A snapshot from GPS Boomerang's SmartBird flight over the Christchurch red zone on 23 December 2012, looking over Hereford Street with the Re:Start container mall visible in the bottom right, Oxford Terrace to the left. The buildings at the end of Cashel Street near Oxford Terrace have been demolished.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Historic buildings around Christchurch received varying degrees of damage. Workers take material up to one of the turrets at the Rolleston Avenue end of the Arts Centre for stabilisation work".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Historic buildings around Christchurch received varying degrees of damage. Workers take material up to one of the turrets at the Rolleston Avenue end of the Arts Centre for stabilisation work".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Historic buildings around Christchurch received varying degrees of damage. Workers take material up to one of the turrets at the Rolleston Avenue end of the Arts Centre for stabilisation work".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Historic buildings around Christchurch received varying degrees of damage. Workers take material up to one of the turrets at the Rolleston Avenue end of the Arts Centre for stabilisation work".
A felt heart sewn to the wire fence in front of the Lyttelton Borough Council Chambers Building, a pile of bricks fallen from which are visible on the street. The heart provides a bit of beauty and hope to an otherwise depressing scene, the words "say yes often" embroided on the felt.
A sign outside the Chinwag Eathai restaurant on Victoria Street reads "To all our valued customers. We are sorry to inform you as of Tuesday 17th January 2012 our building has been red stickered. Don't worry we will be back at a new location!! Yet to be confirmed".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Good neighbours in Riccarton. Florist shop takes in barber shop after their building was damaged in the quake. Barber Evan Jarden gives a trim to florist owner Jervis Davis as daughter Carolyn Rushton gets flowers into the shop".
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a concrete beam inside a building. The wall around the beam has been removed to access the beam. Concrete near the bottom of the beam has crumbled and the steel reinforcement inside is now exposed.
A sticker produced by SPCA Canterbury for residents to stick on their doors, indicating that there is an animal inside the property. This was produced after the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes to help emergency personnel determine whether an animal is inside the building.
A photograph of a room inside a flat on Poplar Street taken during the Residential Access Project. The project gave residents temporary access within the red-zone cordon in order to retrieve items from their homes. The building's outer wall has crumbled leaving the room exposed.
An aerial photograph of the Christchurch Central City. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Central city blocks bounded by Colombo Street, Hereford Street, Cashel Street and High Street".
A photograph of the bottom storey of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. Rubble from the top two storeys of the tower has spilled into the courtyard in front of the tower. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building.
A photograph of workers from the Residential Access Project sitting outside the Alice in Videoland Building on the corner of Tuam and High Streets. The project gave residents temporary access within the red-zone cordon in order to retrieve items from their homes.
A photograph of the rubble from a demolished building on Bealey Avenue. Tape has been slung over the entrance to the property and a portaloo can be seen to the left of the photograph. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the brick fence.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking from Gloucester Street across the demolition site of the Coachman towards the Heritage Hotel in Cathedral Square with Hotel Grand Chancellor (left background)".
The University of Canterbury's E-Learning team's temporary office in the James Hight building. The photographer comments, "First looks at our new temporary (maybe) office space. Our group will stay here until April or May 2011, then will move to another floor in the Central Library. This bench will disappear".
The damaged chimney of a house on the corner of Galbraith Avenue and Avonside Drive. The top section of the chimney has fallen off and the whole chimney has moved away from the building's wall. The chimney has been weather proofed with a yellow tarpaulin.
Hundreds of Christchurch homeowners have discovered extensive damage to the on-sold properties they purchased after the 2010/2011 earthquakes. Licenced Building Practictioner Dan Paltridge talks to Logan Church about what people need to look out for, and what they need to do before buying a home in the city.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake aftermath. Tony Ryall, Minister of Health visits Christchurch hospital to get a status report on how it is coping. Pictured with Alison Gallant. Charge Nurse in the Acute Stroke Ward talking about how the building is coping".
The InTentCity 6.3 Cafe, which was set up in a tent in the Law car park while University of Canterbury buildings were closed for structural testing. The photographer comments, "The University restarts its teaching, and the techies in e-learning move out of NZi3. New cafe - InTentCity. (Get it...?)".
A crane beside the boiler chimney in the University of Canterbury's Facilities Management yard. The photographer comments, "The University restarts its teaching, and the techies in e-learning move out of NZi3. Inspection and repairs to the University's boiler system. It's getting cooler, we'll need heat soon - but we need accessible buildings first".
Damage to the Crichton Cobbers Youth and Community Club. Large sections of the brick walls have collapsed, and two large beams lie across the rubble. Cordon fencing surrounds this and nearby buildings. The photographer comments, "A bike ride around the CBD. Old brewery, later a gym - Fitzgerald Ave".
Damage to the dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Cracking around the base of the dome shows how it has moved. In the foreground, damage to the north-west corner of the building can be seen. The photographer comments, "A bike ride around the CBD. Catholic Cathedral, Barbadoes St".
Damage to the Crichton Cobbers Youth and Community Club. Large sections of the brick walls have collapsed, and two large beams lie across the rubble. Cordon fencing surrounds this and nearby buildings. The photographer comments, "A bike ride around the CBD. Old brewery, later a gym - Fitzgerald Ave".
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the second story of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The front of the storey has collapsed, exposing the inside. A tarpaulin has been draped over the top and the roof of the building behind.
A view down Victoria Street from the corner of Victoria Street and Bealey Avenue. On the left is the damaged Knox Church, where the brick has crumbled but the wooden roof frame is still intact. Behind is the the BDO building and on the left is an empty demolition site.
A photograph of a room inside a flat on Poplar Street taken during the Residential Access Project. The project gave residents temporary access within the red-zone cordon in order to retrieve items from their homes. The building's outer wall has crumbled leaving the room exposed.
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 →
Summary of oral history interview with Gina King about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.