THOMAS, Joseph. Captain Joseph Thomas was an important figure in the pioneering stages of New Zealand. He was a Government Surveyor who layed out Canterbury. It was Joseph Thomas who in April 1849 chose the present site of Christchurch for the new settlement, despite the fact that both the Nelson and Otago settlement. He was a soldier, agent and cheif surveyor for the Canterbury Association. Between August 1849 and March 1850, Thomas and his survey party mapped out for sttlement over a million hectares of Canterbury Province and named the towns, sites and streets for Lyttlelton, Christchurch and Sumner. He returned to England and nobody every heard anything further about him. Seeking further information. Louise Dixon MandLDixon@bigpond.com