Even before the arrival of the first colonists in Canterbury, they had highlighted the need for a newspaper: a “Prospectus of Newspaper to be established in the Canterbury Settlement” proposed the publication of a weekly newspaper to be called the Lyttelton Times.

The plant arrived in Lyttelton on 16 December 1850 on the Charlotte Jane, one of the first four ships. The first issue was published on the 11 January 1851, under the editorship of James Edward Fitzgerald.

The Lyttelton Times began to appear twice a week in 1854, then in 1863 this increased to three times a week. At this time, publication also moved to Christchurch, already home to The Press newspaper, founded in 1861.

The publishers of the Lyttelton Times started the weekly Canterbury Times in 1865, and then The Star, an evening edition of the Lyttelton Times, appeared on 14 May 1868.

In 1929 the Lyttelton Times became the Christchurch Times, the final issue of which appeared on 29 June 1935.