for the first decade after the founding of christchurch in 1850, addington was farmland, consisting of large rural sections. in the early 1860s, the railway was surveyed through the area and subdivision of the larger sections began. factories moved in; wool and grain sheds opened; and with the industry came working class residential settlement. development continued throughout the 19th century: the city's sale yards opened in 1874 and the railway workshops were moved to addington in 1880. by the time the show grounds were opened in 1887, addington had become an important suburb in the industrial and social life of christchurch.