[1] When building timber ran low in Christchurch, the logs from the Harewood Forest at Oxford were brought across the river at Courtenay.

[4] A hotel was built in 1861 and operated by Charles White, and a store was opened at the township in the days when Cobb & Co coaches ran through it on their way to the West Coast.

[1] However, the formation of the railway to Springfield through Kirwee, and the consequent loss of the coach traffic, spoiled the business prospects of the township, and both the hotel and store were subsequently closed.

The Courtenay Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and a horticultural society, were also formed in the early days, and shows were initially held at the Desert homestead, but later at Kirwee.

The Waimakariri River makes a sweeping curve across the Canterbury Plains, and Courtenay is located on its extreme convex point.

River terraces are low-lying, and old flood channels starting at Courtenay can easily be recognised on aerial photos.