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| June 2003 |
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150 years of Canterbury
More 40km/h
In July 1853 the voters of Canterbury gathered
outside to listen to speeches and then elect the
province’s first superintendent. The right to vote
was only available to men over 21 who owned
property worth at least £50 a year. Plans are under way to commemorate this and
other associated events, such as the Provincial
Government’s first sitting in September, 1853. They are two of several
anniversaries being
marked this year in the
lead-up to Carter Group
Heritage Week (17-24
October) — the annual
celebration of the city’s
heritage buildings and
places. Heritage Week is
core-funded by the City
Council. Three candidates vied
for the position that
day and James Edward
FitzGerald won. He got 135 of the 318 votes
cast. In those days the settlement was taking its
first steps. Christchurch then was described as
a “rather dreary little village”, a “collection of
scattered houses, separated by wide paddocks
and uncultivated tracts”. Canterbury was the youngest of six colony
provinces set up in New Zealand. Because they
were scattered and communications were slow, the
provincial system of government was used from
1853 until 1876. Each province elected a Provincial
Council and a Superintendent, who was not a
council member. From the council, an executive
was appointed to advise the Superintendent. Provincial governments had substantial powers,
especially after 1856 when they got control of
revenue from land sales. It was this which gave
Canterbury a secure and independent financial
base. In 1853 Canterbury's population was still
only a few thousand. An 1856 census showed
Christchurch and Lyttelton had a combined
population of 1475. During their time provincial government
controlled surveying,
land regulations,
immigration and public
works like roading,
railways and harbours. They were in charge of
education, hospitals and
public health. For Canterbury the
provincial years were a
time of strong growth
and achievement. In
the 1860s the province
marked several New
Zealand firsts - the first telegraph, railway and
tunnel. By 1864 Christchurch's population had
grown to 4423 residents. |