The electorate comprised the northern half of what is now considered the Christchurch Central City.
[1] The boundaries of the Christchurch North electorate were Bealey Avenue in the north (then called North Town Belt), Fitzgerald Avenue in the east (then called East Town Belt), Worcester Street in the south (through Latimer and Cathedral Squares), and Park Terrace in the west (then called Antigua Street).
[6] The electorate existed three times:[7] It was held by three Premiers or Prime Ministers, Julius Vogel (1884 to 1889),[8] Sidney Holland and Mike Moore.
[9] Thomson retired at the 1884 election and was succeeded by Julius Vogel, who beat John Crewes.
[12] Edward Wingfield Humphreys won the resulting 1889 by-election and served until the end of the parliamentary term in the following year.