Detail of the deconstruction work on the Pacific Brands House on Victoria Street.
A photograph of a brick from the demolished house at 116 Centaurus Road.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The historic Godley House accommodation/restaurant at Diamond Harbour".
A damaged house with cracks down the wall sits on an uneven surface.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The historic Godley House accommodation/restaurant at Diamond Harbour".
A damaged house in St Martens, the roof of which has partially collapsed.
The roof of a house damaged by a fallen chimney on Springfield Road.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The historic Godley House accommodation/restaurant at Diamond Harbour".
A photograph of the basement of a demolished house at 116 Centaurus Road.
Earthquake damage inside a house in St Albans. Pot plants have fallen over.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. House on Sherbourne Street, St Albans".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. House on Sherbourne Street, St Albans".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. House on Sherbourne Street, St Albans".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. House on Sherbourne Street, St Albans".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. House on Sherbourne Street, St Albans".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. House on Sherbourne Street, St Albans".
A damaged house, the outer brick wall of which has completely fallen away.
Damage to the roof of a house where the chimney has fallen down.
Damage to the roof of a house where the chimney has fallen down.
Damage to the roof of a house where the chimney has fallen down.
A damaged house that has been fenced off with tape and road cones.
A red-stickered house where cracks can be clearly seen in the foundation.
Trees cut down so a house being removed from behind could get out above the fence on one of those elevating house removal trailers. I don't know the story about the yellow (recycling) wheelie bin - the wheels have been removed.
20130704_7680_EOS M-22 Another one on the way out! The Mack tractor unit with "half a house" ready to depart in the middle of the night, when the roads are quiet. But where is this house heading too? #3900
On 22 February 2011, Ōtautahi Christchurch was struck by a devastating earthquake. The city was changed forever: lives were lost, buildings destroyed and much of the city’s infrastructure needed to be repaired or replaced. One of the unexpected outcomes of the process of recovery was the volume of archaeological work that was carried out in the city, including the substantial amount of buildings archaeology that was undertaken (that is, recording standing buildings prior to and during their demolition, using archaeological techniques). Amongst the numerous buildings recorded in this way were 101 houses from across the city (but concentrated in those areas hit hardest by the earthquakes), built between 1850 and 1900. This work yielded a wealth of data about what houses in the city looked like in the nineteenth century. It is this data that forms the core of my thesis, providing an opportunity to examine the question of what life was like in nineteenth century Christchurch through these houses and the people who built them. Christchurch was founded in 1850 by European settlers, most of whom were English. These people came to New Zealand to build a better life for themselves and their families. For many of them, this ‘better life’ included the possibility of owning their own home and, in some instances, building that house (or at least, commissioning its construction). The buildings archaeology data collected following the Canterbury earthquakes enabled a detailed analysis of what houses in the city looked like in the nineteenth century – their form, and both their external and internal appearance – and how this changed as the century progressed. A detailed examination of the lives of those who built 21 of the houses enabled me to understand why each house looked the way it did, and how the interplay of class, budget and family size and expectations (amongst other factors) shaped each house. It is through these life stories that more about life in Christchurch in the nineteenth century was revealed. These are stories of men and women, of success and failure, of businesses and bankruptcies. There are themes that run through the stories: class, appearances, death, religion, gender, improvement. Just as importantly, though, they reveal the everyday experiences of people as they set about building a new city. Thus, through the archaeology of the houses and the history of the people who built them, an earthquake has revealed more about life in nineteenth century Christchurch, as well as providing the means for a deeper understanding of the city’s domestic architecture.
A photograph of Donna Allfrey's dog Niko, sitting on the front porch of her house on Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "Niko found Doug Sexton, Allfrey's neighbour, after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Sexton had a heart attack during the earthquake and could not leave his damaged house".
A video about the reopening of Alice in Videoland, in the back of the former Post Office on the corner of Tuam and High Streets. The redesigned space has allowed Alice in Videoland to expand from a DVD rental store to include an art-house cinema as well.
A photograph of Robin Duff standing on the porch of his house at 386 Oxford Terrace. There is a sign in the window to his left depicting a bulldozer with a line through it. The photographer comments, "Avon Loop resident Donna Allfrey made this sign for Duff".
A photograph of Robin Duff standing on the porch of his house at 386 Oxford Terrace. There is a sign in the window to his left depicting a bulldozer with a line through it. The photographer comments, "Avon Loop resident Donna Allfrey made this sign for Duff".
A photograph of the letterbox and a section of the fence around Donna Allfrey's property at 406 Oxford Terrace. The house number is missing from the letterbox and a picket is missing from the fence. The photographer comments, "The mail is no longer being delivered".