Archaeological evidence has indicated that people first settled in the Christchurch area in about 1250. In 1770 Captain James Cook in his ship the Endeavour first sighted the Canterbury peninsula. In 1850, a company sponsored by the Church of England founded the planned settlement of Christchurch. The public lines up to get their first look at the new Christchurch Town Hall in 1972. The Bowker Fountain and Captain Cook statue in Victoria Square, 1941.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 26, 2020 19:52 UTC