It was given by Sir Henry Wigram for the Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company on 20 September 1916 and originally named Sockburn Airport.

The Crown added to the original size of the airfield, and that addition was land belonging to Ngāi Tahu.

In the 1990s, the government wanted to rationalise their military property and a decision was made to either close Wigram or RNZAF Woodbourne near Blenheim.

[2] The RNZAF still owns the original gifted part of the airfield, which is now the home of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

The majority of the airfield, control tower, hangars and new fire station was returned to Ngāi Tahu Property as part of a treaty settlement claim.

[citation needed] In late 2009, Ngāi Tahu Property began redeveloping the Wigram aerodrome site as a new housing development.