Ferry Road Demolition. Christchurch Basilica Collapse

Ferry Rd, Barbadoes St focus. 01.04.11. During my trekking in the newly opened Christchurch-CBD red-zone, no access, during the National State-of-Emergency, I coolpixed a demolition at  Ferry Rd / St Asaph fork, behind Christchurch Polytechnic. Three diggers hacked the old brick-ruin to bits. Over the next couple of years 1 000s of ruined-houses & CBD-ruins would be demolished by demolition-diggers, approved by CERA.

Close by, more brick-ruins. Old brick & stone buildings were damaged most by quakes. Victorians & Edwardians built brick & stone death-traps in a quake-zone on a swamp. I'd seen many brick-ruins demolished post 4 September 2010 quake & 22 February 2011 quake. There would be many more demolitions post 13 June 2011 quake.

I trekked Ferry Rd / St Asaph St fork & Barbadoes St, snapping the demolition & ruined Christchurch Basilica & Music Centre of Christchurch ruin.


From Ferry Rd, between 4 September 2010 quake & 22 February 2011 quake, I saw intact Christchurch Basilica. Despite 4 September 2010 damages, it stood proud, clad in Oamaru whitestone, copper-dome & copper-domed twin-towers above.


Intact RC Cathedral with twin towers, Barbadoes St, between Sept 4 & Feb 22 quakes


Barbadoes St:  Christchurch Council / ratepayers' money was spent quake-strengthening Christchurch Basilica, pre 4 September 2010 quake, M7.1, which damaged Christchurch Basilica, leaving it closed. The fence-cordon & shipping-container barricade obstructed Barbadoes St traffic between 4 September 2010 & 22 February 2011 quakes.


Likewise, three-storey Music Centre of Christchurch ruin, next to Christchurch Basilica ruin, Barbadoes St, was damaged by the 4 September 2010 quake & Boxing Day quake. The Music Centre would be demolished post 22 February 2011 quake due to more damages: fallen brick-parapets, cracked brick-walls.

Christchurch Basilica was concrete-brick construction, clad in creamy Oamaru whitestone. When the 22 February 2011 quake struck, M6.3, Christchurch Basilica was ruined: twin-towers collapsed, fallen-rubble below the facade exposed south-tower rooms & exposed roof-spaces. The facade roof-balustrade was smashed, the facade roof-cross was bent, walls-cracked, windows-smashed, steel-mesh-fence-cordoned.

After the 22 February 2011 quake struck, Luke's bus-driver dumped passengers on Moorhouse Ave. Luke was one of the first to see Christchurch Basilica's collapsed-towers. During aftershocks, Luke did not walk home to Burnside through the CBD. On Moorhouse Ave, lucky Luke was picked up by his girlfriend's dad driving a SUV. After a three-day sojourn in trashed South New Brighton Luke arrived home safely in Burnside.


01.04.11. DANGER. Steel mesh fence cordon. Feb 22 quake asbestos warning sign, St Asaph St / Ferry Rd fork demolition site, red zone, national state of emergency


01.04.11. Two yellow diggers demolishing an old, brick bldg, St Asaph St / Ferry Rd fork, red zone, national state of emergency. RC Cathedral backdrop



























01.04.11. Three diggers demolishing a Feb 22 quake damaged bldg, Ferry Rd / St Asaph St fork, red zone, national state of emergency



01.04.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Feb 22 quake damaged bldg, St Asaph St near Barbadoes St crossing, red zone, national state of emergency. RC Cathedral backdrop


01.04.11. Feb 22 quake trashed RC Cathedral seen from Moorhouse Ave, red zone, national state of emergency


01.04.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, orange, plastic, fence cordon. Moorhouse Ave view, Feb 22 quake trashed, RC Cathedral facade, Barbadoes St, red zone, national state of emergency


01.04.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Orange crane & yellow crane, Feb 22 quake trashed RC Cathedral, Barbadoes St, red zone national state of emergency









01.04.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Feb 22 quake trashed Music Centre of Christchurch, Barbadoes St, red zone, national state of emergency. The Music Centre would be demolished


01.04.11. Shipping container cordon. Feb 22 quake collapsed tower, RC Cathedral, Barbadoes St, red zone, national state of emergency




01.04.11. Virgin Mary statue turned 180 degrees during the Feb 22 quake, to face Barbadoes St, while the RC Cathedral tower collapsed above the statue, red zone, national state of emergency


















01.04.11. Orange crane, yellow crane. Shipping containers, steel mesh fence cordon. Feb 22 quake trashed RC Cathedral facade & Music Centre of Christchurch, Barbadoes St, red zone, national state of emergency. The Music Centre would be demolished









*Trekked Ferry Rd / St Asaph St fork, Barbadoes St. 73 snaps.

Coda:

Post 13 June 2011 quake, copper would be dismantled from Christchurch Basilica dome, then the dome was removed by crane. Over many months, parts of Christchurch Basilica would be deconstructed, stone by stone, while stacked shipping-containers supported north & south transept-walls & remains of the collapsed north-tower of Barbadoes St facade. Considering how much pre-quakes, ratepayers' money was spent strengthening Christchurch Basilica, deconstruction was a waste of money. Christchurch Basilica would be abandoned for 10 years then demolished, 2021. Colombo St / Armagh St. Opposite Victoria Sq, a new RC Cathedral precinct would be planned for Avon River's true right bank. 2024. Catholics would decide to rebuild Christchurch Basilica on the Barbadoes St demolition site.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.