The Canterbury College School of Art headed by David Blair was established on 1 March 1882. It is now known as the Ilam School of Fine Arts and is a faculty of Arts at the University of Canterbury.

In its original rendition the school was modelled on the late Victorian Arts and Crafts Movement centred in London’s South Kensington School of Design. It’s Mission was to give instruction focussing on the “arts and crafts” and their “practical application to the requirements of trade and manufactures,” By 1884 student artworks of sufficient quality to being shown at the Wellington Art Society’s Annual Exhibition in the company of J C Richmond, John Gully and C D Barraud and two years later as part of an exhibition of Colonial art in the Royal Albert Hall, London. By 1912 the College had 365 attending students although as reporters pointed out many of them were doing classes normally provided by Technical Colleges. In 1920 the New Zealand painter and past student of the School Archibald Nicholl was appointed and would remain Head of School to 1927. Along with David Blair previous heads of the school were, G.H. Elliott and R. Herdman Smith. Nicholl was followed by R Wallwork (1927–1945).

Initially the school was based in the Girls High School building on the corner of Rolleston Avenue and Hereford Street now part of The Art Centre after Girl’s High moved to Cranmer Square. However, in1929 a standalone site on the corner of Gloucester and Montreal Streets was purchased. In 1957 the art school was the first faculty of the university to move to Ilam where it was situated in Oakover House on the Ilam campus. The following years John Simpson was appointed Senior lecturer and in 1961, aged 38, was made first Professor of Fine Arts at the School of Art Canterbury University. Simpson headed the school for nearly 30 years retiring in 1990. During his time as head of school he oversaw its relocation on the Ilam campus in 1979 in what would be its first purpose built  structure. He also introduced Graphic Design in 1963 and film in 1966 as subjects. Art history was included in 1974, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree introduced in 1982 and Art Theory available as a subject from 1985.

In 1991 the School of Fine Arts celebrated their Māori students past and present with an exhibition "He Tol Tutanga Na Ngaa Toa O Te WhareWaananga O Waltaha". One of the earliest Māori artists to attend Ilam was Buck Nin (Ngati Raukawa), who trained under Rudi Gopas and gained a Diploma of Fine Arts from Ilam in 1966 becoming the first Māori to graduate from the school. Other Māori students who have graduated from the school include: Matt Pine 1962, Gavin Bishop [Waikato, Ngati Awa) 1964-1968, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki [Nga Puhi] 1966-1969, Eruera (Ted) Te Whiti Nia 1970-1973, Kura Te Waru-Rewiri (Nga Puhi)1970-1973, Shane Cotton (Nga Puhi) 1985-1988, Peter Robinson (Kai Tahu) 1985-1988, Chris Heaphy (Ngai Tahu) 1987- 1990, Darryn George [Ngapuhi) 1989-1991 and John Walsh Aitanga a Hauiti/ New Zealand Irish 1973-1974.

Since its inception the staff of the school have largely been drawn from practicing artists many of whom were students at the school themselves. They have included: Archibald Nichol, Florence Atkins, Evelyn Page, Colin Lovell-Smith, Frances Shurrock, Cecil Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, Sydney Lough Thompson, John Weeks, W.A. Sutton, Doris Lusk, Eileen Mayo, Tom Taylor, Rudi Gopas, Don Peebles, Maurice Askew, John Panting, Barry Cleavin, Quentin Macfarlane.

Rita Angus, Leonard Booth, Grace Butler, James Cook, Rhona Haszard, Cecil Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, Rata Lovell-Smith, Ngaio Marsh, Owen Merton, Raymond McIntyre, Evelyn Polson ( Evelyn Page), Daisy Osborn, Flora Scales, Olivia Spencer-Bower, Sydney Thompson, William Thomas Trethewey, Alfred Walsh.

Rita Angus, Kathleen Brown, Russell Clark, James Coe, Austen Deans, Margaret Frankel, Ivy Fife, Molly Macalister,Frances Rutherford, W A Sutton, John Weeks, Toss Woolaston.

Gavin Bishop Philippa Blair, Philip Clairmont, John Coley, Barry Cleavin, Bill Culbert, Neil Dawson, Michael Dunn, Tony Fomison, Dick Frizzell, Murray Grimsdale, Gil Hanly, Patrick Hanly, Bill Hammond, Ronnie van Hout, Hamish Keith, Tom Kreisler, Vivian Lynn, Maria Olsen, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, Quentin McFarlane, Trevor Moffat, Eruera (Ted) Te Whiti Nia, Buck Nin, Matt Pine, Gaylene Preston, Philip Trusttum, Boyd Webb.

Bing Daw, Denise Copeland, Shane Cotton, Darryn George, Chris Heaphy, Seraphine Pick, Julia Morrison, Peter Robinson, Kura Te Waru-Rewiri, Vincent Ward, Ruth Watson.

• The Group

• A History of the University of Canterbury 1873–1973 by W.J. Gardner, E. T. Beardsley & T. E. Carter (Caxton Press, Christchurch, 1973)

• About the School of Fine Arts (University of Canterbury website)
• School of Fine Arts collection (University of Canterbury website)
• The School of Art (from 1885 Guide to Christchurch)

43°31′29″S 172°35′08″E / 43.524704°S 172.585471°E / -43.524704; 172.585471