152-661: 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 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
304-615: A Southern Mayoral Council . Supported by Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton and Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt , Bob Parker said that increased cooperation and the forming of a new South Island-wide mayoral forum were essential to representing the island's interests in Wellington and countering the new Auckland Council . There are 23 territorial authorities within the South Island: 4 city councils and 19 district councils. Three territorial authorities ( Nelson City Council , and
456-425: A Cardinal. The arms are depicted beneath a red cardinal's galero with fifteen tassels on either side, and sometimes in front of two crossed croziers. There are also arms in use by the cathedral, which were confirmed in a visitation of 1574. They are emblazoned: "Between quarterly, 1st & 4th, France modern (azure three fleurs-de-lys or), 2nd & 3rd, England (gules in pale three lions passant guardant or), on
608-475: A Provincial Council that elected its own Speaker and Superintendent. Secession movements have surfaced several times in the South Island. A Premier of New Zealand , Sir Julius Vogel , was amongst the first people to make this call, which was voted on by the New Zealand Parliament as early as 1865. The desire for the South Island to form a separate colony was one of the main factors in moving
760-566: A basement fire at 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
912-817: A basis for the government of the colony, which was centralised in Auckland . New Munster consisted of the South Island. The name New Munster was given by the Governor of New Zealand , Captain William Hobson , in honour of Munster , the Irish province in which he was born. The situation was altered in 1846 when the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846 divided the colony into two provinces : New Ulster Province (the North Island north of
1064-514: A cross argent an open Bible proper edged and bound with seven clasps or, inscribed with the words In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum and imperially crowned or." The college preprandial grace reads: Īnsuper petimus, ut cibum angelōrum, vērum panem cælestem, verbum Deī æternum, Dominum nostrum Iēsum Christum, nōbis impertiāris; utque illō mēns nostra pascātur et per carnem et sanguinem eius fovēāmur, alāmur, et corrōborēmur. Āmen. And above all we beseech thee to impart to us
1216-403: 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
1368-531: A generous franchise. Grey implemented the ordinance with such deliberation that neither Council met before advice was received that the United Kingdom Parliament had passed the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 . This act dissolved these provinces in 1853, after only seven years' existence, and New Munster was divided into the provinces of Wellington Province , Canterbury , Nelson , and Otago . Each province had its own legislature known as
1520-550: 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
1672-791: 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 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
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#17327914123201824-671: 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 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,
1976-469: A metropolitan population of 521,881, and the smaller Dunedin (population 134,600). The economy relies on agriculture, fishing, tourism, and general manufacturing and services. Prior to European settlement, Te Waipounamu was sparsely populated by three major iwi , Kāi Tahu , Kāti Māmoe , and the historical Waitaha , with major settlements including in Kaiapoi Pā near modern-day Christchurch . During
2128-479: A number of architecturally significant buildings. These include: Grade I listed: Grade II* listed: Others: The college buildings and grounds are the setting for parts of Evelyn Waugh 's Brideshead Revisited , as well as a small part of Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . More recently it has been used in the filming of the movies of J. K. Rowling 's Harry Potter series and also
2280-552: 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 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
2432-433: 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
2584-544: A popular and inclusive sport. Rowing and punting is carried out by the boat-house across Christ Church Meadow – the Christ Church Boat Club is traditionally strong at rowing, having been Head of the River more than all other colleges except Oriel College. The college also owns its own punts which may be borrowed by students or dons. The college beagle pack (Christ Church and Farley Hill Beagles), which
2736-447: A population density of 1,370 people per km. South Island The South Island ( Māori : Te Waipounamu [tɛ wɐ.i.pɔ.ʉ.nɐ.mʉ] , lit. 'the waters of Greenstone ', officially South Island or Te Waipounamu or archaically New Munster ) is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island and sparsely populated Stewart Island . It
2888-437: A population of 1,185,282 at the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 80,745 people (7.3%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 180,882 people (18.0%) since the 2013 census . Of the total population, 202,311 people (17.1%) were aged under 15 years, 225,048 (19.0%) were 15 to 29, 538,965 (45.5%) were 30 to 64, and 218,958 (18.5%) were 65 or older. At the 2018 census, there were 571,656 males and 577,914 females, giving
3040-471: A population of 1,260,000 as of June 2024, the South Island is home to 24% of New Zealand's 5.3 million inhabitants. After the 1860s gold rushes in the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population and wealth. The North Island's population overtook the South Island's in the early 20th century, with 56% of the New Zealand population living in
3192-642: 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 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
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#17327914123203344-457: A quarter of the country's population, the South Island is sometimes humorously nicknamed the "mainland" of New Zealand by its residents. The island is also known as Te Waka a Māui which means " Māui 's Canoe ". In some modern alliterations of Māori legends, the South Island existed first, as the boat of Māui, while the North Island was the fish that he caught . Various Māori iwi sometimes use different names, with some preferring to call
3496-488: 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 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
3648-526: A resident tortoise for the annual Oxford tortoise races. However, since 2020, due to the pandemic, there has not been a tortoise. Recently, there have been two "resident" ducks, which can be seen in Tom Quad , affectionately named "Tom" and "Peck" after two of the famous quadrangles in Christ Church. The Mercury fountain also houses carp, notably a large koi carp named George, which was a gift from
3800-479: 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 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 )
3952-516: A sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. In the early years of European settlement in New Zealand, the South Island's overall percentage of the New Zealand population was far higher, equalling or even exceeding the population of the North Island. This was exacerbated by the New Zealand Wars and the Otago gold rush of the 1860s. Since that time, the South Island's population as a percentage of
4104-526: 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 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
4256-657: A year or so, with Kāi Tahu maintaining the upper hand. Ngāti Toa never again made a major incursion into Kāi Tahu territory. In 1836, the Ngāti Tama chief Te Pūoho led a 100-person war party, armed with muskets , down the West Coast and over the Haast Pass . They fell on the Ngāi Tahu encampment between Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea , capturing ten people and killing and eating two children. Te Puoho took his captives over
4408-427: Is also appointed to act as the dean's deputy; this post is currently held by Professor Ian Watson. The form "Christ Church College" is considered incorrect, in part because it ignores the cathedral, an integral part of the unique dual foundation. The governing body of Christ Church consists of the dean and chapter of the cathedral, together with the "Students of Christ Church", who are not junior members but rather
4560-527: Is also home to a number of performing arts centres and academic institutions (including 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
4712-613: Is bordered to the north by Cook Strait , to the west by the Tasman Sea , to the south by the Foveaux Strait and Southern Ocean , and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi), making it the world's 12th-largest island , constituting 56% of New Zealand's land area. At low altitudes, it has an oceanic climate . The major centres are Christchurch , with
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4864-502: Is off-site. Accommodation is generally spacious with most rooms equipped with sinks and fridges. Many undergraduate rooms comprise 'sets' of bedrooms and living areas. Members are generally expected to dine in hall, where there are two sittings every evening, one informal and one formal (where gowns must be worn and Latin grace is read). The college offers subsidies on the costs of accommodation and dinners for UK and ROI students from families with lower household incomes. The buttery next to
5016-648: 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,
5168-568: Is served by the Christchurch Airport in Harewood , 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
5320-492: Is sparsely populated and still predominantly rural areas or nature reserves. However, there are 15 urban areas in the South Island with a population of 10,000 or more: Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( Latin : Ædes Christi , the temple or house, ædes , of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England . Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII ,
5472-441: Is the largest Christian denomination in the South Island with 12.7 percent affiliating, closely followed by Catholicism at 12.1 percent and Presbyterianism at 11.7 percent. These figures are somewhat skewed between the regions of the south, due largely to the original settlement of southern cities (Dunedin, for example, was founded by Scottish Presbyterians, whereas Christchurch was founded by English Anglicans). The South Island
5624-620: Is the reigning British sovereign (currently King Charles III ), and the Bishop of Oxford is unique among English bishops in not being the Visitor of his own cathedral. The head of the college is the Dean of Christ Church. Christ Church is unique among Oxford colleges in that its Head of House, who is head of both college and cathedral, must be an Anglican cleric appointed by the Crown as dean of
5776-488: Is unique in that it has both a cathedral choir and a college choir. The cathedral choir comprises twelve adults and sixteen boys. The adults are made up of lay clerks and choral scholars, or academical clerks. The choir was all male until 2019, when they welcomed alto Elizabeth Nurse, the first female clerk of Christ Church Cathedral Choir. The boys, whose ages range from eight to thirteen, are chosen for their musical ability and attend Christ Church Cathedral School . Aside from
5928-737: The States General of the Netherlands , and that name appeared on his first maps of the country. Dutch cartographers changed the name to Nova Zeelandia in Latin, from Nieuw Zeeland , after the Dutch province of Zeeland . It was subsequently Anglicised as New Zealand by British naval captain James Cook of HM Bark Endeavour who visited the islands more than 100 years after Tasman during (1769–70). The first European settlement in
6080-645: 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 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
6232-585: The Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings , among others. Mountfort oversaw construction of a prison on Lincon Road in 1874, which operated until 1999. Christchurch experienced 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
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6384-519: The Crown Range to Lake Wakatipu and thence to Southland, where he was killed, and his war party destroyed by the southern Ngāi Tahu leader Tūhawaiki . Kāi Tahu and Ngāti Toa established peace by 1839, with Te Rauparaha releasing the Kāi Tahu captives he held. Formal marriages between the leading families in the two tribes sealed the peace. The first Europeans known to reach the South Island were
6536-770: The Firth of Clyde ) – the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing . Captain William Cargill , a veteran of the Peninsular War , served as the colony's first leader : Otago citizens subsequently elected him to the office of Superintendent of the Province of Otago . While the North Island was convulsed by the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s and 1870s, the South Island, with its low Māori population,
6688-524: 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
6840-517: The Local Government Act 2002 gives the South Island (and its adjacent islands) seven regional councils for the administration of regional environmental and transport matters and 25 territorial authorities that administer roads, sewerage, building consents, and other local matters. Four of the territorial councils (one city and three districts) also perform the functions of a regional council and are known as unitary authorities under
6992-522: The Musket Wars expanding iwi colonised Te Tau Ihu , a region comprising parts of modern-day Tasman , Nelson and Malborough , including Ngāti Kuia , Rangitāne , Ngāti Tama , and later Ngāti Toarangatira after Te Rauparaha's wars of conquest. British settlement began with expansive and cheap land purchases early on, and settlers quickly outnumbered Māori. As a result the Wairau Affray
7144-646: 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 was heavily industrialised in the early 20th century, particularly the suburbs of Woolston and Addington , with Woolston housing
7296-487: The Tasman and Marlborough District Councils) also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as unitary authorities. This is a list of political parties, past and present, who have their headquarters in the South Island. Compared to the more populated and multi-ethnic North Island, the South Island has a smaller, more homogeneous resident population of 1,260,000 (June 2024). The South Island had
7448-475: 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 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
7600-485: 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
7752-638: 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 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
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#17327914123207904-666: 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 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
8056-581: 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 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
8208-480: 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
8360-657: 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
8512-597: The Committee that it is well known that a match between an archer and a golfer can be fairly close. I spent many a happy evening in the centre of Peckwater Quadrangle at Christ Church, with a bow and arrow, trying to put an arrow over the Kilcannon building into the Mercury Pond in Tom Quad . On occasion, the golfer would win and, on occasion, I would win. Unfortunately, that had to stop when I put an arrow through
8664-797: The Empress of Japan. A heron may also be frequently seen visiting the pond as their hunting ground. This stopped, in September 2022, when the fishes were moved to a spacious lake home somewhere in Oxfordshire while the College perform essential maintenance on the pond. Outside the Meadow Building in the Christ Church Meadow, there are also cows present during the day. The cows are of rare English Longhorn breed. Long associated with High Church Anglicanism , Christ Church
8816-632: The Great Dining Hall, which was the seat of the parliament assembled by King Charles I during the English Civil War . The buildings have inspired replicas throughout the world in addition to being featured in films such as Harry Potter and The Golden Compass , helping Christ Church become the most popular Oxford college for tourists with almost half a million visitors annually . The college's alumni include 13 British prime ministers (the highest number of any Oxbridge college), as well as former prime ministers of Pakistan and Ceylon. Other notable alumni include King Edward VII , King William II of
8968-489: The Hall serves drinks around dinner time. There is also a college bar (known as the Undercroft), as well as a Junior Common Room (JCR) and a Graduate Common Room (GCR), equivalent to the Middle Common Room (MCR) in other colleges. There is a college lending library that supplements the university libraries (many of which are non-lending). Law students have the additional facility of the Burn Law Library, named for Edward Burn . Most undergraduate tutorials are carried out in
9120-439: The King, who had broken from the Church of Rome and acquired great wealth through the dissolution of the monasteries in England, refounded the college as Christ Church as part of the reorganisation of the Church of England , making the partially demolished priory church the cathedral of the recently created Diocese of Oxford. Christ Church's sister college in the University of Cambridge is Trinity College, Cambridge , founded
9272-429: The Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism , proved disadvantageous when Māori warriors arrived in the 1830s aboard a chartered European ship. In the early 18th century, Kāi Tahu , a Māori tribe who originated on the east coast of the North Island , began migrating to the northern part of the South Island. There they and Kāti Māmoe fought Ngāi Tara and Rangitāne in the Wairau Valley . Ngāti Māmoe then ceded
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#17327914123209424-596: The Netherlands , William Penn , writers Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland ) and W. H. Auden , philosopher John Locke , and scientist Robert Hooke . Two Nobel laureates, Martin Ryle and John Gurdon , studied at Christ Church. Albert Einstein is also associated with the college. The college has several cities and places named after it. In 1525, at the height of his power, Thomas Wolsey , Lord Chancellor of England and Cardinal Archbishop of York , suppressed St Frideswide's Priory in Oxford and founded Cardinal College on its lands, using funds from
9576-524: The New Zealand government. When New Zealand was separated from the colony of New South Wales in 1841 and established as a Crown colony in its own right, the Royal Charter effecting this provided that "the principal Islands, heretofore known as, or commonly called, the 'Northern Island', the Middle Island', and 'Stewart's Island', shall henceforward be designated and known respectively as ' New Ulster ', ' New Munster ', and ' New Leinster '". These divisions were of geographical significance only, not used as
9728-539: The North Island in 1911. The drift north of people and businesses continued throughout the twentieth century. The island has been known internationally as the South Island for many years. The Te Reo Māori name for it Te Waipounamu now also has official recognition but it remains seldom used by most residents. in the Māori language. Said to mean "the Water(s) of Greenstone ", Te Waipounamu possibly evolved from Te Wāhi Pounamu ("the Place of Greenstone"). When Captain James Cook visited in 1769, he recorded
9880-399: 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
10032-432: The South Island Te Waka o Aoraki , referring to another Māori legend called the story of Aoraki, as after the world was created, Aoraki and his three brothers came down in a waka to visit their mother, Papatūānuku the earth mother, only to crash after failing to perform a karakia on their way back home to their father, Ranginui (also known as Raki) the sky father, in turn causing the waka to transform into an island and
10184-543: The South Island was founded at Bluff in 1823 by James Spencer, a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo . In January 1827, the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville arrived in Tasman Bay on the corvette Astrolabe . A number of landmarks around Tasman Bay were named by d'Urville and his crew, including d'Urville Island , French Pass and Torrent Bay . Following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840, Lieutenant-Governor Captain William Hobson declared British sovereignty over New Zealand in May 1840 and
10336-409: The South Island, along with the rest of New Zealand, briefly became a part of the Colony of New South Wales . This declaration was in response to France's attempts to colonise the South Island at Akaroa and the New Zealand Company attempts to establish a separate colony in Wellington , and so Hobson declared British sovereignty over all of New Zealand on 21 May 1840 (the North Island by treaty and
10488-430: The South Island. Four Māori died and three were wounded in the incident, while among the Europeans the toll was 22 dead and five wounded. Twelve of the Europeans were shot dead or clubbed to death after surrendering to Māori who were pursuing them. The Otago Settlement, sponsored by the Free Church of Scotland , took concrete form in Otago in March 1848 with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships from Greenock (on
10640-441: 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
10792-410: The South by discovery). Seven days after the declaration, the Treaty was signed at Akaroa on 28 May. On 17 June 1843, Māori and British settlers clashed at Wairau in what became known as the Wairau Affray . Also known as the Wairau Massacre in most older texts, it was the first serious clash of arms between the two parties after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the only one to take place in
10944-824: 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 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
11096-456: The UK, including works by Leonardo da Vinci , Raphael and Michelangelo . The collection is composed of approximately 300 paintings and 2,000 drawings, a rotated selection of which are available to the public for viewing in the purpose-built Christ Church Picture Gallery . Many of the works were bequeathed by a former member of the college, General John Guise (1682/3-1765), enabling the creation of
11248-600: The United Kingdom on Channel 4 in March 2000. Treasures of Christ Church (2011) is an example of the choir's recording and debuted as the highest new entry in the UK Specialist Classical chart. The disc featured on BBC Radio 3's In Tune on 26 September 2011 and on Radio 3's Breakfast Show on 27 September that year. Christ Church holds one of the most important private collections of drawings in
11400-682: The University and Christ Church) as well as early-career Career Development Fellows on fixed-term contracts. Sir John Bell and Sir Tim Berners-Lee are both members of the governing body of Christ Church. Christ Church sits in approximately 175 acres (71 hectares) of land. This includes the Christ Church Meadow (including Merton Field and Boathouse Island), which is open to the public all year round. In addition Christ Church own Aston's Eyot (purchased from All Souls College in 1891), Christ Church recreation ground (including
11552-572: 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 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,
11704-581: 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 the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Following
11856-480: The bell in the tower, Great Tom , is rung 101 times at 9 pm measured by Oxford time , meaning at 9:05 pm GMT / BST every night, once for each of the 100 original scholars of the college, plus one more stroke added in 1664. In former times this was done at midnight, signalling the close of all college gates throughout Oxford. Since it took 20 minutes to ring the 101, the Christ Church gates, unlike those of other colleges, did not close until 12:20 am. When
12008-490: The capital of New Zealand from Auckland to Wellington that year. Several South Island nationalist groups emerged at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st. The South Island Party fielded candidates in the 1999 general election but cancelled its registration in 2002. Several internet-based groups advocate their support for greater self-determination . On 13 October 2010, South Island Mayors led by Bob Parker of Christchurch displayed united support for
12160-489: The cathedral choir has attracted many distinguished composers and organists – from its first director, John Taverner , appointed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526, to William Walton in the twentieth century. In recent years, the choir have commissioned recorded works by contemporary composers such as John Tavener , William Mathias and Howard Goodall , also patron of Christ Church Music Society. The choir, which broadcasts regularly, have many recordings to their credit and were
12312-603: The cathedral church. The Dean lives on site in a grand 16th-century house in the main quadrangle. The college's activities are managed by a senior and a junior censor (formally titled the Censor Moralis Philosophiae and the Censor Naturalis Philosophiae ) the former of whom is responsible for academic matters, the latter for undergraduate discipline. They are chosen from among the members of the governing body. A Censor Theologiae
12464-813: 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
12616-487: The clouds. And now, a solemn and plangent token of Oxford's perpetuity, the first stroke of Great Tom sounded." "I must say my thoughts wandered, but I kept turning the pages and watching the light fade, which in Peckwater, my dear, is quite an experience – as darkness falls the stone seems positively to decay under one's eyes. I was reminded of some of those leprous façades in the vieux port at Marseille, until suddenly I
12768-655: The college is uniquely a joint foundation of the university and the cathedral of the Oxford diocese, Christ Church Cathedral , which also serves as the college chapel and whose dean is ex officio the college head. As of 2022, Christ Church had the largest financial endowment of any Oxford college at £770 million. As of 2022, the college had 661 students. Its grounds contain a number of architecturally significant buildings including Tom Tower (designed by Sir Christopher Wren ), Tom Quad (the largest quadrangle in Oxford), and
12920-486: The college postprandial grace. As well as rooms for accommodation, the buildings of Christ Church include the cathedral, one of the smallest in England, which also acts as the college chapel, a great hall, two libraries, two bars, and separate common rooms for dons, graduates and undergraduates. There are also gardens and a neighbouring sports ground and boat-house. Accommodation is usually provided for all undergraduates, and for some graduates, although some accommodation
13072-572: The college, though for some specialist subjects undergraduates may be sent to tutors in other colleges. Croquet is played in the Masters' Garden in the summer. The sports ground is mainly used for netball, cricket, tennis, rugby and football and includes Christ Church cricket ground . In recent years the Christ Church Netball Club, which competes on the inter-college level in both mixed and women's matches, has become known as
13224-811: The country's total population has steadily decreased, with the population of the South island now being less than that of the North Island's largest city, Auckland. This growing disparity has stabilised in recent years, with both the 2013 and 2018 censuses showing the South Island to have a very similar percentage of the national population (around 23%–24%). At the 2023 census, 82.8% of South Islanders identified as European ( Pākehā ), 11.3% as Māori , 3.4% as Pacific peoples , 10.5% as Asian , 1.6% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, 1.4% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity. Europeans form
13376-463: The crew of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who arrived in his ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen . In December 1642, Tasman anchored at the northern end of the island in Golden Bay / Mohua which he named Moordenaar's Bay (Murderers Bay) before sailing northward to Tonga following a clash with Māori. Tasman sketched sections of the two main islands' west coasts. Tasman called them Staten Landt , after
13528-505: The director, Peter Holder , there is also a sub-organist and two organ scholars. The college choir, however, is always a student-run society, and sings Evensong once a week in term time. In vacations the services are sung by the Cathedral Singers of Christ Church – a choir drawn from semi-professional singers in and around Oxford. The cathedral also hosts visiting choirs from time to time during vacations. Throughout its history,
13680-414: The dissolution of Wallingford Priory and other minor priories . He planned the establishment on a magnificent scale, but fell from grace in 1529, with the buildings only three-quarters complete, as they were to remain for 140 years. In 1531 the college was itself suppressed, but it was refounded in 1532 as King Henry VIII's College by Henry VIII , to whom Wolsey's property had escheated . Then in 1546
13832-593: The east coast regions north of the Waiau Toa / Clarence River to Kāi Tahu. Kāi Tahu continued to push south, conquering Kaikōura . By the 1730s, Kāi Tahu had settled in Canterbury , including Banks Peninsula . From there they spread further south and into the West Coast . In 1827–28, Ngāti Toa under the leadership of Te Rauparaha successfully attacked Kāi Tahu at Kaikōura. Ngāti Toa then visited Kaiapoi Pā , ostensibly to trade. When they attacked their hosts,
13984-459: 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
14136-476: 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 is defined as
14288-512: The equivalent of the fellows of the other colleges . Until the later 19th century, the Students differed from fellows in that they had no governing powers in their own college, as those resided solely with the dean and chapter. The governing body of Christ Church now has around 60 members. Serving alongside the seven members of Chapter, the other members include statutory professors and associate professors with joint appointments (employed both by
14440-518: The far south of the island. Around the same time, a group of Māori migrated to Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands ), where, in adapting to the local climate and the availability of resources, they eventually evolved into a separate people known as the Moriori with its own distinct language – closely related to the parent culture and language in mainland New Zealand . One notable feature of
14592-578: The film adaptation of Philip Pullman 's novel Northern Lights (the film bearing the title of the American edition of the book, The Golden Compass ). Distinctive features of the college's architecture have been used as models by a number of other academic institutions, including the NUI Galway , which reproduces Tom Quad . The University of Chicago , Cornell University , and Kneuterdijk Palace have reproductions of Christ Church's dining hall (in
14744-562: The first Chinese migrants had been invited by the Otago Provincial government, they quickly became the target of hostility from white settlers and laws were enacted specifically to discourage them from coming to New Zealand. The South Island has no separately represented country subdivision , but is guaranteed 16 of the electorates in the New Zealand House of Representatives . A two-tier structure constituted under
14896-521: The first public art gallery in Britain. The college arms are those of Cardinal Wolsey and were granted to him by the College of Arms on 4 August 1525. They are blazoned: Sable, on a cross engrailed argent, between four leopards' faces azure a lion passant gules; on a chief or between two Cornish choughs proper a rose gules barbed vert and seeded or . The lion refers to Leo X who created Wolsey
15048-557: The first time in 1919. Despite 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,
15200-551: 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
15352-446: The food of angels, the true bread of heaven, the eternal Word of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, so that the mind of each of us may feed on him and that through his flesh and blood we may be sustained, nourished and strengthened. Amen." The first part of the grace is read by a scholar or exhibitioner before formal hall each evening, ending with the words Per Iēsum Christum Dominum nostrum ("Through Jesus Christ our Lord.") The remainder of
15504-642: The forms of Hutchinson Hall , the dining hall of Risley Residential College , and the Gothic hall of Kneuterdijk Palace, respectively). ChristChurch Cathedral in New Zealand, after which the City of Christchurch is named, is itself named after Christ Church, Oxford. Stained glass windows in the cathedral and other buildings are by the Pre-Raphaelite William Morris group with designs by Edward Burne-Jones . Historically, there has been
15656-486: The four brothers into the mountain ranges on top of it. Charcoal drawings can be found on limestone rock shelters in the centre of the South Island, with over 550 sites stretching from Kaikōura to North Otago . The drawings are estimated to be between 500 and 800 years old and portray animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles. Some of the birds pictured are long extinct, including moa and Haast's eagles . They were drawn by early Māori , but by
15808-462: 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
15960-528: The grace, replacing Per Iēsum Christum etc., is usually only read on special occasions. There is also a long postprandial grace intended for use after meals, but this is rarely used. When High Table rises (by which time the Hall is largely empty), the senior member on High Table simply says Benedictō benedīcātur ("Let the Blessed One be blessed", or "Let a blessing be given by the Blessed One"), instead of
16112-680: The high Victorian era. For over four centuries Christ Church admitted men only; the first female students at Christ Church matriculated in 1980. Christ Church, formally titled "The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford of the Foundation of King Henry the Eighth", is the only academic institution in the world which is also a cathedral , the seat ( cathedra ) of the Bishop of Oxford . The Visitor of Christ Church
16264-503: 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
16416-476: The historic Waitaha iwi. Around c. 1500 the Kāti Māmoe iwi migrated south from the east coast of 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
16568-481: The island from north to south. They include New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook , at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet). The high Kaikōura Ranges lie to the northeast. The east side of the island is home to the Canterbury Plains , while the West Coast is renowned for its rough coastlines, such as Fiordland , a very high proportion of native bush and national parks , and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers . With
16720-587: The island's name phonetically as "Toai poonamoo". In the 19th century, some maps identified the South Island as Middle Island or New Munster (named after Munster province in Southern Ireland) with the name South Island or New Leinster was used for today's Stewart Island / Rakiura . In 1907, the Minister for Lands gave instructions to the Land and Survey Department that the name Middle Island
16872-747: The majority in all districts of the South Island, ranging from 75.9% in Christchurch City to 92.1% in the Waimakariri district . The proportion of South Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census was 21.4%. The most common foreign countries of birth are England (22.0% of overseas-born residents), Australia (8.8%), the Philippines (7.9%), Mainland China (6.5%) and India (5.4%). Around 48.6 percent of South Islanders affiliate with Christianity and 3.1 percent affiliate with non-Christian religions, while 45.8 percent are irreligious. Anglicanism
17024-535: 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 the time that John Robert Godley arrived in April 1850 all of the funds for public works had been used up in constructing
17176-536: 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
17328-532: The mouth of the Patea River ), and New Munster Province (and the southern portion of the North Island , up to the mouth of the Patea River , the South Island and Stewart Island). Each province had a Governor and Legislative and Executive Council, in addition to the Governor-in-Chief and Legislative and Executive Council for the whole colony. The 1846 Constitution Act was later suspended, and only
17480-443: 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
17632-463: 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
17784-414: 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;
17936-607: The provincial government provisions were implemented. Early in 1848 Edward John Eyre was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Munster. The Provincial Council of New Munster had only one legislative session, in 1849, before it succumbed to the virulent attacks of settlers from Wellington . Governor Sir George Grey , sensible to the pressures, inspired an ordinance of the General Legislative Council under which new Legislative Councils would be established in each province with two-thirds of their members elected on
18088-441: 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
18240-471: 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
18392-403: 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
18544-614: The ringing was moved back to 9:00 pm, Christ Church gates still remained open until 12.20, 20 minutes later than any other college. Although the clock itself now shows GMT/BST, Christ Church still follows Oxford time in the timings of services in the cathedral. King Charles I made the Deanery his palace and held his Parliament in the Great Hall during the English Civil War . In the evening of 29 May 1645, during
18696-655: 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 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
18848-566: 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 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
19000-406: The same year by Henry VIII. Since the time of Queen Elizabeth I the college has also been associated with Westminster School . The dean remains to this day an ex officio member of the school's governing body. Major additions have been made to the buildings through the centuries, and Wolsey's Great Quadrangle was crowned with the famous gate-tower designed by Christopher Wren . To this day,
19152-592: The second siege of Oxford , a "bullet of IX lb. weight" shot from the Parliamentarians ' warning-piece at Marston fell against the wall of the north side of the Hall. Several of Christ Church's deans achieved high academic distinction, notably Owen under the Commonwealth , Aldrich and Fell in the Restoration period, Jackson and Gaisford in the early 19th century and Liddell in
19304-540: 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 the rebuild of the city centre, and featured 17 "anchor projects". There has been massive growth in
19456-582: 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
19608-436: The site of 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
19760-460: The site of Liddell Building), and School Field which has been leased to Magdalen College School since 1893. The meadow itself is inhabited by English Longhorn cattle. In October 1783 James Sadler made the first hot air balloon ascent in Britain from the meadow. The college gardens, quadrangles, and meadow are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . Christ Church has
19912-548: 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
20064-544: The subject of a Channel 4 television documentary Howard Goodall 's Great Dates (2002). The documentary was nominated at the Montreux TV Festival in the arts programme category – and has since been seen internationally. The choir's collaboration with Goodall has also led to their singing his TV themes for Mr. Bean and Vicar of Dibley . They appeared in Howard Goodall's Big Bangs , broadcast in
20216-551: The summer of 1831–32 Te Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pā (fortified village). Kaiapoi was engaged in a three-month siege by Te Rauparaha, during which his men successfully sapped the pā. They then attacked Kāi Tahu on Banks Peninsula and took the pā at Onawe . In 1832–33 Kāi Tahu retaliated under the leadership of Tūhawaiki and others, attacking Ngāti Toa at Lake Grassmere . Kāi Tahu prevailed, and killed many Ngāti Toa, although Te Rauparaha again escaped. Fighting continued for
20368-602: The time Europeans arrived, local Māori did not know the origins of the drawings. Early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha . They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Māmoe in the 16th century. Kāti Māmoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Kāti Māmoe organisation, many Kāi Tahu have Kāti Māmoe links in their whakapapa and especially in
20520-430: The two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island , with the definite article . It is also normal to use the preposition in rather than on , for example "Christchurch is in the South Island", "my mother lives in the South Island". Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use South Island without "the". As it is 32% larger than the North Island but contains less than
20672-424: 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
20824-728: The well-prepared Kāi Tahu killed all the leading Ngāti Toa chiefs except Te Rauparaha. Te Rauparaha returned to his Kapiti Island stronghold. In November 1830, Te Rauparaha persuaded Captain John Stewart of the brig Elizabeth to carry him and his warriors in secret to Akaroa , whereby in subterfuge they captured the leading Kāi Tahu chief, Tama-i-hara-nui , and his wife and daughter. After destroying Tama-i-hara-nui's village, they took their captives to Kapiti and killed them. John Stewart, though arrested and sent to trial in Sydney as an accomplice to murder, nevertheless escaped conviction. In
20976-590: 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
21128-448: 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
21280-476: 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
21432-480: 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 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
21584-604: Was disturbed by such a bawling and caterwauling as you never heard, and there, down in the little piazza, I saw a mob of about twenty terrible young men, and do you know what they were chanting We want Blanche. We want Blanche! in a kind of litany." "Those twins / Of learning that he [Wolsey] raised in you, Ipswich and Oxford! one of which fell with him, Unwilling to outlive the good that did it; The other, though unfinish'd, yet so famous, So excellent in art, and still so rising, That Christendom shall ever speak his virtue." "By way of light entertainment, I should tell
21736-416: Was formerly one of several undergraduate packs in Oxford, is no longer formally connected with the college or the university but continues to be staffed and followed by some Oxford undergraduates. "Midnight has come and the great Christ Church bell And many a lesser bell sound through the room; And it is All Souls' Night..." "The wind had dropped. There was even a glimpse of the moon riding behind
21888-520: Was generally peaceful. In 1861, gold was discovered at Gabriel's Gully in Central Otago , sparking a gold rush . Dunedin became the wealthiest city in the country, and many in the South Island resented financing the North Island's wars. In the 1860s, several thousand Chinese men, mostly from the Guangdong province, migrated to New Zealand to work on the South Island goldfields. Although
22040-425: 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
22192-542: Was not to be used in the future. "South Island will be adhered to in all cases". Although the island had been known as the South Island for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that along with the North Island, the South Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board officially named the island South Island or Te Waipounamu in October 2013. In prose,
22344-410: 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
22496-422: 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,
22648-453: 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 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
22800-467: 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 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
22952-557: 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
23104-404: Was the only conflict of the New Zealand Wars to occur in the South Island. The island became rich and prosperous and Dunedin boomed during the 1860s Otago gold rush , which was shaped by extensive Chinese immigration . After the gold rush the " drift to the north " meant the North Island displaced the South as the most populous. The South Island is shaped by the Southern Alps , which run along
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