The Fisher's Building

134 Hereford/280 High Street

Sophie Taylor-Brown

Credit: Unknown Photographer, Kete Christchurch. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/61623

The corner of High and Hereford was home to the category 1 listed Fisher’s Building for over 130 years, until July 2011 when it was demolished due to extensive damage caused by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake earlier that year. The building had been colloquially known as the Hanafin’s building, named after to the photography store that operated under its roof for 30 years. The building was a part of the central hub of Christchurch’s City Mall, passed by hundreds of residents every day.

Built in 1880, the Venetian Gothic building - designed by William B. Armson - was the second to occupy the corner site, after tenant Reverend Thomas Fisher demolished the original structure. Armson was one of the city’s leading architects at the time of construction, responsible for many iconic buildings such as the Cranmer Centre, Excelsior Hotel and Guthrey Centre (all built the following year). Thomas Fisher had leased the site since the 1850s, operating The Alliance Tea Company, and it stayed within the Fisher family until the 1920s. The Hanafin’s association started around this time, with chemist James George Hanafin operating a pharmacy within. Through the years, the building catered to many different needs, from tobacco and jewellery to confectionery and flowers. Above the ground floor, the building also housed offices for many business firms. By the 1980s, Hanafin’s grandson Lawry had entered the building, not knowing that he would be one of the last tenants to occupy the premises.

In the late 1970s, the building was due for refurbishing and was even considered for demolition. However, the opposite course was chosen, and the building was provided with further life in strengthening and restoration to the brick and stonework, and a prominent street veranda. Again in 2003, internal structural reinforcements were carried out, which may have accounted for the minimal damaged it sustained in the 4 September 2010 earthquake. However, the sheer force of the 22 February 2011 earthquake was too powerful for the old building to withstand; partial demolition was recommended by the Historic Places Trust due to architectural significance. The final decision fell to the building's owner, and by July it came down, watched over by Lawry Hanafin until the end.

Credit: Sophie Taylor-Brown, 2024

History:

• Fisher's Building | Places of Christchurch - This page contains a complete history of the building from acquisition of the site in 1851, to demolition of the structure in 2011. Accompanying that are photographs of what the building looked like through the decades. 
• From Cabstand Corner to Triangle Corner 1884-2011 - A visual timeline narrative that places the Fisher’s Building within its social and historical context. Below the article is an interactive map that features the location of the building amongst other important landmarks throughout Christchurch.

Resources:

• Christchurch Press 20 July 2011: Section A, Page 5 (South Island Edition) | "Generations of family history lost." - This short article provides insight into the personal side of the loss of a building such as this. It describes the impact as well as the resilience of the people with family ties with the business.
• Archaeological Report on 134 Hereford Street - This report was documented on authority of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHTP), during the demolition of the Fisher’s Building. It contains extensive detail on the building’s architectural features recorded for posterity. 
• Heritage Buildings, Earthquake Strengthening and Damage: The Canterbury earthquakes September 2010 - January 2012 - This report was submitted by what was then the New Zealand Historic Places Trust to the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission. It contains a record of the earthquake strengthening that occurred in heritage buildings. Page 66 of this report provides in short detail the earthquake experience of the Fisher’s Building. The building held up remarkably well in the 2010 earthquakes - most likely due to ongoing care - but it is not fully known what level of strengthening was ever achieved.

Credit: Umut Akguzel, 2011. Source: https://quakestudies.canterbury.ac.nz/store/object/221622