An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 16 September 2012 entitled, "Freedom on Fitzgerald?".
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 26 April 2013 entitled, "Fond Farewells".
A photograph of the front gate of Robin Duff's house at 386 Oxford Terrace.
A photograph of a flower in Robin Duff's garden at 386 Oxford Terrace.
A photograph of the hallway of Donna Allfrey's house at 406 Oxford Terrace.
A photograph of the kitchen of Robin Duff's house at 386 Oxford Terrace.
A photograph of the site of Donna Allfrey's demolished house at 406 Oxford Terrace.
Looking into the Red Zone from the viewing windows at the east end of Re:Start mall. The Wespac and Crossing building can be seen in the background.
Looking into the Red Zone through an observation window at the east end of Re:Start mall. Inside is a worker, and ongoing demolition work being carried out.
A letter written by Roz Johnson to family members overseas.
Page 7 of Section A of the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 26 February 2011.
A video of a tour through the Christchurch central city Red Zone. The video includes footage of Armagh Street, Madras Street, Latimer Square, St John's Anglican Church, Hereford Street, the Octagon Live restaurant, the Design and Arts building, the High Street mall, and the Grand Chancellor Hotel. It also includes footage of construction workers cutting up metal beams, and clearing rubble from a building on Manchester Street.
Two cardboard coffee cups in a takeaway tray sit on a wooden counter. The photographer comments, "What is the story of these coffees and that sad muffin? Were these an order when the earthquake struck Christchurch on 22 February 2011? Were these a workman's and a colleague's having a quick coffee break when a later aftershock caused them to leave everything behind when they fled the red zoned building, or were they just forgotten when the building was cleared out and abandoned?".
This report to RCP Ltd and University of Canterbury summarises the findings of a 5 month secondment to the CERA Port Hills Land Clearance Team. Improvement strategies were initiated and observed. The Port Hills Land Clearance Programme is the undertaking of the demolition of all built structures from the Crown’s compulsory acquired 714 residential red zoned properties. These properties are zoned red due to an elevated life risk as a result of geotechnical land uncertainty following the 2011 Canterbury Earthquakes.
Awaiting demolition. Blue pipes are water supply to anyone still living on Hulverstone Drive.
A photograph of the house at 428 Oxford Terrace. Plywood has been placed over the door. The house number has been spray-painted on the plywood.
A large hole surrounded by liquefaction silt in the garden of a house in Bexley. The photographer comments, "This was most probably the serious hole I saw today. Can you imagine that when this occurred the whole area would have been inches deep in brown water. You would not been able to tell what you were walking on. Back in February a little girl rode her bike into one of these and had to be rescued by a passer by".
A digitally manipulated photograph of a building on Poplar Lane. The photographer comments, "I felt that this building had a real Italian feel about it. It is actually in Christchurch, New Zealand. It appears on the list to be partially demolished after the Christchurch earthquake, so it might not be around for much longer".
An old advertising sign exposed by the demolition of an adjoining building. The photographer comments, "'Protect your investment. Paint your property regularly - and save money. Polson's decorators and sign writers.' The building that was adjacent to this one was demolished after the Christchurch earthquake and revealed this fabulous old wall sign.
A video of soldiers from Delta Company from 2/1 Battalion Royal NZ Infantry Regiment using the Environment Canterbury (ECan) building on Kilmore Street for a training exercise.
Across the river were a row of several houses - all gone now. That side of the river is "Red Zone" and will be devoid of houses soon. #4077
During 2010 and 2011, a series of major earthquakes caused widespread damage in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The magnitude 6.3 quake in February 2011 caused 185 fatalities. In the ensuing months, the government progressively zoned residential land in Christchurch on the basis of its suitability for future occupation (considering damage from these quakes and future earthquake risk). Over 6,000 homes were placed in the ‘red-zone’, meaning that property owners were forced to sell their land to the Crown. This study analysed patterns of residential mobility amongst thirty-one red-zone households from the suburb of Southshore, Christchurch. Drawing on interviews and surveys, the research traced their experience from the zoning announcement until they had moved to a new residence. The research distinguished between short (before the zoning announcement) and long term (post the red zone ‘deadline’) forms of household relocation. The majority of households in the study were highly resistant to short term movement. Amongst those which did relocate before the zoning decision, the desire to maintain a valued social connection with a person outside of the earthquake environment was often an important factor. Some households also moved out of perceived necessity (e.g. due to lack of power or water). In terms of long-term relocation, concepts of affordability and safety were much more highly valued by the sample when purchasing post-quake property. This resulted in a distinct patterning of post-quake housing location choices. Perceived control over the moving process, relationship with government organisations and insurance companies, and time spent in the red-zone before moving all heavily influenced participants’ disaster experience. Contrary to previous studies, households in this study recorded higher levels of subjective well-being after relocating. The study proposed a typology of movers in the Christchurch post-disaster environment. Four mobility behaviours, or types, are identified: the Committed Stayers (CSs), the Environment Re-Creators (ERCs), the Resigned Acceptors (RAs), and the Opportunistic Movers (OMs). The CSs were defined by their immobility rather than their relocation aspirations, whilst the ERCs attempted to recreate or retain aspects of Southshore through their mobility. The RAs expressed a form of apathy towards the post-quake environment, whereas, on the other hand, the OMs moved relative to pre-earthquake plans, or opportunities that arose from the earthquake itself. Possibilities for further research include examining household adaptability to new residential environments and tracking further mobility patterns in the years following relocation from the red- zone.
Public bus tours of Christchurch's red zone will start off with a warning that the passengers could be trapped by an earthquake and may not make it out alive.
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 13 March 2013 entitled, "Time for Tourists".
A photograph of wire fences which have been placed around the property at 390 Oxford Terrace.
A photograph of an excavator demolishing Siobhan Murphy's house at 436 Oxford Terrace.
A photograph looking down the Avon River to the house at 2 Bangor Street.
A photograph of the house at 2 Bangor Street, taken from across the Avon River.
An entry from Roz Johnson's blog for 2 December 2013 entitled, "Walking Through the CBD".
Page 3 of Section A of the Christchurch Press, published on Saturday 26 February 2011.