150 years exhibition

UC staff and students, past and present, are innovators who have pushed knowledge forward, shared their passions, and made significant community contributions in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. This selection of artefacts represents a small sample of important innovators at UC. Check out the Wimshurst Machine in UC's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences.

Ōtautahi Christchurch and the wider Canterbury Province benefitted from countless teachers, artists, musicians, journalists, doctors, scientists, and engineers that Canterbury College had a hand in teaching. Learn more about College and community in the 150th exhibition.

UC began as Canterbury College in 1873. Learn how the rich culture of legacies and traditions at the heart of university life have evolved over the last 150 years, linking each generation of alumni who have passed through our halls.

The collection of buildings that form UC's original town site still hold a special place in the hearts of many former staff and students. Canterbury College started out with just one ‘temporary’ tin shed for a laboratory in 1877, but as the College grew, so too did the College buildings. Learn more about our places of learning.

Student experience has changed a lot in the last 150 years. While there is no one-size-fits all approach for making someone’s university experience epic, for many people it’s the moments between lectures and library trips spent hanging out with friends and gaining new experiences that are the most memorable. Check out our Student Life exhibition.

By investing in spaces, technology, and people who value learning, UC has strived to be a place of excellence in teaching and research for the last 150 years. The objects in this exhibition speak to the learning environments and teaching practices used throughout our history. Learn more about our people and pedagogy.