisting predominantly of Pākehā 92.3%, Māori 5.7%, Pacific peoples 2.5%, Asian 5.0%, Middle Eastern/Latin...
- St AlbansSt Albans, New ZealandSt Albans is one of Christchurch, New Zealand's largest suburbs. It is a short walk from the central city. To the east of St Albans is Shirley and to the west is Fendalton...
- PhillipstownPhillipstown, New ZealandPhillipstown is a small inner suburb of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It lies south-east of the city centre being bordered by Tuam Street to the north, Olliviers Road to the east, the Lyttelton rail line to the south, and Fitzgerald Avenue to the west....
Outer suburbs
(clockwise, starting north of the city centre)- Richmond Hill
- Marshland
- BurwoodBurwood, New ZealandBurwood is a north-eastern suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb is mostly a residential area and is centred around Burwood Hospital, Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park and Bottle Lake Forest...
(now largely defunct) - ParklandsParklands, New ZealandParklands is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located north east of the city centre near Bottle Lake Forest....
- Waimairi Beach
- AvondaleAvondale, CanterburyAvondale is a suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located northeast of the city centre, and is close to the Avon River, four kilometres to the northwest of its estuary...
- New BrightonNew Brighton, New ZealandNew Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, about to the east of the city centre.-Naming:The naming of New Brighton was apparently done on a 'spur of moment' decision by William Fee, an early settler of the area...
- BexleyBexley, New ZealandThe suburb of Bexley is situated in Christchurch East on the west bank of the Avon River approximately one kilometre from the Avon-Heathcote Estuary. It is enclosed within a bend in the Avon River and the suburb of Aranui....
(now largely defunct) - Aranui
- South Brighton
- SouthshoreSouthshore, New ZealandSouthshore is an eastern suburb within Christchurch, New Zealand. It is home to South New Brighton school and the local batch bar and restaurant. It's rich in wildlife and forestry.- Christchurch Earthquakes :...
- Bromley
- Mt Pleasant
- RedcliffsRedcliffsRedcliffs is an outer coastal suburb of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.-Location :The suburb is most directly accessed from the city centre by a causeway that crosses the Avon Heathcote Estuary and is the suburb immediately before Sumner. Alternatively, Redcliffs can be accessed through...
- SumnerSumner, New ZealandSumner is a coastal seaside suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand and was surveyed and named in 1849 in honour of John Bird Sumner, the then newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and president of the Canterbury Association...
- Ferrymead
- Heathcote ValleyHeathcote Valley-Location:The suburb is dominated by the approaches to the Lyttelton road tunnel, a major arterial that passes through the Port Hills. The road is part of the State Highway 74 network...
- Hillsborough
- Murray AynsleyMurray AynsleyMurray Aynsley is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, located on the fringes of the Port Hills 5 km south-east of the city centre. Situated above the suburb is Glenelg Children's Health Camp. The suburb is named after early Christchurch settler Hugh Murray-Aynsley JP....
- HuntsburyHuntsburyHuntsbury is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, on the fringes of the Port Hills three kilometres south of the city centre.Huntsbury is host to one of four fountains scattered over Christchurch. Huntsbury's fountain is at the top of Conifer Place....
- CashmereCashmere, New ZealandThe suburb of Cashmere rises above the southern end of the city of Christchurch in New Zealand’s South Island.-Geography:Cashmere is situated on the north side of the Port Hills, immediately above the southern terminus of Christchurch’s main street, Colombo Street...
- WestmorlandWestmorland, New ZealandWestmorland is an outer suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated mostly on a hillside and is a recent development of the city, dating back to the late 1970s. It is still under development, with the end of Pentonville Close being most recently settled with modern family homes typical of...
- Hillmorton
- Hoon HayHoon HayHoon Hay is an outer suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It lies to the southwest of the city close to the Port Hills. It is named after a village in Derbyshire....
- HalswellHalswellHalswell is a satellite town of Christchurch, New Zealand, located in open country nine kilometres southwest of the city centre on State Highway 75...
- Oaklands
- WigramWigramWigram is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. Technically called Wigram Park, the second half of its name is rarely if ever heard. The suburb lies close to the industrial estates of Sockburn and the satellite retail and residential zone of Hornby...
- Middleton
- Sockburn
- HornbyHornby, New ZealandHornby is a major residential and retail suburb at the western edge of Christchurch, New Zealand.-Naming and history:Hornby was apparently named by Frederick William Delamain, who came to Christchurch from England in 1852. The name reportedly refers to Hornby-with-Farleton in Lancashire...
- Islington
- TempletonTempleton, New ZealandTempleton is a small town on the outskirts of Christchurch but part of the Selwyn District. It lies on State Highway 1. It has been the centre of harness racing in Canterbury with many famous names such as Devine, Nyan, Butt, Jones and Carmichael among its people.Its European history goes to over...
- Yaldhurst
- Russley
- AvonheadAvonheadThe suburb of Avonhead is located in the city of Christchurch. Avonhead has two primary schools The suburb of Avonhead is located in the city of Christchurch. Avonhead has two primary schools The suburb of Avonhead is located in the city of Christchurch. Avonhead has two primary schools (Avonhead...
- HarewoodHarewood, New ZealandHarewood is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is north-west of the city centre. It had a population of 3,234 in the 2006 census, an increase of 477 since 2001.-Transport:SH1 passes through Harewood, and separates the land use...
- BishopdaleBishopdale, New Zealand-History:The suburb is named after the three Bishop brothers, James , Robert and William , who bought land in the area in 1858 or 1859 and established pipfruit orchards. Initially, the area was called Bishopsdale, but the second 's' was dropped from the name...
- Casebrook
- Redwood
- Regents Park
- Northwood
- BelfastBelfast, New ZealandBelfast is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is in the north of the city, close to the banks of the Waimakariri River.-History:Belfast is named after Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was originally known as North Road District, Seven Mile Peg, Styx, or by its Māori name Purarekanui...
- SpencervilleSpencerville, New ZealandSpencerville is a semi-rural town on the east coast of Canterbury, New Zealand north of Christchurch. The town backs on to Bottle Lake Forest and includes a large park and 80 hectare camping ground...
- BrooklandsBrooklands, CanterburyBrooklands is the northernmost suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. The settlement was built on former swamp land adjacent to Brooklands Lagoon, which forms part of the Waimakariri River mouth...
Satellite towns
- LytteltonLyttelton, New ZealandLyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
- Tai Tapu
- LincolnLincoln, New ZealandLincoln is a town in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, New Zealand. The town has a population of 2,727.-Location:It is located on the Canterbury Plains to the west of Banks Peninsula, 22 kilometres south of Christchurch.-History:...
- PrebbletonPrebbletonPrebbleton is a small town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It is 11 km southwest of the centre of Christchurch and about 2 km south of the outlying industrial suburb of Hornby....
- RollestonRolleston, New ZealandRolleston is a town in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, New Zealand.It is located next to State Highway 1, 22 km south-west of Christchurch on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. The town uses the slogan "The Town of the Future"...
- West MeltonWest Melton, New ZealandWest Melton in New Zealand has the largest population in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, New Zealand due to a high density of farms and lifestyle blocks. It has long been associated with horse racing , arable land, and sheep farming. Recently, it has become associated with wine growing and deer...
- RangioraRangiora, New ZealandRangiora is a rural town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest town in north Canterbury and the seat of the Waimakariri District Council.-Geography:...
- WoodendWoodend, New ZealandWoodend is a town 26 km north of Christchurch on State Highway 1 named after one of New Zealand's early settlers named Thomas Woodend. The population as at the 2006 Census was 2,637....
- Pegasus TownPegasus TownPegasus Town is a new town being constructed 25 km north of Christchurch, New Zealand, close to the town of Woodend.It is named for the nearby Pegasus Bay. The project was proposed in 1997 by Southern Capital and was being developed by Infinity Investment Group and Multiplex Living. However,...
- KaiapoiKaiapoiKaiapoi is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, located close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River, and approximately 17 kilometres north of Christchurch....
- AkaroaAkaroaAkaroa is a village on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name—the name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for 'Long Harbour'.- Overview :...
- Motukarara
Climate
Christchurch has a dry, temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, with mean daily maximum air temperatures of 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in January, 11.3 °C (52.3 °F) in July. Under Koppen's climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Christchurch has an Oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
. The summer climate is often moderated by a sea breeze
Sea breeze
A sea-breeze is a wind from the sea that develops over land near coasts. It is formed by increasing temperature differences between the land and water; these create a pressure minimum over the land due to its relative warmth, and forces higher pressure, cooler air from the sea to move inland...
from the Northeast, but a record temperature of 41.6 °C (107 °F) was reached in February 1973. A notable feature of the weather is the nor'wester
Nor'west arch
The Nor'west arch is a weather pattern peculiar to the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. For this reason, it is also often referred to as the Canterbury arch. It is shown in an apparent arch of high white cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky over the Southern Alps, and is accompanied by a...
, a hot föhn wind that occasionally reaches storm force, causing widespread minor damage to property.
In winter it is common for the temperature to fall below 0 °C (32 °F) at night. There are on average 70 days of ground frost per year. Snow falls occur on average once or twice a year in the hill suburbs and about once or twice every two years on the plain.
On cold winter nights, the surrounding hills, clear skies, and frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
y calm conditions often combine to form a stable inversion layer
Inversion (meteorology)
In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e...
above the city that traps vehicle exhausts and smoke from domestic fires to cause smog. While not as bad as smog in Los Angeles or Mexico City, Christchurch smog has often exceeded World Health Organisation
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
recommendations for air pollution. The city has funding available to upgrade domestic home heating systems, and in order to limit air pollution has banned the use of open fires as of 1 January 2006. As of 2008, woodburners more than 15 years old are prohibited.
Demographics
The area administered by the Christchurch City Council has a population of making it the second-largest in New Zealand, and the largest city in the South IslandSouth Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. The Christchurch urban area is the second-largest in the country by population, after Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
Ethnicity
The following table shows the ethnic profile of Christchurch's population, as recorded in the 2001 and 2006 New Zealand CensusNew Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
. The percentages add up to more than 100%, as some people counted themselves as belonging to more than one ethnic group. Figures for 2006 refer to just Christchurch City, not the whole urban area. The substantial percentage drop in the numbers of 'Europeans' was mainly caused by the increasing numbers of people from this group choosing to define themselves as 'New Zealanders'–even though this was not one of the groups listed on the census form.
Approximately 62% of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
's Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
community reside in Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury Province
Canterbury Province
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. On the east coast the province was bounded by the Hurunui River in the north and the Waitaki River in the south...
, equalling approximately 11,500 people. People of Samoan descent
Samoan New Zealander
Samoan New Zealanders are Samoan immigrants in New Zealand, their descendants, and New Zealanders of Samoan ethnic descent. They constitute one of New Zealand's most sizeable ethnic minorities...
comprise about half the Pacific Islander population. There are also smaller communities of Cook Islanders
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, Fijians, Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
ans, Tokelau
Tokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
ans and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
ns residing in the city.
| Ethnic Group | | 2001 census | | 2006 census | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | People | National average | Percent | People | National average | |
| European | 89.8 | 291,594 | 75.4 | 255,366 | 67.6 | |
| 'New Zealander' | n/a | n/a | 12.9 | 43,671 | 11.1 | |
| Asian Asian people Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :... |
5.5 | 17,703 | 7.9 | 26,631 | 9.2 | |
| Māori | 7.2 | 23,421 | 7.6 | 25,725 | 14.7 | |
| Pacific Island Pacific Islander Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:... |
2.4 | 7,713 | 2.8 | 9,465 | 6.9 | |
| Middle East/Latin America/Africa | n/a | n/a | 0.8 | 2,862 | 0.9 | |
| Others | 0.6 | 2,073 | <0.1 | 114 | <0.1 | |
| Total giving their ethnicity | 324,666 (individuals) | 338,748 (individuals) |
The 2006 Census also provides information about the multilinguality
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
of the region. Of those people in Christchurch City who provided data, 86% spoke one language only, 12% spoke two, and 2% could converse in three or more languages.
Economy
The agricultural industry has always been the economic core of Christchurch. The city has long had industry based on the surrounding farming country. PGG WrightsonPGG Wrightson
Member of the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium.Craig Norgate resigned as chairman of PGG Wrightson in 2009.In 2010 John Anderson joined the board of PGG Wrightson and become Chairman....
, New Zealand's leading agribusiness, is based in Christchurch. Its local roots go back to Pyne Gould Guinness, an old stock and station agency serving the South Island. That firm helped take deer farming techniques abroad. PGG Wrightson's overseas diversification includes dairy farming in Uruguay.
Other agribusinesses in Christchurch have included malting, seed development and dressing, wool and meat processing, and small biotechnology operations using by-products from meat works.
Dairying has grown strongly in the surrounding areas with high world prices for milk products and the use of irrigation to lift grass growth on dry land. With its higher labour use this has helped stop declines in rural population. Many cropping and sheep farms have been converted to dairying. Conversions have been by agribusiness companies as well as by farmers, many of whom have moved south from North Island dairying strongholds such as Taranaki and the Waikato.
Cropping has always been important in the surrounding countryside. Wheat and barley and various strains of clover and other grasses for seed exporting have been the main crops. These have all created processing businesses in Christchurch.
In recent years, regional agriculture has diversified, with a thriving wine industry springing up at Waipara, and beginnings of new horticulture industries such as olive production and processing. Deer farming has led to new processing using antlers for Asian medicine and aphrodisiacs. The high quality local wine in particular has increased the appeal of Canterbury and Christchurch to tourists.
In earlier years, Christchurch was one of the two heavy-engineering centres of New Zealand, with firms such as Anderson's making steel work for bridges, tunnels, and hydro-electric dams in the early days of infrastructure work. Now manufacturing is mainly of light products and the key market is Australia, with firms such as those pioneered by the Stewart family among the larger employers.
Before clothing manufacture largely moved to Asia, Christchurch was the centre of the New Zealand clothing industry, with firms such as LWR Industries. The firms that remain mostly design and market, and manufacture in Asia. The city also had five footwear manufacturers, but these have been replaced by imports.
In the last few decades, technology-based industries have sprung up in Christchurch. Angus Tait
Angus Tait
Sir Angus Tait, KNZM, OBE was a New Zealand electronics innovator and businessman.Angus Tait had a childhood fascination for electronics and during and after high school at Waitaki Boys' High School, he worked in a friend's radio store...
founded Tait Electronics, a mobile-radio manufacturer, and other firms spun off from this, such as Dennis Chapman's Swichtec. Tait proteges include Chapman. In software, Gil Simpson founded LINC, which became Jade.
However, there have been spin-offs from the electrical department of the University of Canterbury engineering school. These included Pulse Data, which became Human Ware ( making reading devices and computers for blind people and those with limited vision) and CES Communications (encryption). The Pulse Data founders had moved from the Canterbury University engineering school to work for Wormald when they set up Pulse Data through a management buyout of their division.
Nowadays, the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
engineering school and computer science department play an important role in supplying staff and research for the technology industries, and the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
The Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology , formerly the Christchurch Technical College, is an institute of technology in Christchurch, New Zealand...
provides a flow of trained technicians and engineers. Similarly, nearby Lincoln University
Lincoln University, New Zealand
Lincoln University is a New Zealand university that was formed in 1990 when Lincoln College, Canterbury was made independent of the University of Canterbury...
has played an important role in Christchurch agribusiness.
Tourism is also a significant factor of the local economy. The closeness of the ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
-fields and other attractions of the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
, and hotels, a casino, and an airport that meet international standards make Christchurch a stopover destination for many tourists. The city is popular with Japanese tourists, with signage around Cathedral Square in Japanese.
Government
- Christchurch City CouncilChristchurch City CouncilThe Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
, comprising the Mayor of ChristchurchMayor of ChristchurchThe Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system...
, and 13 councillors elected in seven wards. - Community boards (six in the pre-amalgamation city area), each covering one ward, with five members each plus the two ward councillors. The Banks Peninsula ward has two community boards with five members each, plus the ward councillor, who is also a member of each board.
- District councilsDistricts of New ZealandA district in New Zealand is a territorial authority area governed by a District Council as a second-tier local government unit. They were formed as a result of local government reforms in 1989.-Districts:There are currently 53 districts:*Ashburton District...
in surrounding areas: Selwyn, and Waimakariri. The Banks Peninsula district council was amalgamated into Christchurch City in March 2006 after a vote by the Banks Peninsula residents to disestablish in November 2005. - Canterbury Regional Council, known as 'Environment Canterbury', including four Christchurch constituencies with two members from each constituency.
- District Health BoardDistrict Health Board (New Zealand)District Health Boards in New Zealand are organisations established by the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, responsible for ensuring the provision of health and disability services to populations within a defined geographical area. They have existed since 1 January 2001 when the ...
(Canterbury), with five members for Christchurch.
In 1993, Christchurch was selected as the "Best Run City in the World", also known as the 'Carl Bertelsmann Prize: Local Government', by the Bertelsmann Foundation
Bertelsmann Foundation
The Bertelsmann Foundation is the largest private operating non-profit foundation in Germany, created in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn. The Bertelsmann Foundation holds 77.4 percent of Bertelsmann AG....
of Germany. Especially noted was the increased efficiency of communal services in competition with private enterprises. Christchurch shared the award honour with Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, USA.
Some of the local governments in Canterbury and the New Zealand Transport Agency
New Zealand Transport Agency
The New Zealand Transport Agency is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing and investigating rail accidents. It was created on 1 August 2008 by the Land Transport Management Amendment...
have created the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy to facilitate future urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
.
Secondary schools
Christchurch is the location of Burnside High SchoolBurnside High School
Burnside High School is the second largest high school in New Zealand with over 2600 students, and is located in the suburb of Burnside in Christchurch, New Zealand.-History:...
, the second largest school in New Zealand with 2,788 pupils. Cashmere High School
Cashmere High School
Cashmere High School is a large co-educational state secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The 2008 roll was approximately 1800 making it the second-largest school in Christchurch, after Burnside High School.The School has a Conductive Education Unit....
at Rose Street is another large co-educational secondary school. In recent years, Papanui High School
Papanui High School
Papanui High School is a secondary school in Papanui, a suburb of Christchurch city, New Zealand.Papanui High School is a coeducational secondary school, located between Northlands Mall and Firestone tyre factory, opposite the Christchurch Sanitarium Health Food Company factory...
has undergone rapid growth to reach a similar size. Riccarton High School
Riccarton High School
Riccarton High School is a state co-educational secondary school located in Upper Riccarton, a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand.-History:The school opened in 1958 with an initial roll of 142 pupils and 8 teachers. The school's roll increased over time, reaching its height in 1974 when it had...
was one of the first state schools in the country to adopt a strong values base – the Riccarton Way. There are several single-sex schools; Shirley Boys' High School
Shirley Boys' High School
Shirley Boys' High School is a single sex state secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated on a 6 hectare site in the suburb of Shirley, 3.8 kilometres from the city centre...
& Christchurch Boys' High School
Christchurch Boys' High School
Christchurch Boys' High School is a single sex state secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated on a 12 hectare site between the suburbs of Riccarton and Fendalton, 4 kilometres to the west of central Christchurch. The school also provides boarding facilities for 130 boys, in a...
are the two state boys' high schools, Avonside Girls' High School
Avonside Girls' High School
Avonside Girls' High School is a large urban high school in the Christchurch, New Zealand suburb of Avonside. It has more than 1200 girls from Year 9 to Year 13....
& Christchurch Girls' High School
Christchurch Girls' High School
Christchurch Girls' High School in Christchurch, New Zealand, was established in 1877 and is the second oldest girls' secondary school in the country . Christchurch Girls' High School was established before Christchurch Boys' High School . The first headmistress was Mrs...
are the state girls' high schools in Christchurch.
Christchurch is also well known for several very traditional schools of the English public school type, such as St Thomas of Canterbury College
St Thomas of Canterbury College
St Thomas of Canterbury College is a college for year 7 to 13 boys and offers a Catholic education to its students. It is located in Christchurch, New Zealand...
, St Margaret's College, Christ's College
Christ's College, Canterbury
Christ's College, Christchurch is an independent, Anglican, secondary, day and boarding school for boys, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand....
, St Bede's College
St Bede's College, Christchurch
St. Bede's College is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school in Christchurch, New Zealand for boys aged 13 to 18 . St. Bede's is the oldest Roman Catholic Boys' College in New Zealand's South Island. It is also the only Catholic day and boarding college for boys in New Zealand's South Island....
, St Andrew's College, Villa Maria College and Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Rangi Ruru
Rangi Ruru Girls' School is a school located in Christchurch, New Zealand for girls aged 11 to 18 .It is an independent day and boarding school in the inner suburb of Merivale, close to the central city, parks, museum and airport.-History:...
, but also has several less conventional schools such as Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti
Unlimited paenga tawhiti
Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti is a state secondary school located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand.It was established in 2003 by the Christchurch-based Learning Discovery Trust which had earlier set up the primary Discovery 1 School, and is one of just eleven schools running under the...
and Hagley Community College
Hagley Community College
Hagley Community College, is a non-integrated state secondary school in inner-city Christchurch, New Zealand.Prior to 1965 the school was Christchurch West High School, which was founded in 1858....
.
Tertiary institutions
A number of tertiary educationTertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
institutions have campuses in Christchurch, or in the surrounding areas.
- University of CanterburyUniversity of CanterburyThe University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
- Lincoln UniversityLincoln University, New ZealandLincoln University is a New Zealand university that was formed in 1990 when Lincoln College, Canterbury was made independent of the University of Canterbury...
- Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of TechnologyChristchurch Polytechnic Institute of TechnologyThe Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology , formerly the Christchurch Technical College, is an institute of technology in Christchurch, New Zealand...
- University of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of Otago Christchurch School of MedicineThe University of Otago, Christchurch, formerly Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is one of three medical schools that make up the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago. It is based primarily at Christchurch Hospital, in Christchurch Central...
Transport
Christchurch is served by Christchurch International AirportChristchurch International Airport
-Facts & figures:As the gateway for Christchurch and the South Island, Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand’s second largest airport.5,908,077 passengers travelled in and out of Christchurch International Airport from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009...
and by buses (local and long-distance) and trains. The local bus service, known as Metro
Public transport in Christchurch
Public transport in Christchurch, New Zealand consists of bus services operated by three bus companies supported by a ferry, all jointly marketed as Metro.-Overview:...
, is provided by Environment Canterbury. The car, however, remains the dominant form of transport. The central city has very flat terrain and the Christchurch City Council is establishing a network of cycle lanes and paths.
There is a functioning Christchurch tramway system
Christchurch tramway system
The Christchurch tramway system was an extensive network in Christchurch, New Zealand, with steam and horse trams from 1882. Electric trams ran from 1905 to 1954, when the last line to Papanui was replaced by buses...
in Christchurch, but as a tourist attraction; its loop is restricted to a circuit of the central city. The trams were originally introduced in 1905, ceased operating in 1954, but returned to the inner city (as a tourist attraction) in 1995. In addition to normal bus services, Christchurch also has a pioneering zero-fare hybrid
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
bus service, the Shuttle, in the inner city.
The Main North Line railway travels northwards via Kaikoura
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....
to Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
and is served by the famous TranzCoastal passenger train, while the Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
heads to Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
via Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
and was used by the Southerner until its cancellation in 2002. The most famous train to depart Christchurch is the TranzAlpine
TranzAlpine
The TranzAlpine Express is a passenger train operated by Tranz Scenic in the South Island of New Zealand. This trip is often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes . The journey is one-way, taking about four and a half hours...
, which travels along the Main South Line to Rolleston
Rolleston, New Zealand
Rolleston is a town in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, New Zealand.It is located next to State Highway 1, 22 km south-west of Christchurch on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. The town uses the slogan "The Town of the Future"...
and then turns onto the Midland Line
Midland Line, New Zealand
The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
, passes through the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
via the Otira Tunnel
Otira Tunnel
The Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand between Otira and Arthur's Pass. It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira - a length of over . The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and the Otira end of the tunnel is over lower than the...
, and terminates in Greymouth on the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
. This trip is often regarded to be one of the ten great train journeys in the world for the amazing scenery through which it passes. The TranzAlpine service is primarily a tourist service and carries no significant commuter traffic. Commuter trains used to operate in Christchurch but were progressively cancelled in the 1960s and 1970s. The last such service, between Christchurch and Rangiora
Rangiora, New Zealand
Rangiora is a rural town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest town in north Canterbury and the seat of the Waimakariri District Council.-Geography:...
, ceased in 1976.
Vehicles, as they do throughout New Zealand and most Commonwealth Nations, drive on the left side of the road.
Visitor attractions
- Garden and parks
- Botanic GardensChristchurch Botanic GardensThe Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand are botanical gardens founded in 1863, when an English oak was planted on 9 July 1863 to commemorate the solemnisation of marriage between Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.The Gardens sprawl...
- Hagley ParkHagley ParkHagley Park is the largest urban open space in Christchurch, New Zealand, and was created in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public."...
- Mona ValeMona Vale, ChristchurchMona Vale, with its homestead formerly known as Karewa, is a public park of 4 ha in the Christchurch suburb of Fendalton. The homestead and gate house are both listed as heritage buildings with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust . The fernery and the rose garden, together with the setting of the...
- Riccarton House and Bush
- Botanic Gardens
- Canterbury Museum
- Ferrymead Heritage ParkFerrymead Heritage ParkFerrymead Heritage Park is a museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, housing a number of groups with historical themes, the most frequent of which is transport. Formerly known as Ferrymead Historic Park, it was founded in the mid-1960s by a number of groups, local government bodies and other...
- Orana Wildlife ParkOrana Wildlife ParkOrana Wildlife Park is New Zealand's only open-range zoo, located on the outskirts of Christchurch. It opened in 1976, and is owned and operated by the Orana Wildlife Trust, a registered charity.-External links:*...
- Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
- Royal New Zealand Air Force MuseumRoyal New Zealand Air Force MuseumThe Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum or Air Force Museum of New Zealand as it is now known, is an air force museum located located at Wigram, the RNZAF's first operational base, in Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand...
- Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House
- International Antarctic CentreInternational Antarctic CentreThe International Antarctic Centre is located in the suburb of Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand, close to Christchurch International Airport. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the city.-Description:...
- Christ Church (the Anglican cathedral), the centre of the Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
settlement was built between 1864 and 1910. - The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed SacramentCathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, ChristchurchThe Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand, commonly known as the Christchurch Basilica, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch...
, consecrated in 1905, is widely considered to be the finest renaissance-style building in Australasia. - Christchurch Art Gallery (A new gallery opened 2003 to replace the 1930 Robert McDougall Art Gallery situated in the Botanic Gardens).
- The Christchurch Arts CentreChristchurch Arts CentreThe Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
, formerly Canterbury College and the site of "Ernest RutherfordErnest RutherfordErnest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics...
's Den". - Canterbury Provincial Council BuildingsCanterbury Provincial Council BuildingsThe Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings were the buildings of the Canterbury Provincial Council that administered the Canterbury Province from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The buildings are the only purpose-built provincial government buildings in New Zealand still...
, 1858–1876. - The Lyttelton Timeball StationLyttelton Timeball StationThe Lyttelton Timeball Station was a heritage-registered timeball station and prominent local landmark in Lyttelton, New Zealand. The station was significantly damaged by a series of earthquakes and aftershocks in 2010 and 2011, and finally collapsed on the 13 June 2011 after a magnitude 6.3...
. - The New BrightonNew Brighton, New ZealandNew Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, about to the east of the city centre.-Naming:The naming of New Brighton was apparently done on a 'spur of moment' decision by William Fee, an early settler of the area...
pier. - Heathcote (Christchurch) Gondola
- Punting on the river Avon
- The Summit Road along the top of the Port Hills and Godley Head Road provides numerous spectacular views of the area and features the buildings created as wayside rests, the Sign of the TakaheSign of the TakaheThe Sign of the Takahe is today a restaurant and function centre built in the style of an English Manor House. Designed by J. G. Collins, construction was carried out between 1918 and 1948...
(now a function centre) and Sign of the KiwiSign of the KiwiThe Sign of the Kiwi, originally called Toll House, is a small café and shop at Dyers Pass on the road between Christchurch and Governors Bay. It was built in 1916/1917 by Harry Ell as a staging post and opened as a tearoom and rest house...
. The Mt Pleasant Trig offers 360° views from Lyttelton Harbour back over the hills to the southern alps and the city, and out over Pegasus Bay. - Walkways including Victoria Park, the Bridle Path and Whitewash HeadWhitewash HeadWhitewash Head is the name of the seaward clifftop on Scarborough Hill in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. Taylors Mistake Walkway between Sumner and Taylors Mistake goes past Whitewash Head. There is a Spotted Shag colony in the cliff below Whitewash Head....
, a bird sanctuary. - Mountain bikingMountain bikingMountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
on the Port Hills and Bottle Lake ForestBottle Lake ForestBottle Lake Forest is a production forest and recreational park located in Christchurch, New Zealand, approximately 10 km north-east of the city centre. The visitor centre at the Forest's entry from Waitikiri Drive provides visitors with information about the different roles of Bottle Lake Forest...
. Christchurch Mountainbiking - There is a large nesting colony of Spotted ShagSpotted ShagThe Spotted Shag or Parekareka, Phalacrocorax punctatus, is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand. Originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that to be for a time placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo,...
s immediately south of Christchurch.
Parks and nature
The large number of public parks and well-developed residential gardens with many trees has given Christchurch the name of The Garden City. Hagley ParkHagley Park
Hagley Park is the largest urban open space in Christchurch, New Zealand, and was created in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public."...
and the 30-hectare (75 acre) Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand are botanical gardens founded in 1863, when an English oak was planted on 9 July 1863 to commemorate the solemnisation of marriage between Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.The Gardens sprawl...
, founded in 1863, are in the central city, with Hagley Park being a site for sports such as golf, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, and for open air concerts by local bands and orchestras. To the north of the city is the Willowbank
Willowbank, Christchurch
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife park and nature reserve in Christchurch, New Zealand.As well as having public displays of various animal species it also carries out conservation of native species.-External links:*...
wildlife park. Travis Wetland
Travis Wetland
Travis Wetland is an ecological restoration programme in the suburb of Burwood in Christchurch, New Zealand.It covers 116 ha of land formerly drained and used as a dairy farm...
, an ecological restoration programme to create a wetland, is to the east of the city centre in the suburb of Burwood
Burwood, New Zealand
Burwood is a north-eastern suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb is mostly a residential area and is centred around Burwood Hospital, Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park and Bottle Lake Forest...
.
Cinema
While historically most cinemas were grouped around Cathedral Square, only two cinemas remain there. The Regent complex was rebuilt as 'Regent on Worcester' in 1996. In 2009 Metro Cinemas opened in Worcester Street with three screens.Only one of the first generation of suburban cinemas, the Hollywood in Sumner, remains open. The largest multiplexes are the Hoyts
Hoyts
The Hoyts Group is an Australian company consisting of Hoyts Exhibition, Hoyts Distribution and Val Morgan.Hoyts Exhibition manages 450 screens across 40 Australian and 10 New Zealand cinema complexes; making it Australia's second largest cinema chain. Val Morgan, the cinema advertising arm of the...
8 in the old railway station on Moorhouse Avenue and Reading Cinemas
Reading Entertainment
Reading Entertainment is a movie theater company which is part of Reading International, Inc., successor to the Reading Company, whose railroad properties were conveyed to government-owned Conrail in 1976. Most of its operations are in Australia, New Zealand, and United States under the Reading...
(also eight screens) in the Palms shopping centre in Shirley. Hoyts in Riccarton opened in 2005 with one of its screens for a time holding the record for the largest in New Zealand.
The Rialto Cinemas on Moorhouse avenue specialise in international films and art house productions. The Rialto also hosts the majority of the city's various film festivals and is home to the local film society.
The Christchurch Arts Centre
Christchurch Arts Centre
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
includes two art house cinemas, Cloisters and The Academy, screening a wide selection of contemporary, classic and foreign language films.
The Canterbury Film Society is active in the city.
Theatre
Christchurch has one full-time professional theatre, the Court Theatre, which is based in the Christchurch Arts Centre. There is also an active recreational theatre scene with community based theatre companies, such as the Christchurch Repertory Society, Elmwood Players, Riccarton Players, and Canterbury Children's Theatre, producing many quality shows.Music
The city is known for its many live acts, has a professional symphony orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, and is the base of professional opera company, Southern Opera.
Christchurch is a home for experimental music scene of New Zealand. The town is the home to such bands as The Bats
The Bats
The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean , Malcolm Grant , Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward...
, Shocking Pinks
Shocking Pinks
Shocking Pinks are a band formed by Nick Harte and based in Christchurch, New Zealand.Nick Harte has been in New Zealand bands such as CM Ensemble, Hiatus, The Incisions, Montessouri, Laudanum, Luxor Dance Ensemble, Urinator, Solaa, The Brunettes and Pig Out. The band has been signed to New York...
and Bailter Space
Bailter Space
Bailter Space is an atmospheric noise rock band that formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1987 as Nelsh Bailter Space; they had previously recorded as The Gordons. Its members are Alister Parker , John Halvorsen , Brent McLachlan...
.
There are usually buskers around the town square, and Christchurch also hosts the World Buskers Festival in January each year.
Singer/songwriter Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
famously launched her very successful international career by busking in Christchurch. Soon she was signed to Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
New Zealand, then later to Decca Label Group in London, England, where she now bases her career.
Christchurch also has an active and relatively large Metal scene
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, with metal acts playing in various locations around the central city almost weekly.
Christchurch is considered the New Zealand home of Drum and Bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and to a lesser extent Dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
and various other "Bass Heavy" genres. Some of New Zealand's top performing acts such as Shapeshifter, Tiki Taane
Tiki Taane
Tiki Taane is a New Zealand musician and former member of leading New Zealand band Salmonella Dub. Taane left Salmonella Dub on 1 January 2007 to pursue a solo career...
and Truth
Truth (Dubstep Artist)
Tristan Roake and Andre Fernandez, better known as Truth are a dubstep production duo from Christchurch, New Zealand. They first rose to prominence in 2008 when Mala of Digital Mystikz signed their debut single The Fatman / Stolen Children for his Deep Medi Musik label...
are from Christchurch. Venues and clubs such as The Bedford, Ministry, and Double Happy and many more regularly have international and New Zealand leading acts within the Drum and Bass scene performing live in Christchurch, along with dance parties, raves and gigs all featuring NZ and local Drum and Bass DJs, with often 2 or 3 happening on a single night or weekend (e.g. 2010 when UK Dubstep DJ Doctor P
Doctor P
Doctor P is the stage name of the English dubstep record producer and DJ, Shaun Brockhurst. Shaun also produces drum and bass under the aliases Sounds Destructive, Slum Dogz and DJ Picto...
with Crushington
The Upbeats
The Upbeats are a drum and bass production duo consisting of Jeremy Glenn and Dylan Jones from Wellington, New Zealand. They have also produced various other genres of music including dubstep and breaks.-Biography:...
was playing at The Bedford, while simultaneously Concord Dawn
Concord Dawn
Concord Dawn, is a New Zealand drum and bass group, active since mid 1999. It consists of Matt Harvey and Evan Short...
featuring Trei and Bulletproof was playing at Ministry). Independent Christchurch based radio station Pulzar FM
Pulzar FM
Pulzar FM is an independent radio station based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It broadcasts on 105.7FM and is targeted at a youth demographic with a slight female bias, focusing on playing a wide range of the many different genres of dance & electronic music....
is one of the few radio stations in New Zealand that plays Drum and Bass during the day.
In recent movements, hip hop has effectively landed in Christchurch. In 2000, First Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit was held there. And in 2003, Christchurch’s own Scribe
Scribe (rapper)
Malo Luafutu better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand hip hop rapper and recording artist of Samoan descent...
, released his debut album in New Zealand and has received five times platinum in that country, in addition to achieving two number one singles.
Television
Christchurch has its own regional television station Canterbury TelevisionCanterbury Television
Canterbury Television is an independent television station broadcasting in Canterbury, New Zealand.The name is synonymous with regional television in New Zealand as it was the name of the first regional broadcaster to operate in New Zealand. CTV produces and screens more than twenty hours of...
. CTV was first formed in 1991 and still today reflects the Canterbury community through locally made programmes.
The building collapsed on the 22 February 2011 due to a 6.3 magnitude aftershock. The cause of the collapse is yet to be investigated.
Venues
The CBS Canterbury Arena is New Zealand's second largest permanent multipurpose arena, seating between 5000 and 8000, depending on configuration. It is home of the Canterbury Tactix netball side. It was the venue for the 1999 World NetballNetball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
championships and has been host to many concerts in recent years.
The Christchurch Town Hall
Christchurch Town Hall
The Christchurch Town Hall, since 2007 formally known as the Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts, opened in 1972, is Christchurch's premier performing arts centre. It is located in the central city on the banks of the Avon River overlooking Victoria Square. It is situated opposite the...
auditorium (2500 seats, opened 1972) was the first major auditorium design by architects Warren
Miles Warren
Sir Miles Warren, ONZ, KBE, FNZIA is New Zealand's foremost modern architect. He apprenticed under Cecil Wood before studying architecture at the University of Auckland, eventually working at the London County Council where he was exposed to British New Brutalism...
and Mahoney and acousticians Marshall Day. It is still recognised as a model example of concert-hall design. It has an excellent modern pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
Christchurch also has a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, and there are also a wide range of live music venues–some short-lived, others with decades of history. Classical music concerts are held at the Christchurch Music Centre.
Teams
- The Crusaders, formerly the 'Canterbury Crusaders', are a rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team based in Christchurch that compete in the Super Rugby competition and are made up of players from the Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman, and West Coast provincial rugby unions. - The Canterbury Rugby Football UnionCanterbury Rugby Football UnionThe Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
, which governs rugby union in Christchurch and the surrounding region, fields a representative teamCanterbury representative rugby union teamThe Canterbury representative rugby union team, generally referred to as Canterbury, are the top representative rugby union team under the Canterbury Rugby Football Union in New Zealand...
that represents the city in New Zealand's annual professional domestic rugby union competition, the ITM Cup. - The Canterbury WizardsCanterbury WizardsThe Canterbury Wizards are a New Zealand first class cricket team based in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is one of six teams that make up New Zealand Cricket and has been the most successful domestic team in New Zealand history...
are Christchurch's men's cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team in New Zealand's State Championship while the Magicians play in the counterpart women's tournament - The Canterbury Tactix play in the trans-Tasman ANZ ChampionshipANZ ChampionshipThe ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
netballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
league. Prior to 2008, the Canterbury FlamesCanterbury FlamesThe Canterbury Tactix are a New Zealand netball team based in Christchurch, New Zealand that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The team was one of the founding franchises in the National Bank Cup, formerly the premier netball competition in New Zealand , during which the team...
played in the national netball league, competing for the National Bank CupNational Bank CupThe National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship.-Format:...
. - Canterbury UnitedCanterbury UnitedCanterbury United FC is an association football club from Christchurch, New Zealand. The club plays most of its matches at English Park in Christchurch, though they occasionally play in Nelson...
play in the New Zealand Football ChampionshipNew Zealand Football ChampionshipThe New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
. They play their matches at English ParkEnglish ParkEnglish Park is a multi-use stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Canterbury United. The stadium has a capacity of 9,000 people....
. - The Christchurch CougarsChristchurch CougarsThe Christchurch Cougars are a professional men's basketball team based in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. They play in the New Zealand National Basketball League....
play in the National Basketball LeagueNational Basketball League (New Zealand)The National Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NBL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in New Zealand.There were 10 teams in the 2010 season with teams based in Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North,...
replacing the Canterbury Rams. - The Canterbury Red DevilsCanterbury Red DevilsThe Canterbury Red Devils is a team in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League. It is based in Christchurch, New Zealand and was founded in 2005. After being runners up in the two previous years, the Red Devils are the 2009 NZIHL champions...
play in the New Zealand Ice Hockey LeagueNew Zealand Ice Hockey LeagueThe NZIHL is New Zealand’s national league. It is an amateur league that was formed in 2005 to develop the sport in the New Zealand and to give the top players regular competition against each other and to allow them to improve the skill level of the game domestically as well become more...
(NZIHL) and play at Alpine Ice. - Christchurch UnitedChristchurch UnitedChristchurch United is a semi-professional association football club in Christchurch, New Zealand. They compete in the Robbie's Premier Football League.-Club history:...
was founded in 1863, believed to be the oldest club of any code in New Zealand.
Events
- 1974 British Commonwealth Games1974 British Commonwealth GamesThe 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games....
- 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup1982 Women's Cricket World CupThe 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup was held in New Zealand. The competition featured England, Australia, New Zealand, India and an International XI. The matches were held over 60 overs. Australia defeated England in the final at Christchurch in front of 3,000 spectators, winning by 3 wickets in...
- 1989 XVI World Games for the Deaf (Now known Deaflympics) This was the first time the World Deaf Games was held in the Southern Hemisphere, in Christchurch
- 1992 Cricket World Cup1992 Cricket World Cup-New Zealand:-Round Robin Stage:Co-hosts New Zealand proved the surprise packet of the tournament, winning their first seven games to finish on top of the table after the round robin. The other hosts, Australia, were one of the pre-tournament favourites but lost their first two matches. They...
- 1999 Netball World Championships1999 Netball World ChampionshipsThe 1999 World Netball Championships was the tenth staging of the World Netball Championships, the premier tournament in international netball, held every four years. The 1999 tournament was held in Christchurch, New Zealand and was contested by 24 teams. All matches were held at the Westpac...
- 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup2000 Women's Cricket World CupThe 7th IWCC Women's Cricket World Cup was held in New Zealand from 29 November to 23 December 2000.Teams from New Zealand, Australia, England, India, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and The Netherlands played each other once in a round robin format to determine the semi finalists.Australia...
- 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships2011 IPC Athletics World ChampionshipsThe 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships was held in Christchurch, New Zealand from January 21 to 30, 2011. Athletes with a disability competed, and the Championships was a qualifying event for the London 2012 Paralympic Games....
note: The Rugby World Cup 2011 was set to host events in Christchurch, due to the damage to AMI stadium, due to the 2011 earthquake, these events were moved to other venues.
Venues
- AMI Stadium (formerly Jade Stadium & Lancaster Park) is Christchurch's premier outdoor sporting ground, which plays host to rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in the winter months and cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in the summer months. It is home to the Crusaders Super 14Super 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
and Canterbury Air New Zealand CupAir New Zealand CupThe ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
rugby teams. It is also used by the New Zealand national cricket team and occasionally hosts a New Zealand WarriorsNew Zealand WarriorsThe New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
rugby leagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
match. AMI Stadium has a capacity of around 40,000 people for sporting fixtures, and around 50,000 for concerts. - Queen Elizabeth II ParkQueen Elizabeth II ParkQueen Elizabeth II Park is a multi-use stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. The stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people. It was built in 1973, to host the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in which a temporary 15000 seat western stand was erected for the event taking capacity to 35000...
was built for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games1974 British Commonwealth GamesThe 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games....
, which Christchurch hosted. It is used primarily as an athleticsAthletics (track and field)Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
park, but also contains a newly upgraded swimming pool complex. It has hosted major concerts from bands such as AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and the Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. The Complex has been closed since February 2011 and has been marked for demolition. - Porritt Park in AvonsideAvonsideAvonside is an eastern suburb in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is one of the oldest suburbs of the city, with only Heathcote being older.-History:...
and Nunweek Park in BishopdaleBishopdale, New Zealand-History:The suburb is named after the three Bishop brothers, James , Robert and William , who bought land in the area in 1858 or 1859 and established pipfruit orchards. Initially, the area was called Bishopsdale, but the second 's' was dropped from the name...
are the main hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
venues of the city. - CBS Arena in Addington, Christchurch. Hosted the 1999 Netball World Championships1999 Netball World ChampionshipsThe 1999 World Netball Championships was the tenth staging of the World Netball Championships, the premier tournament in international netball, held every four years. The 1999 tournament was held in Christchurch, New Zealand and was contested by 24 teams. All matches were held at the Westpac...
and continues to host international basketball and netball games. - Christchurch has more than a dozen golf courses, and has hosted the PGA Tour of AustralasiaPGA Tour of AustralasiaThe PGA Tour of Australasia is a professional golf tour for men. Official events on the tour count for World Golf Ranking points. The tour was formed in 1973 as the PGA Tour of Australia and adopted its current name in 1991....
/Nationwide TourNationwide TourThe Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
co-sanctioned Clearwater Classic/NZ PGA ChampionshipNew Zealand PGA ChampionshipThe New Zealand PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is currently known for sponsorship reasons as the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship. It has been played since 1920, with some gap periods. It was originally a match play event and switched to stroke play in 1965...
at Clearwater Resort since 2002. - Alpine Ice Arena is home to the Canterbury Red DevilsCanterbury Red DevilsThe Canterbury Red Devils is a team in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League. It is based in Christchurch, New Zealand and was founded in 2005. After being runners up in the two previous years, the Red Devils are the 2009 NZIHL champions...
. It has hosted many national and international Ice Hockey tournaments, figure skating and speed skating events. The Aardwolfs Ice Hockey ClubAardwolfs Ice Hockey ClubThe Aardwolfs Ice Hockey Club is based in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Aardwolfs now compete as part of the Christchurch Senior Non-Checking Ice Hockey League...
also play at the arena. - English Park in St Albans is the home venue for the Christchurch United Soccer team that plays in the national league.
Sister cities
Christchurch has seven sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
around the world. They are: Adelaide
City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre settlement, , North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.Established in 1840, the organisation now...
, South Australia, Australia Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, Dorset, United Kingdom Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
, Gansu, China Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan Seattle, Washington, United States of America Songpa-gu
Songpa-gu
Songpa-gu is a district of Seoul, South Korea. Songpa is located at the southeastern part of Seoul, the capital of Korea, Songpa is a district with the largest population...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hubei, China
See also
- Christchurch City CouncilChristchurch City CouncilThe Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since 2007, the Mayor of Christchurch is Bob Parker, who stood as an independent candidate...
- Christchurch City HoldingsChristchurch City HoldingsChristchurch City Holdings Ltd is a wholly owned investment arm of the Christchurch City Council. The council controlled trading organisations own and run some of the important infrastructure in Christchurch, such as the public transport and electricity delivery in the city.- Lyttelton Port...
- List of radio stations in Christchurch
Official organisations
- Christchurch City Council (official council website)
- Environment Canterbury (official regional council website)
- Canterbury District Health Board (official district health board website)
Culture & information
- Christchurchmusic.org.nz (music industry portal)
- Christchurch City Libraries (official libraries website)
- Christchurch & Canterbury (official tourism guide & visitor information)
- BeThere (events in Christchurch and Canterbury)
- Localeye (online gateway to Christchurch & Canterbury)
- Christchurch.org.nz (official website promoting Christchurch)
- Ti Kouka Whenua (local Māori history of the Christchurch area)
- The Big City (private website listing events, New Zealand music info archive)
- WhatsonChristchurch (events and local resources website)
Tourism & maps
- Christchurch maps (from www.zoomin.co.nz)
- Christchurch maps (from www.wises.co.nz)
- Heritage Maps (from Christchurch City Libraries)