26 January 1883
New Zealand Shipping Company begins direct steam service to the United Kingdom.
27 January 1860
Writer Samuel Butler arrives at Lyttelton on “Roman Emperor”. He is best remembered for the novels Erewhon, published after his return to England several years later, and The Way of All Flesh, which was published a year after Butler's death, in 1903. Christchurch City Libraries holds a special Butler collection.
28 January 1851
Fire destroys a large part of Riccarton (Deans) Bush.
31 January 1921
New Zealand’s first regular airmail service begins between Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru.
More January and February events in the Christchurch chronology: a timeline of Christchurch events in chronological order from pre-European times to 1989.
Add a comment to: This week in Christchurch history (26 January to 1 February)