 Cover of the first edition of the Lyttelton Times | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Founded | 11 January 1851 |
| Ceased publication | 29 June 1935 |
| Headquarters | Lyttelton Times Building, 56 Cathedral Square, Christchurch New Zealand |
The Lyttelton Times was the first newspaper in Canterbury, New Zealand, publishing the first edition in January 1851. It was established by the Canterbury Association as part of its planned settlement of Canterbury and developed into a liberal, at the time sometimes seen as radical, newspaper. A successor paper, The Star, is published as a free bi-weekly newspaper.
James FitzGerald was the newspaper's first editor, and it was FitzGerald who in 1861 set up its main competitor, The Press, over the Lyttelton Times' support for the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel. In 1935, it was The Press that won the competition for the morning newspaper market in Christchurch; the Lyttelton Times was the oldest newspaper in the country when it ceased that year.