108-414: 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 , Sri Lanka in what at the time was known as Ceylon . Parts of the street which run through Sydenham were known as Addison Street during
216-415: A temperate oceanic climate with regular moderate rainfall. The area of modern-day greater Christchurch was first inhabited by the historic Māori iwi Waitaha in the mid-thirteenth century. Waitaha, who occupied the swamplands with patchworks of marshland , were invaded by Kāti Māmoe in the sixteenth century, and then were absorbed by Kāi Tahu a century later. Ōtautahi was inhabited seasonally, and
324-612: A few months later in December 1856. In 1862 the Christchurch City Council was established. By 1874, Christchurch was New Zealand's fourth-largest city with a population of 14,270 residents. Between 1871 and 1876 nearly 20,000 immigrants arrived in Canterbury, and through the 1880s frozen meat joined wool as a primary export. The last decades of the nineteenth-century were a period of significant growth for
432-405: A few months later, which occurred directly under the city centre and also caused widespread damage, but this was less severe. Nearly two months later, on Tuesday 22 February 2011, an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 struck the city at 12:51 pm. Its hypocentre was located closer to the city, near Lyttelton, at a depth of 5 km (3 mi). Although lower on the moment magnitude scale than
540-554: A grid pattern, centred on Cathedral Square . Growth initially took place along the tramlines, leading to radial development. Major expansion occurred in the 1950s and 60s, with the development of large areas of state housing . Settlements that had originally been remote, such as Sumner , New Brighton , Upper Riccarton and Papanui eventually became amalgamated into the expanding city. The Christchurch functional urban area , as defined by Statistics New Zealand, covers 2,408.1 km (929.8 sq mi). Towns and settlements in
648-516: A legal width of 1.5 chains (99 ft; 30 m), and the cathedral to be placed west of this thoroughfare. Christianity has adopted the practice of praying towards the East as the Orient was thought of as containing the mankind's original home. Hence, most Christian churches are oriented towards the east, and to comply with this convention, Henry Harper , Christchurch's first Bishop , lobbied to have
756-609: A major trading centre was established at Kaiapoi Pā . British colonial settlement began in the mid-nineteenth century. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the Canterbury Pilgrims from Britain to Lyttelton Harbour in 1850. It became a city by royal charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand. Christchurch
864-733: A metropolitan population of over half a million. It is located in the Canterbury Region , 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 and to the south by the ancient volcanic complex of the Banks Peninsula . The Avon River (Ōtākaro) winds through the centre of
972-595: A number of minor natural disasters during this period. Heavy rain caused the Waimakariri River to flood Christchurch in February 1868. Victoria Square (known as Market Place at the time) was left underwater with "the whole left side of the [Avon] river from Montreal-street bridge to Worcester street was all one lake, as deep as up to a horse's belly". Christchurch buildings were damaged by earthquakes in 1869 , 1881 and 1888 . The 1888 earthquake caused
1080-435: A period when there was also slow subsidence in the eastern coastal plains of Canterbury and Christchurch. The result has been the deposition of sequences of mostly fluvial gravel (occurring during periods of low sea level and glaciation), and fine deposits of silt, sand and clay, with some peat, shells and wood (occurring during interglacial periods when the sea level was similar to the present). The layers of gravel beneath
1188-408: A place for study and recreation, a Common Room, showers and changing facilities, and areas for storing books and sports clothing. Boys meet here at the beginning of each day for House Assembly where they receive notices for the day and reminders of forthcoming events to prepare for from their Housemaster. In the boarding environment, the facilities and support systems are more comprehensive. Assisting
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#17327805224951296-571: A population density of 1,370 people per km . Christ%27s College, Christchurch Christ's College, Canterbury is an independent Anglican secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in the city centre of Christchurch , New Zealand. Founded in 1850 by Reverend Henry Jacobs in Lyttelton as a school for early settlers, the college is the oldest independent school in the country. The college currently caters for approximately 698 students from Year 9 to Year 13. Christ's College
1404-488: A strong emphasis on extra-curricular activities. Throughout the year there are opportunities in many areas; speech and drama, kapa haka , music, debating, model United Nations and several other activities. Performing arts are a large aspect of college life, with all boys expected to participate in at least one part; there is a Junior and Senior production each year (in collaboration with Rangi Ruru Girls' School or St Margaret's College ), an annual House Singing competition and
1512-424: A terrorist attack targeting two mosques on 15 March 2019. The name Christchurch was adopted at the first meeting of the Canterbury Association on 27 March 1848. The reason it was chosen is not known with certainty, but the most likely reason is it was named after Christ Church, Oxford , the alma mater of many members of the association, including John Robert Godley . Christ Church college had similarities with
1620-551: A two-year course from Year 10–11. There are many academic disciplines offered at the school as subjects, varying from the standard English and Mathematics to French, drama, classical studies, physical education, art history, sciences and many other subjects. Mathematics is compulsory up to and including year 11. Year 9, 10, and 11 classes consist of a wide array of subjects to introduce students to different subject to see what they enjoy before having to select subjects in year 12 which go towards NCEA level 2. Christ's College also places
1728-764: Is a suburban shopping centre. Colombo Street crosses the Christchurch ring route ( SH 76 , at that point called Brougham Street) and enters the commercial/industrial part of Sydenham. North of Sydenham, Colombo Street crosses the Christchurch-Lyttelton railway line via a flyover then passes beneath the Moorhouse Avenue flyover, entering the Christchurch Central City . It passes the Bus Interchange (until 2011
1836-701: Is an International Member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC). The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) represents the Heads of the leading independent schools in Ireland and the United Kingdom and International schools mainly from the Commonwealth. Christ's College is one of only three member schools in New Zealand. Christ's College is also member of Round Square , an international network of 230 schools in 50 countries around
1944-823: Is an integral part of school life, the Christ's College Chapel Choir consists of approximately eighty boys though changes yearly with the incoming year 9 group and leaving year 13's. The choir sings at chapel services, public and private events and takes part in several singing competitions such as the Big Sing, and in 2007 the international Summa Cum Laude Festival in Vienna (attaining second place). The school offers students NCEA Levels 2 and 3 and scholarship examinations through NZQA . From 2022, they have discontinued NCEA Level 1 and replaced it with 'the College Diploma',
2052-556: Is defined as the area centred on Cathedral Square and within the Four Avenues (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue). It includes Hagley Park , and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens . The design of the central city with its grid pattern of streets, city squares and parkland was laid out by 1850. The central city was among the most heavily damaged areas of Christchurch in
2160-431: Is made up of a rugby jersey or singlet in the house colour and black or white shorts, depending on the house. Each different sport also has its own uniform for games, a black tracksuit with College crest is required for travelling to and from games venues and for field trips where the uniform of the day is not suitable. The Christ's College governing body comprises a chairman, Warden and Fellows. The Bishop of Christchurch
2268-651: Is recorded. The lowest temperature recorded in Christchurch was −9.4 °C (15 °F) in the suburb of Wigram in July 1945. On cold winter nights, the surrounding hills, clear skies, and frosty 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. To limit air pollution,
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#17327805224952376-434: Is worn on Mondays and Fridays, and sports uniform is worn on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Dress uniform is required for chapel services and other formal occasions. A high standard of dress is expected at all times and boys are punished for incorrect or incorrectly worn uniform, boys must always wear their blazers when in town, even with summer uniform. Each house has a different uniform for inter house sporting events and
2484-487: The Ballantynes department store on the corner of Cashel and Colombo Streets unexpectedly burned out of control, resulting in New Zealand's worst fire disaster . Despite being initially thought to be under control, the fire suddenly spread to the upper floors and consumed the entire building within minutes. The speed of the fire trapped 41 staff members on the upper floor, all of whom were killed. The department store
2592-713: The Black Map ), which was undertaken in 1850, it was envisaged for Christ's College and ChristChurch Cathedral to be built adjacent to one another in Cathedral Square , modelled on Christ Church, Oxford . The area set aside for the college in Cathedral Square, 3 acres 1 rood and 3 perches (13,230 m ), was found to be insufficient. In a meeting in June 1853 between Henry Sewell , Henry Jacobs , Rev. Robert Bateman Paul, and Thomas Cass , Sewell took
2700-659: 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 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) by sea around the coast and up the Avon Heathcote Estuary to Ferrymead . Overturned boats at the Sumner bar were a frequent cause of new arrivals to
2808-608: The Bus Exchange ), the city's central bus depot and crosses the major pedestrian mall, City Mall (Cashel Street) before being interrupted by Cathedral Square , the heart of Christchurch. In the square it crosses the loop of the Christchurch tramway circuit, crossing it again two blocks north at Armagh Street. From Armagh Street it skirts the edge of Victoria Square and crosses the Avon River / Ōtākaro before passing
2916-534: The Cathedral Square article . Much of Colombo Street through Sydenham was damaged by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake . For several months, the road was only partially open. Further earthquake damage was caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake . Many of the remaining historic buildings in Sydenham have subsequently been demolished. Buildings between St Asaph Street and Hereford Street suffered major damage, with many having since been removed. Two buses in
3024-589: 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 . Transport between the port and the new settlement at Christchurch was a major problem for the early settlers. By December 1849, Thomas had commissioned the construction of a road from Port Cooper, later Lyttelton , to Christchurch via Evans Pass and Sumner . By
3132-585: The Halswell River begins north-west of the Port Hills on the periphery of Christchurch and flows to Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora . As a consequence of the flat terrain and spring-fed streams, large parts of the area now occupied by Christchurch City were originally a coastal wetland, with extensive swamp forests. Much of the forest was destroyed by fire, mostly likely by the earliest inhabitants, from around 1000 CE . When European settlers arrived in
3240-545: The James Hay Theatre , part of the Christchurch Town Hall . Colombo Street passes St Mary's Primary School and the former Christchurch Women's Hospital complex (now demolished) before crossing Bealey Avenue and entering the residential suburb of St Albans . The street terminates at Edgeware Road, 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) north of Cathedral Square. The highest street number is 1075. Until
3348-471: The Port Hills and Cashmere and Centaurus Roads, which run along the foot of the hills. For its first few hundred metres the street runs north-northeast through the suburb of Somerfield , before turning due north and crossing the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River in the residential suburb of Beckenham . The suburb of Sydenham starts once Tennyson Street is crossed. Between Tennyson Street and Strickland Street
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3456-619: The University of Canterbury ). Christchurch has hosted numerous international sporting events, notably the 1974 British Commonwealth Games at the purpose-built Queen Elizabeth II Park . The city has been recognised as an Antarctic gateway since 1901, and is nowadays one of the five Antarctic gateway cities hosting Antarctic support bases for several nations. Christchurch is served by the Christchurch Airport in Harewood ,
3564-400: The 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road . Colombo Street runs for 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi) due north-south. As with most Christchurch north-south streets, its numbering starts at its southern end. Like most of central Christchurch, the street is flat. It starts 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the city centre at a roundabout junction with Dyers Pass Rd, which descends from
3672-486: The 19th century, the area was a mixture of swamp and tussock grasslands, with only remnant patches of forest. An early European visitor was William Barnard Rhodes , captain of the barque Australian, who climbed the Port Hills from Lyttelton Harbour in September 1836 and observed a large grassy plain with two small areas of forest. He reported that "All the land that I saw was swamp and mostly covered with water". Most of
3780-485: The 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Following the second earthquake, the Central City Red Zone was set up as an exclusion zone for public safety reasons, and many parts remained closed to the public until June 2013. A large number of heritage buildings were demolished following the earthquake, along with most of the city's high rise buildings . The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan was developed to lead
3888-540: The Avon River which is home to the Christ's College rowing club, consisting of a boat house which houses top quality rowing equipment. It is claimed that a form of rugby was being played at the school as early as 1853. Each year its rugby team plays with Wanganui Collegiate School , Wellington College and Nelson College in a tournament known as the "Quadrangular". It also has a long-running rivalry with Christchurch Boys' High School , and an annual rugby match between
3996-867: The Blessed Sacrament was opened in February 1905. It was designed by Francis Petre with inspiration from the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Paris. In 1906, the New Zealand International Exhibition opened in Hagley Park, which had over a million visitors. In 1908, the city experienced its first major fire which started at the Strange's Department Store and destroyed buildings in central Christchurch on High St, Cashel St and Lichfield Streets. Christchurch
4104-546: The Chief Censor, making the footage illegal to possess and distribute within New Zealand. On 2 June 2020, the attacker pleaded guilty to multiple charges of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism. On 27 August, he was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole, the first time such a sentence was handed down in New Zealand. Christchurch is halfway along the east coast of the South Island , facing
4212-602: The Christchurch urban area , 3,310 people in the Lyttelton urban area, 1,720 people in the Diamond Harbour urban area, and 6,770 people in rural settlements and areas. Christchurch City had a population of 391,383 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 22,377 people (6.1%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 49,914 people (14.6%) since the 2013 census . There were 192,684 males, 196,557 females and 2,139 people of other genders in 150,909 dwellings. 4.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age
4320-535: The Housemaster are an assistant housemaster, a matron, and two live-in tutors who are also studying at university. Most of the school facilities, such as the library, computer room, gymnasium, pool, music and art rooms, and the workshop, are open for use by boarding boys out of school hours. Evening activities during the week include set times for homework, but recreational activities are also encouraged. The Christ's College Boarding Programme keeps boarders busy in
4428-719: The Lyttelton Immigration Barracks. The school left Lyttelton in 1852 and moved over the hill to the St Michael 's parsonage in Oxford Terrace with 16 students. Henry Jacobs , the first headmaster, ensured that his school enabled both boarders and day boys to attend. Christ's College moved to its present site in 1856, with 35 pupils and a staff of three. This location, adjacent to the Government Domain (now Hagley Park ), provided
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4536-653: The North Island and invaded the Christchurch basin, ultimately gaining control of much of Canterbury. Kāi Tahu arrived a century later, and the two ultimately absorbed Waitaha through a mixture of conflict and marriage. For these early Māori, the area of Christchurch was an important foraging ground and a seasonal settlement. Several Māori settlements were within Christchurch during the early-nineteenth century, such as Pūtarikamotu in modern-day Riccarton , and Papanui . In both cases these were located in areas of surviving tall forest. In South New Brighton there
4644-458: The Port Hill almost reaching Governors Bay in the south-west. Eleven houses were destroyed by fire and over 2,076 hectares (5,130 acres) of land was burned. In 2024, a second fire on the Port Hills burned 700 hectares (1,700 acres). The fire was also started under similarly suspicious circumstances. Lessons from the 2017 fire contributed to a more effective emergency response, and the fire
4752-646: The Provincial Council was £1,200, but with 10 acres (40,000 m ), the college was also given a much larger piece of land. The Christ's College grounds have a collection of nineteenth century, and turn-of-the-century buildings, as well as newly built buildings such as the Old Boys Theatre and the Fine Arts Building. The neogothic style is dominant, as was the case for most notable colonial-period buildings in Christchurch, such as
4860-809: The REACTION House Play festival, where each house forms a group of students to perform a play for the Tothill Cup Interhouse Drama Trophy. Students are encouraged to partake in areas they have not attempted before, especially within these inter-house arts competitions. Sport is compulsory for all boys; there is an extensive selection of sports available with boys choosing both a summer and winter option each year. As well as school sports, there are ongoing inter-house sports competitions, where all students are expected to participate in, or to come and support their houses. Extra sporting activities are also available: for example,
4968-513: The South Pacific Ocean. With the exception of the Port Hills on Banks Peninsula to its south, the city sits on flat land, on average around 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. The present land mass of New Zealand split from the super continent of Gondwana around 85 million years ago. Prior to that time, mudstone and hardened sandstones commonly known as greywacke was deposited and deformed by tectonic movement. Following
5076-517: The Tautahi in question was the son of the Port Levy chief Huikai. Prior to that, Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana , an anglicised version. "ChCh" is commonly used as an abbreviation of Christchurch . In New Zealand Sign Language , Christchurch is signed with two Cs. Prior to European occupation of the modern-day greater Christchurch area, the land
5184-460: The alignment of Colombo Street through Cathedral Square was changed again by introducing a curve towards the west; the western side of the legal road had a radius of 3 chains 75 links (75 m). The purpose of this change was to allow the placement of the cathedral slightly further west, making its tower visible along Colombo Street from a distance. Until 1965, Colombo Street did not stop at Cathedral Square but continued across it, running across
5292-455: The area begins in approximately 1250 C.E., with evidence of prolonged occupation beginning no later than 1350 AD. These first occupants lived in coastal caves around modern-day Sumner , and preyed upon local species of moa . The early settlers and their descendants became known as the historic Waitaha iwi. Around c. 1500 the Kāti Māmoe iwi migrated south from the east coast of
5400-683: The area in 1849 and 1850. Working with his assistant, Edward Jollie , they named the various ports and settlements in the area, and chose a simple grid pattern for the streets of Christchurch. The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour in 1850. These sailing vessels were the Randolph , Charlotte Jane , Sir George Seymour , and Cressy . The journey took three to four months, and
5508-506: The cathedral, and the original buildings of Canterbury University (formerly Canterbury College), which is now the Christchurch Arts Centre . 'Big School', built in 1863, is the original classroom for the Christchurch site of the school, and is one of the oldest surviving buildings of its type in New Zealand. College House was created as part of Christ's College in 1850. According to College House: [Christ's College]
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#17327805224955616-818: The census question. At the 2018 census, Europeans formed the majority in all sixteen wards, ranging from 57.7% in the Riccarton ward to 93.1% in the Banks Peninsula ward. The highest concentrations of Māori and Pasifika people were in the Linwood ward (18.3% and 9.0% respectively), followed by the Burwood ward (15.5% and 6.6%), while the highest concentrations of Asian people were in the Riccarton ward (34.9%) and Waimairi ward (26.7%). Christchurch urban area covers 294.43 km (113.68 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 403,300 as of June 2024, with
5724-488: The central city remaining relatively unchanged between 1914 and 1960, Christchurch grew rapidly during the 20th century in part due to the construction of many state houses . The earliest state houses were built in Sydenham in the 1900s, to house workers that were employed in nearby factories, with more houses built in 1909 near the Addington Railway Workshops . In November 1947, a basement fire at
5832-613: The city, despite the national economic depression. Many of the city's stone Gothic Revival buildings by provincial architect Benjamin Mountfort date from around this period, including Canterbury University College , ChristChurch Cathedral , Canterbury Museum , and the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings , among others. Mountfort oversaw construction of a prison on Lincon Road in 1874, which operated until 1999. Christchurch experienced
5940-468: The city, with a large urban park along its banks. With the exception of the Port Hills, it is a relatively flat city, on an average around 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. Christchurch has a reputation for being an English city, with its architectural identity and nickname the 'Garden City' due to similarities with garden cities in England, but also has a historic Māori heritage. Christchurch has
6048-564: The college in Cathedral Square was found to be insufficient, and Henry Sewell suggested in June 1853 to move the college to land reserved for the Christchurch Botanic Gardens . This transaction was formalised through The Cathedral Square Ordinance 1858 , a law passed by the Canterbury Provincial Council in October 1858. The ordinance allowed for Colombo Street to go straight through the middle of Cathedral Square at
6156-459: The college taught boys as young as six, with each boy arriving with a different level of education. Subsequently, there was a wide age range in many classes and, until the number of classrooms increased, they were all taught together. The school motto , Bene Tradita, Bene Servanda in Latin translates to "good traditions, well maintained". In the original survey of central Christchurch (known as
6264-460: The college with room to expand, and the school gradually began to acquire additional buildings. The first of these building were wooden, providing homes for the staff and their families and an increasing number of boarders. By 1863, Big School , the first of the stone buildings, had been built on the west side of the quadrangle in which all classes were taught (in present-day it is the school's library with additions by Sir Miles Warren and currently
6372-533: The colony losing all their luggage. The Sumner Road was completed in 1857, though this did not alleviate the transport problems. In 1858 the provincial superintendent William Sefton Moorhouse announced that a tunnel would be dug between Lyttelton and Christchurch. While the tunnel was under construction, New Zealand's first public railway line, the Ferrymead Railway , opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch in 1863. Between 1853 and 1876 Christchurch
6480-399: The country's second-busiest airport. The city suffered a series of earthquakes from September 2010 , with the most destructive occurring on 22 February 2011 , in which 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings across the city suffered severe damage, with a few central city buildings collapsing, leading to ongoing recovery and rebuilding projects. Christchurch later became the site of
6588-400: The eastern Canterbury plains and Christchurch area form an artesian aquifer with the interbedded fine sediments as an impermeable layer, or aquiclude. Water pressure from the artesian aquifer has led to the formation of numerous spring-fed streams. In Christchurch, the Avon River / Ōtākaro and Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River rivers have spring-fed sources in the western suburbs of Christchurch, and
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#17327805224956696-409: The eastern side of Cathedral Square to be used for the pro-cathedral. That way, the main entrance would face Colombo Street, resulting in praying towards the east in line with convention. The Cathedral Square Amendment Ordinance 1859 , which was passed a year after the previous ordinance, formalised the change in placement of the cathedral. Just before work on the cathedral's foundations began in 1864,
6804-399: The eastern, southern and northern parts of the city were wet areas when European settlement began. Over the period since European settlement commenced, land drainage works have enabled development of land across the city. There are now only small remnants of wetland remaining, such as Riccarton Bush , Travis Wetland , Ōtukaikino wetland, and the Cashmere Valley. Christchurch Central City
6912-423: The first, of magnitude 5.8 according to the US Geological Survey, 26 km (16 mi) north-east of the city at a depth of 4.7 km (2.9 mi), at 13:58, followed by several aftershocks and another earthquake of magnitude 6.0 and similar location 80 minutes later. On 13 February 2017, two bush fires started on the Port Hills . These later merged and the single large wildfire extended down both sides of
7020-664: The foot of the cathedral . Several pedestrianisation schemes over the latter part of the century extended the traffic-free area of the central city, and the street was finally stopped from entering the square itself. Recent controversial plans have suggested restoring traffic-flow along the part of Colombo Street which was blocked off in 1965. Colombo Street contains or contained eleven structures that are registered as Category II historic places by Heritage New Zealand : Three further Category II structures are located in Victoria Square: Proceeding through Cathedral Square, there are several Category I and II heritage structures, as outlined in
7128-408: The functional urban area include: Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with a mild summer, cool winter, and regular moderate rainfall. It has mean daily maximum air temperatures of 22.6 °C (73 °F) in January and 10.9 °C (52 °F) in July. Summer in the city is mostly warm, but is often moderated by a sea breeze from the north-east. A notable feature of
7236-408: The group for a visit of a site earmarked as the Government Domain (i.e. botanical gardens ). The group agreed on the site, subject to approval by Bishop Selwyn , which was later obtained. Years later, this land transaction was formalised through The Cathedral Square Ordinance 1858 , a law passed by the Canterbury Provincial Council in October 1858. The compensation paid for the transfer of land to
7344-461: The highest 7.8 metres of the Christchurch Cathedral spire to collapse, many chimneys were broken, and the Durham Street Methodist Church had its stonework damaged. In November 1901, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake , centred near Cheviot , caused the spire on top of ChristChurch Cathedral to collapse again, but this time only the top 1.5 metres fell. On this occasion, it was rebuilt with timber and metal instead of stone. The Catholic Cathedral of
7452-451: The highest for the Christchurch metropolitan area was 42.4 °C (108 °F) recorded in Rangiora on the same day. In winter, subfreezing temperatures are common, with nights falling below 0 °C (32 °F) an average of 50 times a year at Christchurch Airport and 23 times a year in the city centre. There are on average 80 days of ground frost per year. Snowfall occurs on average three times per year, although in some years none
7560-471: The mountains carried alluvial gravels over the area that is now the Canterbury Plains , covering the underlying rock to depths of between 200 and 600 metres. Continuing tectonic movement created faults that penetrate from the greywacke rock into the layers above. These faults remain beneath Canterbury and Christchurch. The glacial/interglacial cycles of the Quaternary Period led to multiple rises and falls in sea level. These sea level changes occurred over
7668-450: The oldest educational building still in use in New Zealand), followed in 1867 by the Chapel . The school developed slowly around this central quadrangle, and today the 'quad' is treated with reverence, and therefore students are not permitted to walk on it, only staff members and permitted visitors. The Cathedral Grammar School used to be the Lower School of Christ's College when it struggled financially from 1895 to 1922. In its early days,
7776-447: The one-way system running through central Christchurch was established. The first two streets to be made one-way were Lichfield and St Asaph streets. They were followed by Barbadoes, Madras, Salisbury and Kilmore streets. A police station opened in 1973 on Hereford street, it was imploded and demolished in 2015. Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games at the purpose-built Queen Elizabeth II Park . The sports complex
7884-464: The planned new city, including its own cathedral, the smallest in England. Other possibilities are that it was named for Christchurch, Dorset , or for Canterbury Cathedral . Many of the early colonists did not like the name, preferring instead the name Lyttelton, but the Colonists' Council resolved to stick with the name of Christchurch in 1851, because it had been used by surveyors and distinguished
7992-420: The population of workers in the city, which soon spread industrialisation to Sydenham . As central Christchurch grew, many cottages were demolished to make way for light-industrial and retail premises near Moorhouse Avenue as they expanded south. Many churches were also built to compensate for its growing Christian population. The population of Christchurch exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 1919. Despite
8100-418: The previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be IX ( Violent ) , among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area, which killed 185 people. On 13 June 2011 Christchurch was again rocked by two more large aftershocks . This resulted in more liquefaction and building damage, but no more lives were lost. There were further earthquakes on 23 December 2011;
8208-575: The rebuild of the city centre, and featured 17 "anchor projects". There has been massive growth in the residential sector in the central city, particularly in the East Frame development. There are currently no legal definition of the boundaries of suburbs in Christchurch. The suburb boundaries are largely defined by third-party agencies, such as Statistics New Zealand and New Zealand Post , and may differ between agencies or sources. The earliest suburbs of Christchurch were laid out with streets in
8316-446: The regional council banned the use of open fires in the city in 2006. Christchurch City covers a land area of 1,415.15 km (546.39 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 415,100 as of June 2024, with a population density of 293 people per km . This is the second-most populous area administered by a single council in New Zealand, and the largest city in the South Island . The population comprises 403,300 people in
8424-503: The reinstatement of Barnes dance crossings in Dunedin in the 2010s, the only remaining Barnes Dance intersections in the South Island were on Colombo Street, at the intersections with Armagh, Gloucester , and Hereford Streets. The Colombo / Hereford intersection has the highest pedestrian count. A further Barnes dance is under consideration for Lichfield Street in conjunction with the relocated central city bus exchange. Colombo Street
8532-406: The retail business of the central city moving out to urban shopping malls. These typically included large car parking areas to suit the growing shift towards personal car ownership, and away from public transport. Hornby became a significant industrial suburb in the 1960s, with industrial and residential premises expanding westwards. The Lyttelton road tunnel between Lyttelton and Christchurch
8640-430: The school ski club buses to the ski fields on weekends during winter terms. Sports facilities on site include Upper, the school playing field, an all weather facility, a 5-lane indoor 25-metre heated swimming pool, gymnasium and weights room. Offsite facilities include the nearby Christ's College cricket ground (which also has football and rugby fields) which consists of four hectares of South Hagley Park, and Kerr's Reach on
8748-503: The school was run from two rooms at the immigration barracks at Lyttelton, and the emphasis was on a classical education , including Greek and Latin , Modern languages , Mathematics, English , History and Geography . Students were also expected to conduct scientific experiments, to draw and sing. It used to be closely associated with the Lyttelton Collegiate Grammar School which was also located in
8856-599: The section south of Tuam Street were crushed by falling façades. In total, 19 people were killed in Colombo Street in the February 2011 earthquake; all but one died in the central city: Christchurch Christchurch ( / ˈ k r aɪ s . tʃ ɜːr tʃ / ; Māori : Ōtautahi ) is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand . Christchurch has an urban population of 415,100, and
8964-527: The settlement from the port. The Māori name for modern-day Christchurch is Ōtautahi , meaning ' the place of Tautahi ' . It was adopted as the Māori name for the city in the 1930s. Ōtautahi precisely refers to a specific site by the Avon River / Ōtākaro in Central Christchurch. The site was a seasonal food-gathering place of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Pōtiki Tautahi. A different account claims
9072-548: The split from Gondwana, during the period between 80 and 23 million years ago, the land became eroded and subsided below sea level. Marine and terrestrial sediments were deposited, leaving the greywacke as the oldest and deepest layers ( basement rock ). Around 11–6 million years ago, volcanic eruptions created the Banks Peninsula volcanic complex . Over the last two million years as the Southern Alps were rising, there were multiple periods of glaciation . Rivers flowing from
9180-516: The time that John Robert Godley arrived in April 1850 all of the funds for public works had been used up in constructing the road. Godley ordered that all work on the road should stop, leaving the steep foot and pack horse track that had been hastily constructed over the hill between the port and the Heathcote valley as the only land-access to the area of Christchurch. This track became known as
9288-563: The two schools is fiercely contested. In keeping with the tradition of English public schools, Christ's College has ten Houses accommodating around 700 students. There are three boarding houses and the dayboys are organised into seven more houses. Each house has a housemaster responsible for the care of the boys. From the school's early days, Houses were a base for boarders within the school, and these changed their names as Masters came and went. The name Jacobs has been retained, while others have been replaced by School, Richards and Flower's. It
9396-427: The weather is the nor'wester , a hot föhn wind that occasionally reaches storm force, causing widespread minor damage to property. Like many cities, Christchurch experiences an urban heat island effect; temperatures are slightly higher within the inner-city regions compared to the surrounding countryside. The highest temperature recorded in Christchurch was 41.6 °C (106.9 °F) on 7 February 1973, however
9504-442: The weekends. With age-appropriate activities tailored to each year group's needs, boarders are given a number of opportunities that may not be available to dayboys. The black and white striped blazers and ties Christ's College boys wear are recognisable and well known especially within Christchurch. There are two types of uniform: Sport's Uniform, Dress Uniform (known by the boys as stripes or suits). During Winter terms dress uniform
9612-409: The whole school sings, and practises hymns, psalms, prayers and chapel routine. Boys are also required to attend chapel on Monday and Friday mornings and usually alternative Sundays, even if it coincides with their own church service outside the school. The school chapel service takes priority and compulsory two services each term are required. Parents and family are welcome to attend Sunday chapel. Music
9720-500: The world. Christ’s College is one of the three Round Square member schools in New Zealand. Christ's College (formerly Christ's College Grammar School) was established in 1850 and directly modelled on the pedagogic vernacular of English public schools , such as Eton College and Radley College . The school was most likely named Christ's College by James FitzGerald , Canterbury's first Superintendent , after his old College at Cambridge ( Christ's College, Cambridge ). At its foundation,
9828-647: Was $ 40,400, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 35,010 people (10.7%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 163,554 (50.1%) people were employed full-time, 47,463 (14.5%) were part-time, and 8,913 (2.7%) were unemployed. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 75.9% European ( Pākehā ); 11.2% Māori ; 4.3% Pasifika ; 17.1% Asian ; 1.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
9936-449: Was 37.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 64,722 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 84,633 (21.6%) aged 15 to 29, 178,113 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 63,912 (16.3%) aged 65 or older. Of those at least 15 years old, 70,764 (21.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 160,440 (49.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 73,659 (22.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income
10044-721: Was a crucial factor in the decision of where to place the settlement of Christchurch, as it proved that the swampy ground could be farmed. The Deans brothers named their farm after their former parish in Ayrshire , Scotland; they also named the river near their farm after the Avon Water in South Lanarkshire , which rises in the hills near to where their grandfather's farm was located. The Canterbury Association 's Chief Surveyor, Captain Joseph Thomas , surveyed
10152-421: Was a major Māori settlement named Te Kai-a-Te-Karoro , this was an important food-gathering area to Ngāi Tūāhuriri that had kelp gull presence and mānuka scrub. Te Ihutai (The Avon Heathcote Estuary ) was an important food source for local iwi and hapū , the estuary providing food such as, flounder and shellfish. Kaiapoi Pā was the most important trading area, and the centre of a thriving economy. The pā
10260-482: Was actually a combination of seven or eight different buildings, joined to form a "perplexing maze" with no sprinklers or alarm system. A subsequent Royal commission of enquiry resulted in changes to the building code to improve fire safety. Thousands of mourners, including the Prime Minister, attended a mass funeral in the aftermath. During the 1960s Christchurch experienced urban sprawl , with much of
10368-483: Was heavily industrialised in the early 20th century, particularly the suburbs of Woolston and Addington , with Woolston housing a large amount of New Zealand's rubber industry. Many warehouses, factories and large premises of railway workshops were built along the Main South Line . There was notable development of breweries, flour mills , and light-commercial in Christchurch. This significantly increased
10476-399: Was heavily industrialised in the early 20th century, with the opening of the Main South Line railway and the development of state housing saw rapid growth in the city's economy and population. Christchurch has strong cultural connections with its European elements and architectural identity. Christchurch is also home to a number of performing arts centres and academic institutions (including
10584-528: Was instrumental in the establishment of Canterbury University in the early 1870s. The upper department became a residential college of the university after it was founded, and soon it was referred to as College House . The upper and lower departments (tertiary and secondary departments) separated in 1957, and College House became independent. The chapel is an integral part of the school with compulsory religious education being undertaken until Year 11. Every Wednesday congregational practice takes place, in which
10692-615: Was located at the nexus of the major rivers of Christchurch, the Avon River / Ōtākaro, Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River and the Styx River . It was the likely richest eel fishery in the country at that time. Sugar was produced from plantations of cabbage trees . European settlement of the Canterbury Region was largely influenced by brothers William and John Deans in 1843. The Deans farm located in Riccarton Bush
10800-432: Was more-quickly contained. On 15 March 2019, fifty-one people died from two consecutive mass shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre by an Australian white supremacist . Forty others were injured. The attacks have been described by then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as "one of New Zealand's darkest days". Just days after the attacks the live-streamed footage became classified as objectionable by
10908-747: Was not until 1909 that the first two day-boy Houses were established. They were named 'North Town' and 'South Town', and students were allocated to them depending on whether their homes were north or south of Gloucester Street. In 1924, these Houses were named Harper and Julius – Condell's, Corfe , Rolleston and Somes have also been added over the years. The year groups within the Houses are encouraged to build House spirit and to compete in sporting and cultural competitions. Cricket and football games were established as soon as there were enough boarders to compete against each other, and gradually music and drama competitions have been added. Houses for dayboys provide
11016-411: Was one of the city's original streets, being laid out at the time of the settlement of Canterbury Province in 1850 by surveyors Joseph Thomas and Edward Jollie . The first traffic lights in the South Island were installed at the intersection of Cashel and Colombo Streets. The traffic lights, which were first tested on the evening of 5 November 1930, replaced officers on point duty . The street
11124-471: Was open in 1973, one year before the games. On Saturday, 4 September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Christchurch and the central Canterbury region at 4:35 am. With its hypocentre near Darfield , west of the city at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), it caused widespread damage to the city and minor injuries, but no direct fatalities. This was followed by the Boxing Day earthquake
11232-493: Was opened in 1964. Television broadcasts began in Christchurch on 1 June 1961 with the launch of channel CHTV3, making Christchurch the second New Zealand city to receive regular television broadcasts. The channel initially broadcast from a 10-kilowatt transmitter atop the Gloucester Street studios until it switched to the newly built 100-kilowatt Sugarloaf transmitter in the Port Hills on 28 August 1965. In 1969,
11340-501: Was originally swampland with patchworks of marshland, grassland, scrub and some patches of tall forest of mostly kahikatea , mataī and tōtara . The inner coastal sand dunes were covered in hardier scrub bush, including akeake , taupata , tūmatakuru , ngaio , carmichaelia , and coprosma . Christchurch was rich in birdlife prior to European colonisation, as they burned down forests and introduced predators, it led to local extinction of native birds. Evidence of human activity in
11448-557: Was spoken by 95.8%, Māori language by 2.4%, Samoan by 1.3% and other languages by 16.8%. No language could be spoken by 2.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 27.8, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 31.6% Christian , 2.1% Hindu , 1.3% Islam , 0.4% Māori religious beliefs , 1.0% Buddhist , 0.5% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 2.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.9%, and 6.3% of people did not answer
11556-472: Was the administrative seat of the Province of Canterbury . While slow at first, growth in the town began to accelerate towards the end of the 1850s, with a period of rapid growth between 1857 and 1864. Christchurch became the first city in New Zealand by royal charter on 31 July 1856, and Henry Harper was consecrated by the archbishop of Canterbury as the local Anglican bishop. He arrived in Christchurch
11664-638: Was the site of one of the worst disasters in New Zealand history, with a major fire that swept through the Ballantyne's Department Store in November 1947 killing 41 people. The disaster remains the country's most deadly fire. In the original survey of central Christchurch (known as the Black Map ), which was undertaken in 1850, it was envisaged for Christ's College and ChristChurch Cathedral to be built adjacent to one another in Cathedral Square , modelled on Christ Church, Oxford . The area set aside for
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