This week in Christchurch history (3 to 9 August)

4 August 1878
Severe snowstorm over the South Island.

4 August 1923
Railway to the West Coast opens. The much delayed opening of the Otira tunnel on June 18, 1918, had prevented earlier completion of the line.

6 August 1867
Unveiling of the Godley statue in Cathedral Square New Zealand’s first public statue. However, the statue’s inscription acclaiming him ”founder of Canterbury“ is possibly over generous. Wakefield should at least share the title.

John Robert Godley statue at the Quake City exhibition, Friday 15 February 2013
John Robert Godley statue at the Quake City exhibition, Friday 15 February 2013. Flickr CCL-2013 -02-15-IMG_3592

7 August 1982
Opening of City Mall, a major new pedestrian amenity created by the closure of parts of Cashel and High Streets. The project had first been mooted in 1967.

8 August 1989
Christchurch Central MP and Deputy Prime Minister, Geoffrey Palmer appointed as Prime Minister after resignation of David Lange. See some photos from his career on DigitalNZ.

Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and his wife Margaret, Premier House, Wellington
Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and his wife Margaret, Premier House, Wellington - Photograph taken by Ross Giblin. Further negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1990/2349/20-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23121901

9 August 1840
Captain Langlois in the “Compte de Paris” arrives in Pigeon Bay with 63 French settlers.

More August events in the Christchurch chronology: a timeline of Christchurch events in chronological order from pre-European times to 1989.