Canterbury Province

Right here, where Our City stands now, that used to be the Christchurch Land Office. It was the spot where Charles Simeon held the nomination meeting for the first election of a Superintendent for the Canterbury Province.

The Canterbury Province was a big deal, running from 1853 until 1876 when the provincial government was abolished. Christchurch was its capital. It was founded back in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association, a group of influential Englishmen connected to the Church of England. They even tried to limit residence to church members at first, but that didn't last. The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph, the first two of the "First Four Ships," arrived on December 16, 1850. That day later became the province's Anniversary Day.

The UK Parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Act in 1852, which set up provincial councils. This Act had special rules for the Canterbury Association, saying the new General Assembly couldn't change the Association's founding legislation, and that the Association could hand over its powers to the new provincial government.

Elections for the Superintendent happened in 1853, then for the 12-member council later that year, even before a national assembly was elected. Men over 21 who owned property in the province could vote. The Canterbury Association wrapped things up in 1855, and its remaining lands went to the Canterbury Province.

The first council meetings were held in the old office of the Guardian and Advertiser on Chester Street, near the Avon River. In 1866, they moved to Guise Brittan's house, which is now part of the Clarendon Hotel. One session in 1858 was in the town hall on what's now High Street, in the section north of Lichfield Street. Then, on September 28, 1859, the council first met in what became known as the Timber Chamber of the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings, and later, the Stone Chamber was used starting in November 1865.

The province had four Superintendents during its time. Its archives are pretty complete for provincial New Zealand government records and are held at Archives New Zealand's Christchurch office. In 2023, these archives were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand register.