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North Canterbury - an area that extends from south of Marlborough Province at the Conway River to Waimakariri River. Central (MID) Canterbury - extends from the "Waimak" to Rangitata River. This area contains the major part of New Zealand's greatest pastoral plain. Mid & North Canterbury also has two of the three passes through the alps to the West Coast; being LEWIS PASS in the north to Westport and ARTHURS PASS, centrally located, to Hokitka & Greymouth. South Canterbury, NZGenWeb Project - From Rangitata River to Waitaki River, North of the Otago Province. Canterbury, in general, is a pastoral region, specialising in grain on the lowlands & sheep & cattle in the inland areas back to the edge of the mountains. It is this setting that attracted a diverse range of folk from the greater United Kingdom to establish this land with a distinctly Church of England flavour. While there are few natural resources in the way of forests, or minerals to lure those with the idea of quick riches, as was the case for the Otago & West Coast gold fields, there was ample work establishing a new, self-sufficient life away from the unkind conditions of the homeland. After the crew of Governor Bligh put ashore in 1816, continuous European contact began in 1835. These were early settlers, working from around AKAROA and the peninsular in the way of whaling & timber milling around Banks Peninsular. AKAROA is heavily influenced by the French contingent there who just missed out on making it a colony of France in 1840!
In June 1850, the Canterbury Association, first conceived by Edward Gibbon WAKEFIELD in 1843, after setting up and advertising for emigrants, sent four ships to Lyttelton: the Charlotte Jane, the Sir George Seymour, the Randolph, & the Cressey. These arrived, first on Monday 16th December, the last on 27th December, 1850. The lists of these 773 'Canterbury Pilgrims' are written on bronze plaques set into the pavement in Christchurch's square and at the time, doubled Canterbury's population. |
Ten years before, however, The DEANS brothers from Riccarton, Scotland came to Wellington and after a time in Taranaki & Nelson, both were well established at Riccarton, later to become a suburb of Christchurch, by 1845. They joined GEBBIE & MANSON families there. During the late 1840's, Captain Joseph THOMAS made several trips to N.Z, and surveyed the Lyttelton (Port Cooper), Sumner & swamp areas, and built roads, wharves & accomodations in preparation for "The New Zealand Company" arrivals in December 1850.
A great may ships arrived over the next 60 or so years, bringing specific trades and skills necessary to set up a an 'English city', its port and service the farming & exploration activities.
While LYTTELTON was a major immigration port, significant migration occurred in & out of the region via West Coast, Nelson, Timaru && Dunedin ports. The depression of 1880's to 1908 caused a lot of population transfer to the 'greener pastures' of the North Island, especially those from outlying areas such as ASHBURTON. ASHBURTON is the only other significant town in the North / Mid Canterbury region, which has many smaller towns & villages.
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