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The history of the Christchurch area is thought to have started when the Waitaha tribe travelled from the North Island's east coat to Pegasus Bay sometime in the early 1000s, to hunt the now extinct Moa.
Europeans first set foot on the Banks Peninsula around 1815, with increasing numbers of sealers and whalers visiting what now is the Lyttleton harbour.
Early attempts to establish farming communities began in the late 1830s. By the end of 1850, around 3000 people had made the journey.
If early colonial history fascinates you, then you shouldn't miss a visit to the Canterbury Museum, situated in an exquisite historic Christchurch building. There is plenty on offer here, including displays featuring work from the Classic Maori period.
An interesting historical feature of the city is the Christchurch Tram. In the latter part of the last century, horse drawn and steam trams ran services to many parts of the city.
1905 saw the introduction of the electric tram as an integral part of the city's transport system, where they remained in use until the 1950's.
In 1954, the last of the familiar green and cream trams disappeared from Christchurch streets. But due to the dedication of the Tramway Historical Society, the vision of the Christchurch City Council and Christchurch Tramway Ltd, the trams returned to the streets of Christchurch in February 1995.
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