Earthquake Damage

The damage to the Basilica following the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes

Jennie Meuldijk

Basilica, post-quake, front view, seen through fence

Credit: Jocelyn Kinghorn, 12 February 2012. Source: QuakeStudies

On 5 September, the morning that followed the 2010 earthquakes, footage from Stuff showcased the perspectives of Christchurch parishioners, with a statement from Bishop Barry Jones during an interview in front of the Basilica. A photograph captured by Peter Corliss shows the extensive damage a building in Central Christchurch has suffered from the September 2010 earthquakes, while the Basilica’s main dome, featured in the background, appears relatively intact (6 September 2010). The building was red-carded after the September 2010 earthquakes, announced unsafe to enter, and closed to the public.

During the earthquake on 22 February 2011, both the Basilica’s iconic front two towers collapsed, while other parts of the building suffered extensive roof collapse, damaged columns, and cracking along the outward walls. In the image below, a crushed car is just visible beneath the rubble. It was fortunate there were no casualties at this site during the February event. While the domes and other sections of the building were damaged beyond repair, the two angels remain standing at the top of the Basilica, miraculously intact.

Basilica, Front Towers Collapse, Angled Shot, Post-Quake

Credit: Judith Watts, New Zealand Defence Force, 7 March 2011. Source: QuakeStudies

The difficulty to repair the damage and strengthen the building had increased exponentially, along with the costs to undertake repairs. In an interview with RNZ Saturday Morning (5 March 2011), Administrator of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Charles Drennan discussed the damage of the building, the necessity of beginning removal of the dome, and the artefacts they wish to safely extract and preserve.

The Virgin Mary Statue within the Basilica is said to have rotated a full 180 degrees during the February 2011 earthquake. Instead of looking upon the church, the statue was now facing outward to the city - visible through the broken glass windows. This led people to believe she was protecting the city by watching over Christchurch. The statue suffered minor damage that was expertly repaired after being rescued from the building. In May of 2011, after repairs had restored the statue to an almost-new condition, the statue was carried during a procession that toured the damaged Basilica.

Basilica, Statue of Mother Mary, Post-Quake, External Shot

Credit: Eroica Ritchie, 22 February 2011. Source: QuakeStudies

Reports:

  • J.R. Lester, A.G. Brown, J.M. Ingham, “Stabilisation of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament” Engineering Failure Analysis, Volume 34, 2013, Pages 648-669 - This 2013 report outlines in detail the strengthening work done on the Basilica both prior to and after each earthquake. In 2004, strengthening work was completed to improve the building’s seismic vulnerability. Included are images of the early plans of the Basilica, the construction process, damage assessments, and dome removal. The report details the risks and safety challenges around strengthening the building, the damage observed after the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes, and the failure mechanisms and securing works carried out.

Video Footage:

  • Fairfax Video, April 2011 (1) - Video footage from a helicopter flight over Christchurch Central following the February quakes. The film depicts the extensive range of damage to buildings, including the state of the Basilica.
  • “New Zealand Stories: Battle at the Basilica” Pacific Screen, 2011 - A thirty-minute documentary depicts the struggles that a team of heritage consultants and engineers faced to keep up with the damage inflicted on the Basilica following the February 2011 quakes. This documentary includes stories from parishioners about the Cathedral being “the heart of a community” and is available to view in full on NZ on Screen.
  • “When a City Falls” - A trailer and excerpts from a documentary on the quakes, featuring the collapsed front towers of the Basilica at 01:26. This documentary, written and directed by Gerard Smyth, began prior to the February 2011 quakes, yet covers footage from both the September 2010 and February 2011 events.
    • In 2020, Gerard Smyth wrote and directed a sequel to “When a City Falls”, aptly named “When a City Rises” which narrates the decisions made in the rebuild following the February 2011 quakes.

Articles:

  • Charles Drennan, Saturday Morning, RNZ, 5 March 2011 - An audio recording of an interview with Parish priest of St Anne's Woolston, Christchurch, and Administrator of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament which was partially destroyed during the February earthquake.
  • Battered Christchurch cathedral damaged by new earthquakes, Catholic News Agency, 16 June 2011 - This article describes the damage to the Basilica following the February 2011 earthquakes.
  • A Tale of Two Churches, by Sally Blundell, North & South, February 2021 - This in-depth article traces the differences between the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral / Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament. It focuses especially on the differences in costs to restore both cathedrals, the decisions both cathedrals underwent, and the support given by the public and those in authority.

Images:

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