After almost 80 years as Queen of Christchurch’s sky, the Cathedral had her first real competitor for the title of the city’s tallest building. On 8 November 1983, the Canterbury Centre, situated on the intersection of Cashel and High Streets, was opened. Standing tall at 50 metres, 14 floors, she won the title of the …
On 3 October 1983, Cheviot born Canterbury Rugby Player Robbie Deans becomes the highest scorer of the 79 years of the Ranfurly Shield with 187 points from 13 games. Future coach for both the Crusaders and the All Blacks, Robbie was from proud stock. He was not only from a great Canterbury pioneering family but …
While Cantabrian Michael Mayell was in the United States of America promoting New Zealand’s ski fields, he fell in love with the American cookie shops over there. Hunting down the classic housewife’s cookie recipe and saving up all his earnings, he returned to Christchurch with a sugar sweet dream. The year was 1983. In his …
On 15th August 1981, racial tensions that had been brewing since the 1950’s, spilled out around the outskirts of Christchurch’s Lancaster Park as a rugby game was played between the All Blacks and the South African Team – the Springboks. Hundreds of anti-apartheid protesters swarmed around outside the park, finally breaking past riot police and …
It all began as a bit of joke. The sound of her walking along in her high heels would be the first sign that she was about to appear at the edge of the nearby car park. Then there would be a scramble to the window so her, always unusual, wardrobe could be analyzed as …
On 29 September 1979, Friendship Corner opened beside the Bridge of Remembrance. Towards the end of the 1970′s, the waste land that sat south of the Bridge of Remembrance, at the junction of Oxford, Cambridge Terraces and Lichfield Street was a hot topic at the Christchurch City Council. Something needed to be done with it. …
On 8 January 1979, the city’s first female bus driver drove her first shift on the streets of Christchurch. Kiwi women had begun to drive New Zealand buses as early as 1930 – in the face of much sexist opposition from their male counterparts. (Please note that the attached photo is not of New Zealand)
On 28 October 1978, after a generous donation from the Pioneer Sports Club Charitable Trust, the C.C.C. opened what was then called the Pioneer Stadium. It was built in Centennial Park on Lyttelton Street. When the Pioneer Sports Club Ltd went into liquidation in 1976, the assets were handed over to the C.C.C. with the …
On Main South Road (demanding the attention of all that drive by) stands a memorial, acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the formation of the New Zealand Air Force. It was erected on 14 June 1978. The foundation of today’s New Zealand Air Force was laid in 1917 by Henry Francis Wigram’s Canterbury Aviation Company. In …
On 25 September 1976, New Zealand’s first and only open range zoo opened. Only 16 hectares in size on opening day, 10 of these were the Drive-Thru Lion Reserve, which closed to cars in March 1995. Today, Orana is 80 hectares and houses roughly 400 animals – from New Zealand natives to African wildlife. For …
