Killer Quake. 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 ghost demolition, Ferry Rd / St Asaph fork, behind Christchurch Polytechnic. Three diggers hacked the old, brick ghost to bits. Over the next couple of years 1 000s of ghost houses & CBD ghosts would be demolished by demolition diggers, approved by CERA.

Close by, more brick ghosts. Old brick & stone bldgs were damaged most by Christchurch quakes. Victorians & Edwardians had built brick & stone death traps in a quake zone on a swamp. I'd seen many brick bldgs demolished post Sept 4 Darfield Quake & Feb 22 Killer Quake. There would be many more demolitions post June 13 Quake.

Trekked Ferry Rd / St Asaph St fork & Barbadoes St, snapping the demolition & Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament ghost & Music Centre of Christchurch ghost.


From Ferry Rd, between Sept 4 & Feb 22 quakes, I saw intact Christchurch Basilica. Despite Sept 4 Darfield Quake damage, 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 Sept 4 Darfield Quake, M7.1, which damaged Christchurch Basilica, leaving it closed. The fence cordon & shipping container barrier obstructed Barbadoes St traffic between Sept 4 & Feb 22 quakes.


Likewise, 3 storey, Music Centre of Christchurch ghost, next to Christchurch Basilica ghost, Barbadoes St, was damaged by the Sept 4 Darfield Quake & Boxing Day Quake. The Music Centre would be demolished post Feb 22 Killer Quake due to more damages: fallen brick parapets, cracked brick walls.

Christchurch Basilica was concrete brick construction, clad in creamy Oamaru whitestone. When the Feb 22 Killer Quake struck, M6.3, RC Christchurch Basilica was trashed, twin towers collapsed, fallen rubble below facade, exposed S tower rooms, exposed roof spaces, facade roof balustrade smashed, facade roof cross bent, walls cracked, windows smashed, steel mesh fence cordoned.

After the Feb 22 Killer Quake struck, Luke's bus driver dumped passengers on Moorhouse Ave. Luke was one of the first to see Christchurch Basilica 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 3 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 13.06.11 quake, copper would be dismantled from Christchurch Basilica dome, then the dome removed by crane. Over many months, parts of Christchurch Basilica would be deconstructed, stone by stone, while stacked shipping containers supported N & S transept walls & remains of the collapsed N tower, 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. Opp 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 Barbadoes St demolition site.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.