The Diocese of Christchurch is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi (MÃÂori bishoprics) of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area between the Conway River and the Waitaki River in the South Island of New Zealand.
The Diocese of Christchurch was established in 1856 by the subdivision of the Diocese of New Zealand. Henry Harper, who arrived in Lyttelton on the Egmont on 23 December 1856, was the first bishop. The seat of the Bishop of Christchurch was at ChristChurch Cathedral until its demolition following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The current seat is in the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch.
Before the Christchurch Diocese was founded, it was intended that Thomas Jackson would be installed as a bishop for the South Island, with would his See located at Lyttelton.
The Archdeaconry of Christchurch dates to 1866 when Henry Jacobs became the first (apparently sole) Archdeacon of the diocese Jacobs resigned in May 1889 and was succeeded by Croasdaile Bowen, a brother of Charles Bowen. Bowen did not serve for long, as he had a stroke in November 1889 and died in January 1890.