‘Tobacco divine, rare, which goes far beyond all their panaceas, potable gold, a remedy to diseases…But, as it is commonly abused by most men, who take it as tinkers do ale, it’s a plague, a mischief, a violent purge of … Continue reading →
At the turn of the 20th century, Christchurch’s rubbish disposal underwent a fiery transformation. After 50 years of settlement, Christchurch was facing a rubbish crisis that was starting to get people worried. The council’s weekly kerbside rubbish collection service, which … Continue reading →
Down on the corner of a Lyttelton street, there was a butcher, a courier and a large family to meet… Or at least, one could have met them about 150 odd years ago when three early settler families in Lyttelton … Continue reading →
It’s something so mundane that it forms a part of our everyday lives and it’s as inescapable as death and taxes. Even though we spoke of it last week on the blog, it’s something people don’t often speak about and … Continue reading →
This week on the blog, a bunch of teacups classified according to how cute I think they are. It won’t be as fun as talking to God on the porcelain telephone, but teacups also give us heaps of scope! Thinking … Continue reading →
Today for your viewing pleasure, we present a selection of interesting, unusual and aesthetically pleasing ceramics from Christchurch sites. Enjoy! Jessie Garland References Adamson, J. & Bader, H-D. 2008. Archaeological Excavation Report on the Street Homestead, Penrod Drive, Bell Block, ...
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been excavating a site in the CBD that’s yielded some of the most interesting artefacts we’ve see for a while. So, today on the blog, we’ve selected a few of these fascinating things for … Continue reading →
Money, as Liza Minnelli has told us, makes the world go around. It is such an intricate and constant part of the societies we live in, a factor upon which so many of our actions – collectively and individually – are … Continue reading →
Geoff's eye-witness account from Christchurch on 1 March 2011
Topics - The Parole Board has decided that Teina Pora should be released from prison. Pora has served 21 years of a life sentence for murdering and raping Susan Burdett in Auckland in 1992. He continues to protest his innocence, and he'll appear before the Privy Council in London at the end of the year in an effort to clear his name. A coroner's report criticises almost every aspect of the Fire Service's response to the CTV building collapse that killed 115 people in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Gordon Matenga says more people, more resources, better communication and a better structure might have improved the chances of saving more lives that day.
Police link a West Coast attack on two tourists with the death of another woman in Christchurch. A swarm of earthquakes in Hawkes Bay and Teina Pora will be released on parole.
The Fire Service responds to the Coroner's criticisms over the CTV building collapse in the Christchurch Earthquakes, Teina Pora will be released on parole after 21 years inside prison for crimes he says he did'nt commit, and in Dateline Pacific, A newly elected leader in Fiji issues a challenge to Rear Admiral Franf Bainimarama.
Taking a break from our recent musings on society, smells and legacies, this week’s post features another selection of artefacts from the archives. All of these were found on the same site in Christchurch’s central business district over the last … Continue reading →
Haydon Wilson of Kensington Swan discusses the ongoing legal ramifactions of the Canterbury Earthquakes, in particular the Quake Outcasts case.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister says Christchurch City Council must take responsibility for the city's flooding problems as it's not the government's problem to sort out.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister is denying that Christchurch flooding has become worse since the quakes, and says it's not the government's mess to fix.
Prime Minister, John Key, denies money is being held back from the Canterbury earthquake recovery to make the Government's books look better.
Despite low international coal prices, the financially troubled State-owned coal company, Solid Energy, says its time to mine for more coal. A referendum on self-rule is held in eastern Ukraine overnight, we'll have the latest on the turnout and Prime Minister, John Key, is denying money is being held back from the Canterbury earthquake recovery to make the Government's books look better.
The magnitude 4.0 quake was 15km east of Christchurch.
Over the last few weeks, as archaeologists do, I’ve found myself thinking about the physical legacies people leave behind them. In particular, I’ve been thinking about the contrast between the monumental (buildings, in this case) and the artefactual and how, … Continue reading →
As a cemetary near her home is cordoned off, fears for Blessie Gotingco intensify. In Christchurch, there's questions over asbestos and potential danger in the earthquake rebuild and a sub zero wake up for the south, as temperatures plummet.
A Christchurch man who's made his name battling the Earthquake Commission says he has secured a forty-five-million-dollar joint venture with a Chinese company that will regenerate Christchurch's residential areas.
A project manager for a company doing home repairs in the Christchurch earthquake rebuild says it is highly likely as many as 60-thousand people have been exposed to potentially lethal asbestos fibres.
Nine to Noon has been told that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is leading a multiagency group - including the Earthquake Commission, Fletcher Construction's EQR and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet - to try to identify which houses may have have had a high risk of containing asbestos and thereby quantify how many people may have been exposed. With Graham Darlow, Chief executive of Fletcher Construction and Gerry Brownlee, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery.
Investigations into handling of asbestos in Canterbury earthquake repairs and a man's appeared in court charged with the murder of the Auckland woman, Blessie Gotingco.
Some Canterbury homeowners are rejecting assurances from authorities that they wouldn't have been exposed to asbestos in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes.
There's a warning that a return to pre-earthquake numbers of houses in Christchurch may not be enough to ease the city's housing crisis.
Nearly seven years on from the Christchurch earthquake, some quake damaged homeowners with unresolved insurance claims say they are being driven to the point of complete exhaustion.
EQC said it would provide the Ross family with a cash settlement by February 20, almost seven years to the day since the Christchurch earthquake. Now it's commissioning another rebuild estimate.
The only Christchurch street still closed following the 2011 earthquake will reopen later in 2018 only to close again in 2019 so the council can extend the route for the tram. The proposal has raised the ire of fledgling businesses along High st worried about the disruption the road works will cause them and wanting the work done now, before they open their doors to the public.