It was so nearly lost. As the Christ Church Anglican Cathedral is being rebuilt, historian Edmund Bohan is releasing a history of the distinctive Gothic building. It shows it was controversial even before work started on designing it, let alone building in. From the laying of the foundations to the official opening, it took 40 years, after squabbles over pretty much every aspect of its construction - not to mention the huge problems raising the money to build it in the City Centre. In Heart of the City: The Story of Christchurch's Controversial Cathedral, Edmund is critical of the former Anglican Bishop Victoria Matthews' determination to demolish the badly-damaged cathedral after the Canterbury earthquakes, to replace it with a modern church. And he tells Lynn Freeman he's very much looking forward to seeing the Cathedral restored to its former glory after a lengthy and pricey rebuild. But first he sets the scene. Back in the 1860s, there was controversy over where the cathedral should go, its design, whether it should be in stone or timber - even if there should be a cathedral built at all! Heart of the City: The Story of Christchurch's Controversial Cathedral, by Edmund Bohan is published by Quentin Wilson Publishing.
A memorial service to remember those who lost their lives, and to reflect on the devastating impact of the February 22nd earthquake on our city and its people.
A memorial service to remember those who lost their lives, and to reflect on the devastating impact of the February 22nd earthquake on our city and its people.
The rebuild of the city of Christchurch is almost half way there five years on from the Canterbury earthquake that shattered the city and killed 185.
Today the Royal couple head to Christchurch, a city with which the Prince has built strong ties, since the earthquakes rocked the region three years ago.
Since the Christchurch earthquakes propelled Paul Fleming from his Chancery Lane shop in central Christchurch, he has begun a business called 'Happy Tours' featuring an immaculate Austin Seven called Myrtle. Myrtle takes Spectrum's Deborah Nation into Christchurch's central city Red Zone. Christchurch poet Helen Jacobs also tours in Myrtle.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister says this is a final warning for the Christchurch City Council.
Some Christchurch residents were able to get out of the city to stay with relatives.
Radio New Zealand Reporter Rachel Graham is at the Christchurch City Council's civil defense headquarters.
The Christchurch city council is reconsidering its plan to dump five thousand tonnes of asbestos contaminated rubble in Bottle Lake Forest Park landfill which has been reopened to take earthquake debris.
Roger Sutton, the chief executive of networks company Orion has taken up a five-year contract as the CEO of the Christchurch Earthquake Reconstruction Authority, the top bureaucrat in the post-quake city.
Urban forager and food writer, Liv Sisson finds all sorts of tasty treats in the Otautahi city centre.With some of the housing and buildings destroyed in the earthquakes, a rewilding has taken place providing a range of edible plants. Liv Sisson gathers produce thriving on berms and near the Avon River.
Work has finally begun dismantling Lancaster Park in Christchurch, six years after it was damaged beyond repair in the February earthquake. It comes at the same time the city's leaders debate what a new stadium could look like and who will pay.
Christchurch is preparing to welcome the first refugees to settle in the city since the 2010 earthquake, but it needs more volunteers to help them transition into their new lives.
The man who lead the US search and rescue in the aftermath of February's earthquake is back in Christchurch to accept a plaque of appreciation from the City Council.
Four years ago Christchurch City Council vowed to get tough on the owners of 30 central city buildings left derelict since the 2011 earthquake.
A wander through central Christchurch shows many of the buildings, nicknamed the dirty 30, still look unchanged.
There are boarded up windows, tarps covering gaping holes, and containers keeping bricks from falling on passers by.
But council says progress is finally being made on most Rachel Graham has more.
The head of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, Roger Sutton, flew over the quake-hit city after today's first shake.
The organ at the Christchurch Town Hall made a welcome return yesterday in front of a capacity crowd of 2,500. The instrument was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake. Conan Young was there as another important part of the city came back to life.
A panel with Michael Bell, Steph Walker and Kiri Jarden. It’s almost 13 years since the devastating earthquake of 22 February 2011, which forced 70 percent of the Ōtautahi Christchurch CBD to be demolished.
While the rebuild has been a slow and often difficult process in visions meeting reality, there is also much to celebrate in the city taking up the opportunity, through art and design, to remake it as a place for all.
Demolition companies and building owners in central Christchurch hope efforts by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority will speed up the city's rebuild after it's been languishing for weeks.
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake which struck Christchurch three years ago didn't just destroy large amounts of the city's infrastructure, it also had a profound effect on the natural environment.
Many people in this city are, yet again, cleaning up after a major earthquake. An increasing number of householders, especially in the badly hit eastern suburbs, say they're close to hanging up their spades and shipping out.
The Christchurch City Council has received a strong warning from the Earthquake Recovery Minister to speed up its processing of building consents or lose its power to authorise consents.
The Christchurch City councillor in charge of council housing says he accepts trenchant criticism from the Earthquake Recovery Minister that the council has been woeful in fixing its quake-damaged housing stock.
Years after the earthquakes, Christchurch is still desperately short of theatre space. But now the city council's investment of 30-million dollars to help the Court Theatre replace its very successful temporary home in Addington, is being widely applauded.
As we go to air, Christchurch property and business owners people are being allowed into the cordoned-off central city for the first time since the earthquake twelve days ago.
Three years on from the earthquakes that crippled Christchurch's infrastructure, the city has yet to see costings and timeframes for the delivery of a revamped transport system for the central city.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister has been forced to concede he's received official advice on the Christchurch City Council selling some of its assets to help pay for rebuilding the city.
Businesses in the Christchurch suburb of New Brighton say something needs to be done urgently to pull the area out of an economic slump. The seaside town has struggled since the Canterbury Earthquakes, with thousands of people - and customers - leaving the area due to land damage under their homes. And they're pointing the fingers at city leaders like the Christchurch City Council and its rebuild agency, Development Christchurch. Logan Church spoke to New Brighton business owner Nigel Gilmore.
Christchurch’s architecture, both new and old, has been brought to life in an illustrated walking book that pays homage to the city’s historical buildings and showcases its new direction in the post-earthquake era.
