X-Nico

99 unusual facts about Christchurch


500th Air Expeditionary Group

Its last known assignment was at Christchurch, New Zealand, where it was activated for the summer 2005-2006 season.

Aaron Ayers

Aaron Ayers (1836 – 16 September 1900) came to Christchurch from England as a newly married man in his mid 20s.

Upon his arrival, he built a house at 290 Riverlaw Terrace in Opawa (these days a suburb of Christchurch).

He was elected Mayor of Christchurch in 1885 unopposed, and was re-elected a year later in the most keenly contested mayoral election thus far, narrowly beating Charles Louisson.

Albert J. Hanson

Hanson was an able landscape painter in both oil and water-colour and is represented in the Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurch galleries.

Alfred Chicken

Karl Fitzhugh, the Product Manager of the Amiga version of the Alfred Chicken video game, ran as the Alfred Chicken Party candidate in the 1993 by-election in the Christchurch, Dorset constituency.

Anjum Chopra

She made her debut in One-day Internationals on 12 February 1995 against New Zealand at Christchurch, New Zealand, and made her debut in Test cricket a few months later, against England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 17 November 1995.

Antony Gough

Considered to be one of the city's most influential businessmen, he is developer of The Terrace, a major commercial development in Christchurch's retail district and part of the city's reconstruction programme following the 2011 earthquake.

Bailter Space

Bailter Space (a.k.a. Bailterspace) is an atmospheric noise rock band that formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1987 as Nelsh Bailter Space; they had previously recorded as The Gordons.

Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament

In 2004 a tournament was held in Christchurch, New Zealand between 2 combined teams from Canberra and 2 New Zealand teams.

Bartercard Premiership

In the Seniors competition, Canterbury achieved their first Premiership in the new competition in a rematch of the 2008 final, defeating Auckland at Rugby League Park, Christchurch.

Bill Rowling

After completing his education, Rowling taught at several schools around the country, including at Motueka, Christchurch, Waverley and in Northland.

Bougainville Civil War

Breaking with Ona, Kauona and Kabui entered into peace talks with the government of Bill Skate in Christchurch, New Zealand, which culminated in the signing of the Lincoln Agreement in January 1998.

Bournemouth Little Theatre club

Bournemouth Little Theatre Club (BLTC) was founded in 1919 as The Bournemouth Dramatic and Orchestral Club and is the oldest amateur drama club in the Bournemouth / Poole / Christchurch area.

Bransgore

The early-16th-century font, which is said to have come from Christchurch, is octagonal, with a monogram J D, perhaps for "John Draper," the last Prior of Christchurch Priory.

Brian Ashby

Ashby was consecrated Bishop at the age of 41 (one of the youngest bishops to take office) on 5 August 1964 in Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch by Archbishop McKeefry of Wellington and the co-consecrators Archbishop Liston of Auckland and Bishop Snedden (Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington).

He received his primary education at St Joseph's Convent, Papanui and his secondary education at St Bede's College (to which he won a scholarship).

Burnside, Canterbury

Burnside contains a central park (Burnside Park), and its two central roads are Memorial Avenue and Greers Road.

Canterbury Australian Football League

The modern era of Australian Football in Christchurch can be traced back to the efforts of George Lanyon.

Carlton Hotel, Christchurch

The Carlton Hotel in Christchurch was an historic pub on the corner of Papanui Road and Bealey Avenue.

Cass Peak

The original Gothic architecture railway station in Christchurch's Moorhouse Avenue, opened in 1876, was built of red brick, with stone facings from Cass Peak as architectural elements.

Christ's College

Christ's College, Christchurch, an independent (private) secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch, Cambridgeshire

Until the turn of the century, the village name was still spelt "Christ Church", and prior to that was known as Brimstone-Hill, presumably after the butterfly which used to be common in the area.

Corrie!

In 2013 the play will tour New Zealand, with shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and the capital city Wellington.

Daddy's Highway

Upon their return to New Zealand, recording was completed at Nightshift in Christchurch, and the album was released by Flying Nun in 1987.

Disney Live

Opened on June 16, 2004 in Christchurch, New Zealand, this story features the characters from Winnie the Pooh, planning a surprise birthday party for their 'bestest buddy bear', Winnie the Pooh.

Don Beaven

An advocate of the Mediterranean diet, Beaven helped establish the South Island wine industry, planting vineyards and olive groves around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

Dream Mile

The term "Dream Mile" is also used to describe several other major athletics events, notably the 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500 metres race ("metric mile") fought out between Filbert Bayi and John Walker in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Drift to the north

The term is especially common in the cities of Christchurch and Dunedin, university cities whose graduates frequently head either to Auckland or the country's capital Wellington (also in the North Island) after completing their studies.

Edward Somers

Somers was born in Christchurch in 1928, and was educated at Christ's College and the University of Canterbury, where he gained a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.

Elizabeth Grace Neill

After this significant event in New Zealand’s history, maternity hospitals began opening all over the country such as St. Helen’s Hospitals in Dunedin (1905), Auckland (1906), and Christchurch (1907).

Frank Rolleston

Frank Rolleston was educated at Christ's College, where along with his older three brothers he was a boarder.

Funtime Comics

Funtime Comics is a Christchurch, New Zealand based collective of comic artists and writers whose aim is to provide a forum for the promotion and discussion of the comic medium, promote New Zealand comics and encourage local writers and artists through the publishing of their own comics.

Games '74

Games '74 is a 1974 New Zealand–made documentary film of the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974.

Gamzigrad

During the 31st Session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee in Christchurch, New Zealand from the 23rd of June to the second of July 2007, The World Heritage Committee decided to place Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius on the World Heritage List.

Geography of New Zealand

Christchurch is the driest city, receiving about 640 mm (25 in) of rain per year, while Hamilton is the wettest, receiving more than twice that amount at 1325mm PA, followed closely by Auckland.

George Macfarlan

He was in partnership with William Sefton Moorhouse, prior to Moorhouse being elected Superintendent for the Canterbury Provincial Council in May 1866 for the second time, with their office located in Cathedral Square.

Goodbye Pork Pie

Arriving in the South Island, the boxcar is attached to a train destined for Christchurch, and the trio enjoy a leisurely ride, decorating the wagon with the name "Blondini" and other items found in the train's wagons.

Hagley Park

The Canterbury Museum and Christ's College are the two other land uses that take up the balance of the land within the river's loop.

Harmondsworth Great Barn

Sir George Gilbert Scott visited the barn in 1850 and sketched it, using its design as the basis for proposals for the new ChristChurch Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Hawke Cup

Teams from New Zealand's 4 "main centres", Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin have not usually competed for the Hawke Cup, although they did participate for the latter half of the 1990s.

Heavenly Creatures

Heavenly Creatures is a 1994 New Zealand drama film directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his partner, Fran Walsh, about the notorious 1954 Parker–Hulme murder case in Christchurch, New Zealand.

History of Bournemouth

Between July 1902 and April 1936, Bournemouth Corporation operated a tramway between Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Winton.

Bournemouth tram number 85 is preserved and on static display at the Museum of Electricity in Christchurch.

History of cricket in New Zealand to 1890

The match took place on 6 & 7 February 1865 at Hayley Park in Christchurch.

History of New Zealand

In February 2011, a major earthquake in Christchurch, the nation's second largest city, significantly impacted the national economy and the government formed the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority in response.

Hugh Latimer

A square, Latimer Square, is named after the man and is located in central Christchurch, New Zealand.

Imakane, Hokkaido

Imakane Junior High School has an exchange program with Burnside High School, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Jean McKenzie

McKenzie retired back to New Zealand in 1956, living in Christchurch.

Jeremiah Twomey

In 1896 a section of the Liberal Party in Christchurch invited him to stand for the city, but owing to the way in which the party was split up, he declined the invitation.

Jerri Nielsen

An Air Force C-141 cargo plane, staged out of Christchurch, overflew the Pole in the darkness of mid-July and sent six bundles of supplies and medical equipment parachuting toward the station.

John Anstey

On 20 September 1881, he married Bessie Chamberlain of Hadstock Estate in the Ellesmere district near Christchurch.

Kenneth Robert Balfour

Balfour and Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey, then plain Thomas Allnut Brassey, stood for election as the Member of Parliament for Christchurch in the 1900 general election.

Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora

It lies partially in extreme southeastern Selwyn District and partially in the southwestern extension of the former Banks Peninsula District, which now (since 2006) is a ward in the city of Christchurch.

Lake Lyndon

It is roughly an hour from Christchurch and is a popular site for rainbow trout fishing as the trout population in the lake is thriving due to the dense oxygen weed beds that provide a plentiful food source.

Lake Tekapo

The church at Lake Tekapo was designed by Christchurch architect R.S.D. Harman, based on sketches by a local artist, Esther Hope.

Limited express

The South Island Limited express ran three days a week from Christchurch through Dunedin to Invercargill, with a slower regular express operating on the other four days.

Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building

The Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building was built in the mid-1960s as an operational building for the Lyttelton road tunnel in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Marian College, Christchurch

Because of the effects of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake on 4 September 2010 and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake (the February earthquake) on 22 February 2011, the school was relocated for the 2011 school year to St Bede's College, Christchurch and there was also some cooperation with Shirley Boys' High School which is near the school.

Men Shouldn't Sing

Men Shouldn't Sing had its premiere on 2 December 2007 at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Michael Witbrock

Dr. Witbrock was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University.

Miss Asia Pacific 1984

For the first time ever, this events was held in November 10 in Christchurch, New Zealand with a participation from 19 countries.

Mount Cheeseman

Mount Cheeseman is a club snowfield in New Zealand's South Island, near the town of Springfield, about an hour and a half from Christchurch.

Mount Dobson

Located 2.25 hours from Christchurch and 3 hours from Queenstown, it claims an easy access road, the highest car park of any ski resort in New Zealand, and the earliest start to the season in 2006.

Mount Olympus Ski Area

Near the town of Windwhistle, and in the vicinity of other club fields such as Mount Cheeseman and Broken River, it is approximately 2 hours' drive from Christchurch.

Nancy Borlase

Born in Taihape, New Zealand, in 1914, Borlase was 16 when she decided that art was her calling and shifted to Christchurch, making the move to Australia at age 22.

New Zealand 1000 Guineas

The 1000 Guineas is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1600 m at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.

New Zealand 2000 Guineas

The 2000 Guineas is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 m at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.

New Zealand Midland Railway Company

The New Zealand Midland Railway Company partially constructed the Midland line between Christchurch and Greymouth and the Nelson railway in the South Island.

New Zealand Open

In 2012, the BMW NZ Open was hosted by The Clearwater Resort in Christchurch from 1–4 December, and was promoted by New Zealand Golf.

New Zealand PGA Championship

In 2002, a PGA Tour of Australasia and U.S.-based Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned event, called the Holden Clearwater Classic was started at the Clearwater Resort in Christchurch, New Zealand.

New Zealand Railways Corporation

Railway stations in Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier and Oamaru were sold, along with substantial tracts of land previously used for rail operations.

New Zealand Sign Language

Van Asch Deaf Education Centre (former Sumner School for the Deaf), opened 1880 (Christchurch)

New Zealand Socialist Party

The Wellington branch of the party was founded on 28 July 1901, and the Christchurch branch in January 1902.

New Zealand Trotting Cup

The New Zealand Trotting Cup or New Zealand Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Phillipstown, New Zealand

Nearby is the Church of the Good Shepherd, a Category I heritage building registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Postcodes in New Zealand

Under the old system, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch were divided into postal zones, which were incorporated into the post code system for use in bulk mailings.

Under the new system, some suburbs in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch now either have their own postcode, or share one with fewer suburbs.

Punta Arenas

The city is often a base for Antarctic expeditions, although Ushuaia (Argentina) and Christchurch (New Zealand) are also common starting points.

Riccarton Park Racecourse

Riccarton Park Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Christchurch city area in New Zealand.

Robert Speechly

Speechly was sent to Christchurch, New Zealand in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott as resident architect to supervise the building of the new ChristChurch Cathedral.

Roundhill Ski Area

Roundhill Ski Area is a family owned and run ski area in Canterbury, New Zealand, near the town of Lake Tekapo, 1.5 hours from Timaru and 3 hours from both Christchurch & Queenstown.

Seven Bridges of Königsberg

Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand, has incorporated a model of the bridges into a grass area between the old Physical Sciences Library and the Erskine Building, housing the Departments of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science.

Sir John Simeon, 3rd Baronet

The object was to create an Anglican settlement in New Zealand, which happened with the Canterbury Region, with Christchurch as its capital.

Solar eclipse of November 13, 2012

Auckland had 87.0% of the sun obscured, whereas Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin respectively had 76.4%, 68.9% and 61.5% of the sun obscured.

St Paul's Anglican Church, Papanui

St Paul's Anglican Church is a Category II listed heritage building in the Christchurch, New Zealand suburb of Papanui.

The Clarion

At least one Clarion Cycling Club was established in New Zealand in the 1890s at Christchurch.

The Guilty Office

Recording of The Guilty Office began on 25–26 August 2007 in the newly built National Grid Studio in Heathcote Valley, Christchurch.

The Octagon

The Octagon, Christchurch, a former church in the central city of Christchurch

Thomas Edmonds

Thomas Edmonds (manufacturer) (1858–1932), a philanthropist from Christchurch famous for his 'Sure to Rise' baking powder and the Edmonds Cookery Book

Thomas Gapes

On 23 February 1876, he married Marion (or Marianne) Elizabeth Prebble (24 September 1852 – 17 March 1919) at St Luke's Church in Christchurch.

Twynham

Twynham was the original name of Christchurch, Dorset, in England, which called Twynham until the end of the eleventh century.

Victoria Matthews

In February 2008, she was elected Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

Victoria Matthews (born 1954) is Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

Warren Hill

Warren Hill, Christchurch, Dorset (21 m), important archaeological site and nature reserve on Hengistbury Head, Christchurch.

Wheelchair rugby

The 4th World Wheelchair Rugby Championships were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from September 12–16, 2006.

Wigram Airfield Circuit

Wigram Airfield Circuit was a temporary motor racing circuit at Wigram Aerodrome, Christchurch, New Zealand.

William Mein Smith

He was thus an early visitor to what is now Christchurch, Akaroa, Port Chalmers and Bluff, but was shipwrecked in the course of the return trip.

Winfried Wiencek

1989 Christchurch: Supervisor of the German deaf TT national team at World Games of the Deaf


139th Airlift Squadron

On February 20, 1998, responsibility for airlift support to the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) was passed over to 109 AW from VXE-6, during a ceremony at Christchurch International Airport, Christchurch, New Zealand.

With the assumption of the support mission from the Navy, the 109th established an operating location at Christchurch and a forward location at Williams Field, on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica.

Abel Smith

Abel Henry Smith (1862–1930), MP for Christchurch 1892–1900 and Hertford 1900-1910

Anagrams of Desire

) and an unproduced screenplay entitled The Christchurch Murders, based on the Parker-Hulme New Zealand murders, the same incident which influenced Peter Jackson's film Heavenly Creatures.

Bristol RE

From 1976 the RE remained in production only for the Northern Irish state-owned bus companies Ulsterbus and Citybus, and for export to Christchurch Transport Board, New Zealand.

Central Plains Water

Megan Woods, the unsuccessful Christchurch mayoral candidate, did not support the Central Plains Water scheme.

Christchurch City

Christchurch United, a former association football team from Christchurch, New Zealand

CUTC

Canterbury University Tramping Club, the Canterbury University tramping club based in Christchurch, New Zealand

Dieu et mon droit

Versions of the coat of arms, with the motto, are also used by other newspapers, including Melbourne's The Age, Christchurch New Zealand's The Press, the UK's Daily Mail and the Toronto Standard.

Double-decker tram

Double-deck trams were once popular in some European cities, like Berlin and London, throughout the British Empire countries in the early half of the 20th century including Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington in New Zealand; Hobart, Tasmania in Australia and in parts of Asia.

Erin Baker

Baker now lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her husband and fellow triathlete Scott Molina.

Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand

In April 1988, FIANZ held its first ever South Island AGM at the Canterbury mosque and Christchurch resident Dr Saleh Al Samahy from Saudi Arabia was elected president.

Greg Alexander

After making his test debut in the 26-6 first test win against New Zealand at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch and playing in the 8-0 second test win at Rotorua, Alexander lost his place in the side with coach Bob Fulton preferring his 1987 premiership winning halfback from Manly-Warringah, Des Hasler, in the position for the third and final test.

Henry Drummond Wolff

Whilst MP for Christchurch he lived in Boscombe, where he developed the Boscombe Spa estate, and he played an active role in the public life of Bournemouth.

Ilam School of Fine Arts

Located in the Christchurch suburb of Ilam, it is informally called the Ilam School of Fine Arts, although this can lead to confusion with the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland.

Jeffrey Douma

Choirs under his direction have appeared in Leipzig's Neue Gewandhaus, Prague's Dvorak Hall, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Sydney Town Hall, Christchurch Cathedral, Avery Fisher Hall, and Carnegie Hall, and he has prepared choruses for performances under such conductors as Valery Gergiev, Sir David Willcocks, Nicholas McGegan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Sir Neville Marriner, and Helmuth Rilling.

National Democrats Party

Kyle Chapman became Deputy Chairman of the NDP, and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Christchurch in 2007, pulling approximately 1% of the vote.

New Zealand Open

The 2011 championship was the first major sporting event to come to Christchurch since the earthquake in February, 2011.

Paul Cleave

In September 2008, Cleave appeared on a crime writing panel at The Press Christchurch Writers Festival alongside fellow New Zealand crime writer Vanda Symon and acclaimed British author Mark Billingham.

Pilot Training School

Military pilot training during World War I was undertaken by private contractors; principally the New Zealand Flying School of the Walsh Brothers in Auckland and the Canterbury Aviation Company formed by Henry Wigram in Christchurch.

Public transport in Christchurch

Christchurch's public transport system served as backdrop for Tim Veling's 2006 book "Red Bus Diary", in which the author toured the city on public buses and compiled the stories of the people he met.

Stuart Page

He graduated from Ilam School of Fine Arts (Christchurch) with a Diploma Fine Arts (Hons) in Photography in 1980.

The Curious Room

The collection also includes the unproduced screenplays Gun for the Devil (based upon an earlier short work of hers, collected in American Ghosts and Old World Wonders) and The Christchurch Murders (based on the Parker–Hulme murder case which also influenced the 1994 Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures), as well a stage adaptation of Frank Wedekind's Lulu plays.

Willard Hughes Rollings

He held a postdoctoral fellowship at the D'Arcy McNickle Center for the History of the American Indian at the Newberry Library in Chicago and a Fulbright Scholarship to New Zealand, where he studied the culture and history of the Māori and also spent time in Christchurch and Wellington.

Yaldhurst Museum

The Yaldhurst Museum is located in the suburb of Yaldhurst, Christchurch, New Zealand, close to Christchurch International Airport, Riccarton Race Course and Ruapuna Speedway.

Yulia MacLean

Yulia was first discovered on regional television as a last minute subject for a ten minute segment on Good Living With Kerry Pierson on Christchurch's local television station CTV.