A digitally manipulated image of printer's type, spelling out "Safe Dust". The photographer comments, "After the September 2010 Christchurch earthquake liquefaction poured out of the ground mostly in the East of Christchurch. This silt, which was a form of sand was declared safe and would not harm gardens if it was spread around in moderation. After the February 2011 quake as a result of even more liquefaction and the sewers being ruptured, the liquefaction was declared as toxic. People clearing it up should wear a mask, boots and gloves especially when it had dried up and become dusty. This just so happens to be the words found on an old printing press".
People walk and drive along Manchester Street shortly after the 22 February earthquake. Bricks from collapsed buildings litter the road. The photographer comments, "Just after the aftershock settled on Tuesday afternoon, myself and colleagues fled our Tuam Street office to absolute devastation outside. We couldn't see more than a block in either direction due to the clouds of dust that had arisen from buildings that had just collapsed ... From here, we picked up our vehicles from the CCC car park and headed out to get out of the chaos to a position where we could check on loved ones. Heading first along Manchester Street, buildings that were already heavily damaged were now completely written off".
Damage to the Colombo Street Wesleyan Church. The gable end has partially collapsed, and the window is damaged. The photographer comments, "After the 22nd February earthquake, my wife and I spent one night in a tent outside our home and then left to stay with friends in Timaru for a couple of nights. On the way along Brougham Street, we passed the Sydenham Church on the corner of Colombo Street and Brougham Street. As you can see from the photos, the upper area has been extensively damaged. Most of the damage appears to be on the east facing wall although we didn't get much of a look at the other sides or, of course, the interior".
A photograph of the back page of a Christchurch City Council form. The form allowed contractors to apply for the authorisation to enter the Christchurch Red Zone after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Information on the back reads, "What does this authorisation mean for me? I am wearing appropriate personal protection clothing and equipment. At all times DO NOT enter any red placarded building. You may enter a yellow placarded building for a period of time (no longer than 30 minutes) and follow the instruction of the escorts. A green placarded building may be accessed for longer periods. Please note: do not enter any buildings which are not for the purpose of your authorisation".
Text above reads 'Prince William comes to Christchurch...' A special royal portaloo has been arranged for the visit of Prince William to Christchurch; it is built to resemble a castle and has gold door fittings. On either side of the portaloo stands a sentry guard. The prince who is inside whispers 'I can't find the royal flush button' (wordplay on 'royal flush' and the 'flush' of a toilet) Context - Prince William visited the Civil Defence headquarters in Christchurch with Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker on the 17th March to see the damage caused by the earthquakes of the 4th September 2010 and the 22 February 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text below the image reads 'More silence?..' Prime Minister John Key and the Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand and several 'hangers-on' almost suffer coronaries when an official suggests in discussions about 'cost-saving ideas' that 'One of the National Projects we could "reprioritise" in the wake of the earthquake is to axe any Kiwi VIP attendance at the royal wedding'. Context - The PM and Governor General are thought to be on the list for invitations to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton but after the catastrophic Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011, which is going to cost the country billions, a wag wonders whether they should go. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A rescue worker carries the dead body of a woman out of the crumbled remains of a building. Nearby is a copy of the 'Building Code'. Context - there are questions being asked about whether some of the buildings that collapsed too readily in the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 had been subject to stringent enough building code regulations. The Department of Building and Housing said the vertical shaking in the central business district was both extreme and unusual and early indications suggest it was much more violent than designed for in the building code standards which are based on the kind of shaking expected to happen every 500 years. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man wearing shorts and gumboots stands surrounded by liquefaction beside his collapsing house. He tries to phone the 'Quake helpline' for assistance and gets the response 'You have reached the quake helpline... If you're up to your knees in liquefaction... Press 1. If your house is down around your ears... Press 2. If you're looking for assistance or answers press on'. Context - The increasing frustration and misery of many Christchurch residents who are experiencing huge difficulty getting assistance after months of delays and continuing aftershocks following the Christchurch earthquakes of 4th September, 22 February and the two most recent ones on 13 June. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon shows God sitting at his computer with an image of a devastated Christchurch on the screen. He is about to hit the 'smite' key. Text above reads 'God at his computer'. Context - Two more earthquakes rocked Christchurch on 13th June, following those of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011. The first magnitude 5.5 quake struck at 1pm, 10 kilometres east of Christchurch at Taylor's Mistake beach, at a depth of 11 kilometres, and sent people scrambling for cover. It was followed at 2.20pm by a more powerful magnitude 6 quake, centred 10 kilometres southeast of the city and 9km underground. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In the top panel a kiwi reads the newspaper which has headlines reading 'Milk prices', 'BMW limos', 'Dodgy politicians', and 'Foreign despot news' and says 'Let's get this all in perspective'. In the lower panel the kiwi walks among the ruins and the graves of Christchurch and thinks 'Christchurch and Canterbury need our attention and care!!' Context - The very severe Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 in which probably more than 200 people died and an enormous amount of structural damage has been done. The headlines refer to Fonterra putting a freeze on the price of milk, the government buying expensive limos (both of these making headlines because of the state of the economy) and lastly the 'foreign despot' is Gaddafi in Libya. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
People walk down Colombo Street past collapsed buildings shortly after the 22 February earthquake. The photographer comments, "Just after the aftershock settled on Tuesday afternoon, myself and colleagues fled our Tuam Street office to absolute devastation outside. We couldn't see more than a block in either direction due to the clouds of dust that had arisen from buildings that had just collapsed ... From here, we picked up our vehicles from the CCC car park and headed out to get out of the chaos to a position where we could check on loved ones. Heading first along Manchester Street, buildings that were already heavily damaged were now completely written off. We couldn't get much further down Manchester Street so eventually made it to Colombo Street".
Army personnel beside the damaged Colombo Street Wesleyan Church. Danger tape has been stretched across Colombo Street to create a cordon. The photographer comments, "After the 22nd February earthquake, my wife and I spent one night in a tent outside our home and then left to stay with friends in Timaru for a couple of nights. On the way along Brougham Street, we passed the Sydenham Church on the corner of Colombo Street and Brougham Street. As you can see from the photos, the upper area has been extensively damaged. Most of the damage appears to be on the east facing wall although we didn't get much of a look at the other sides or, of course, the interior".
The arms of a woman who represents New Zealand reach out to a baby to whom she has just given birth. The baby represents '2011' and is a particularly hideous specimen. The doctor who holds the baby says 'He's cute now but wait 'til he gets older!' Outside the window is seen a cracked and damaged landscape and a storm rages; the headstone of a grave reads 'RIP 2010'. Context - Christchurch or maybe the South Island have had a bad year because of the Pike River Mine disaster and the earthquake of 4 September 2010. There is perhaps prescience in this cartoon because on 22 February 2011 a much worse earthquake hit Christchurch. Published in The Press Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
At top left is text reading 'Christchurch pupils return to school...' The teacher has written the words 'Nosey', 'Bob', and 'Double' on the blackboard and says to the children 'Our first test today... Sort these into Parkers we love and Parkers we don't'... Context - the correct answers would be that we hate 'nosey parkers' and 'double parkers' but that we love 'Bob Parker'. Bob Parker is the Mayor of Christchurch and is generally considered to have done a remarkably good job of demonstrating calm and cheerfulness after the two earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, as well as having been able to chose fitting words to express grief and despair at so much loss. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon is a spoof of Rodin's famous sculpture 'The thinker' and shows it with a globe for its head. It holds a newspaper that reads 'Massive 'quake in Japan - ChCh. 'quake, China 'quake, Aus. Floods fires etc. etc.' The thinker ponders 'What's with all these disasters?..' Context - The massive earthquake in Japan that led to a devastating tsunami and now threats from several damaged nuclear power stations, the earthquakes in Christchurch on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province on March 15, 2011, and the January floods in Queensland, Australia, as well as bush fires on the outskirts of the Western Australia capital Perth. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In the top two frames a man discovers a pile of stinking bones and scratches his head in puzzlement; he is pleased when a second man rushes towards him with another bone which, in the lower frame, he proceeds to try to fit together with a bone from the original stack. The second man then realizes that the dinosaur from which he took the bone is starting to shudder and quake. Context - This is a metaphor about the rebuilding the city of Christchurch after the earthquake of 22 February 2011. Debates are beginning about the preserving or knocking down of historic buildings as well as the rebuilding or repairing of houses. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text top left reads 'A tale of two quakes' In the first frame a man runs from 'radiation leaks' yelling 'The end of the world!' and in the second frame a man runs from the notion 'No World Cup?' yelling 'The end of the world!' Context - the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan 11 March 2011 that have led to the overheating of several nuclear power plants that are leaking radiation and threaten a nuclear catastrophe and the Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 that have led to the decision that because of the amount of damage to the venue plus infrastructures and accommodation for visitors the Rugby World Cup will not be played in Christchurch. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Finance Minister Bill English holds a large axe that represents the 'budget' and says 'I wanted to retrieve all my spending tools, but, sadly, with allotted time short, I could only grab this!..' He is standing outside the barrier that surrounds the Christchurch CBD. Context - The Christchurch central business district has been largely out of bounds to anyone but those dealing with the after-effects of the earthquake of February 22 but business owners have been allowed restricted access to retrieve gear and belongings. The 2011 budget looks as though it will be focused on paring everything down because of the sad state of New Zealand's economy at present (made worse by the need to rebuild Christchurch), hence the axe. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Dust rises from fallen buildings on Tuam Street shortly after the 22 February earthquake. The photographer comments, "Just after the aftershock settled on Tuesday afternoon, myself and colleagues fled our Tuam Street office to absolute devastation outside. We couldn't see more than a block in either direction due to the clouds of dust that had arisen from buildings that had just collapsed. Above is looking along Tuam Street to the corner of Manchester Street where a number of buildings have just collapsed. This is 1pm and the sky was previously reasonably clear - this is all dust. From here, we picked up our vehicles from the CCC car park and headed out to get out of the chaos to a position where we could check on loved ones".
Text at top left reads 'Don't forget rubbish day' The cartoon is a large wheelie bin stacked high with debris from 'old dunger buildings'. Someone in a damaged house nearby says 'Good riddance!' Context - Two earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks have hit Christchurch, the first on 4 September 2010 and a second more devastating one on 22 February 2011. Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee may or may not have actually used the words 'old dungers' to describe some of Christchurch's heritage buildings that are not worth keeping but he might as well have done because many people believe that this is the way he thinks. Debate about which heritage buildings should be kept and which demolished has begun along with debate about how the city should be rebuilt. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A ship named 'NZ Ship of State' lies high and dry on rocks; the great jagged holes in her represent 'the recession', 'Pike River', 'Chch 1' and 'Chch 2'. A man standing nearby asks 'How will we refloat her?' and a second man answers '...by cutting Working for Families & interest-free student loans' Someone outside the frame says 'Where's the No. 8 wire?' Context - The New Zealand economy was stagnating before the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 and the Pike River Mine disaster before that. The government was already considering cutting Working for Families & interest-free student loans before the earthquakes struck and it seems that now they are trying to push through these policy changes using the earthquakes as an excuse. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
People gather at the corner of Colombo and St Asaph Streets shortly after the 22 February earthquake. A building has collapsed, and bricks and rubble litter the street. The photographer comments, "Just after the aftershock settled on Tuesday afternoon, myself and colleagues fled our Tuam Street office to absolute devastation outside. We couldn't see more than a block in either direction due to the clouds of dust that had arisen from buildings that had just collapsed ... From here, we picked up our vehicles from the CCC car park and headed out to get out of the chaos to a position where we could check on loved ones. Heading first along Manchester Street, buildings that were already heavily damaged were now completely written off. We couldn't get much further down Manchester Street so eventually made it to Colombo Street".
A photograph of a sign taped to a window. The sign includes a bullet pointed list of humorous observations about Christchurch following the February 2011 earthquake. The sign reads, "You know you're from Christchurch when: you use the term 'liquefaction' and 'seismic design' in casual conversation; digging a hole and shitting in your garden is no longer weird; your mayor describes the city as munted. If he means FUBARed, you agree; weaving through car size potholes on the street is no longer weird; a shower is heaven; you have a preference of which kind of silt you'd rather shovel, dry or wet; you see tanks...driving around town; you are always noting what you are under; due to frequent aftershocks during the night, you sleep like a baby - every 10 minutes you wake up and shit yourself".
In the first seven of eight frames astrologer Ken Moon predicts a 'black day ahead', a 'day of great shaking' and 'terror' and 'children crying' and 'people fleeing' and 'a day in May'. In the last frame people realize that he has seen, not an earthquake, but the budget. Context - After the two big earthquakes in Christchurch on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, the so-called Moon Man, Ken Ring, backed away from his prediction that Christchurch would be whacked by a huge earthquake on the 20th of March 2011. His claims terrified Cantabrians and led to people fleeing Christchurch. The 2011 budget will be announced in May and predictions are that it will be a cost-cutting one because of New Zealand's debt, partially caused by the Christchurch earthquakes. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text reads 'Parking wardens resume work in Christchurch'. A parking warden peers anxiously at a huge tanker named 'Bill's Septic Tank Services' which is apparently parked illegally. The driver of the tanker, who holds the nozzle of a pump attached to the tank, says 'Your move!' suggesting the threat of a sewage spill if the warden insists on compliance. Context - 'After a lengthy grace period following the devastating February 22 quake, Parking wardens were yesterday on the hunt for parking infringers in the city's non-metered time-restricted zones, loading zones, bus/tour coach stops and taxi stands, and on the likes of broken yellow lines.' The resumption of work by the parking wardens does suggest a return to normal in Christchurch. (NZHerald 30 May 2011) Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text across the top of the cartoon reads 'You know you live in Christchurch when...' Six cameos follow reading 'You can stir a cup of coffee without a spoon' - a cup of coffee is shaken; 'after 30 years you finally know your neighbours' - a group of people get to know one another; 'the latest fitness craze is sandba' - a couple shovel a heap of liquefaction to music from their transistor; 'everyone gets to drive a slalom' - someone weaves along a road avoiding cracks and mud in their car; 'there's a craze in "unique garden features"' - a longdrop has been dug in the garden; and lastly 'you have tea under a doorframe' - a couple eats and drinks under a doorframe for safety. Context - the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011. Published in The Press Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text reads 'New fault lines?' and the cartoon depicts a Star of David as cracks in the ground. A second version has the text 'Aftershocks' and the cartoon depicts a shaky Star of David and big movements on a seismograph. The third version depicts the same image as the first but has the text 'SISpicious cracks'. Context: The Southland Times reported on 20th July that an Israeli national killed in the February Christchurch Earthquake was a Mossad spy. PM John Key has confirmed that an investigation into the four Israelis involved was carried out by police and the SIS but he said no evidence was found of a link between the group and Israeli intelligence. It would seem that the group were backpackers, not Mossad agents. Three versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 3 digital cartoon(s).
Two cowboys representing the CCC (Christchurch City Council) and 'protesters' are about to have a gun battle in a deserted street. Context: Relates to anger and a protest of 4000 people at what they see as poor performance by the City Council in dealing with earthquake issues. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text top left reads 'Downsizemic activity' and a seismic graph zigzags wildly but gradually tails off into the words 'Interest rates' which take a serious downwards trend. Context - The Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 which have had an impact on an already stagnating economy. The Reserve Bank has made a relatively large 50-point cut in its benchmark interest rate, the Official Cash Rate (from 3% to 2.5 per cent). Critics say that inflation is already running unacceptably high and there is a threat of much higher inflation in a year or two when the rebuilding of Christchurch begins to put pressure on limited resources. The Reserve Bank acknowledged these factors, but it has chosen instead to focus on the immediate impact of the earthquake on the economy and particularly on all-important business and consumer sentiment. (Press editorial 12 March 2011) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon shows the hands of two people joined in mutual despair and kindness. One represents 'Christchurch' and the other the 'Pike River Mine'. Context - the 7.1 earthquake on 4 September 2010 in Christchurch in which there was a lot of damage but no deaths, the Pike River Mine disaster which occurred on the West Coast on 19 November 2010 and caused the deaths of 29 coal miners and now on 22 February 2011 a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch which has probably killed more than 200 people (at this point the number is still not known) and caused much more severe damage. The reason the apparently lesser magnitude quake caused more destruction is because it was very shallow, was in the middle of the day and struck very close to the centre of the city. Colour and black and white versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).