Ōtautahi Christchurch Central City Living History Walk

As the days begin to get longer and warmer, it’s the perfect time to get out and about in the central city! Christchurch City Council Archives in collaboration with Christchurch City Libraries is thrilled to be launching the Ōtautahi Christchurch Central City Living History Walk. This digital self-guided living history walk takes you on a journey of what life would have been like for the people of Ōtautahi Christchurch during the late 1800s.

Taking around 1 hour and covering 2km of fully accessible pedestrian areas, the tour begins outside Tūranga, takes you to Victoria Square and follows the Ōtākaro Avon River to Cashel Street. It then loops up High Street to Cathedral Square and finishes back at Tūranga.

To get started all you need to do is grab your tablet or phone and head to the first stop. Free Wifi is available along the route.

Take the tour

If you pop into Tūranga Tuakiri | Identity during Heritage Festival (12-30 October) you can see some of the stories featured in the tour as part of a pop-up exhibition. You can also explore the route using an interactive touch screen and access the tour via a QR code.  

As well as the walking tour, there’s also a Living History pop-up exhibition at Tūranga during Heritage Festival, and a stand at The Smart Christchurch Innovation Expo (Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September).

Interview on So Many Stories

Listen to Learning Specialist Amy talk to Local History Librarian Alison Rogers, Council Archivist Annabel Armstrong-Clarke and Assistant Archivist Sarah Tester about this new digital self-guided tour of Central Christchurch.

Early Cashel Street looking east 1870, Christchurch Star Archive. In copyright. CCL-StarP-01791A
Early Cashel Street looking east 1870, Christchurch Star Archive. In copyright. CCL-StarP-01791A

Sarah Tester (Assistant Archivist) and Annabel Armstrong-Clarke (Archivist)
Christchurch City Council