[5] This transaction was formalised through The Cathedral Square Ordinance 1858, a law passed by the Canterbury Provincial Council in October 1858.

[6] Christianity has adopted the practice of praying towards the East as the Orient was thought of as containing the mankind's original home.

Hence, most Christian churches are oriented towards the east,[7][8] and to comply with this convention, Henry Harper, Christchurch's first Bishop, lobbied to have the eastern side of Cathedral Square to be used for the pro-cathedral.

That way, the main entrance would face Colombo Street, resulting in praying towards the east in line with convention.

[11] The purpose of this change was to allow the placement of the cathedral slightly further west, making its tower visible along Colombo Street from a distance.

[1] A statue to John Robert Godley, the city's founder, was unveiled on 6 August 1867 on a pedestal opposite the cathedral.

[13][14] Before 2011, the Square was the city's main meeting place for people and was a regular site of street performers and speakers, one of the most notable was The Wizard of New Zealand.

In 1972 it was redeveloped to provide large pedestrian areas, and the south-west quadrant was closed to traffic.

Most buses left the Square when the Bus Exchange in Lichfield Street opened in November 2000.