Heritage hailers championed saving buildings, few of which were reinforced pre-quakes. Heritage hailers & historians were nostalgic for Christian churches built on bogs. Never mind that many citizens were agnostics, or atheists, or followed other faiths.
22.08.13. Quake repairs, Fo Guang Shan South Island, Korean Buddhist Temple, Riccarton Rd / Mandeville Rd
Riccarton Rd: Heritage hailers didn't mention preserving the Korean Buddhist Temple, presently being repaired, nor Deans Ave Mosque, nor complained when the Jewish synagogue needed repairs, Durham St Nth. (15 Mar 2019. Deans Ave, Al Noor Mosque would suffer a terrorist attack together with Linwood Ave Mosque, 51 Muslims killed at Friday prayers).
22.08.13. Quake survivor Deans Ave, Al Noor Mosque. 15.03.19. Al Noor Mosque would be terrorist attacked
Since quakes, Heritage hailers wanted to spend others' money resurrecting stone or brick churches. The latest Heritage hailer, Dr Alma Rae, a psychiatrist, wittered about quake-survivors' fears. Rae wanted Christ Church Cathedral saved. She was too lazy to see for herself the damages done to churches she extolled:
"The beautiful Church of the Holy Trinity Avonside... was unceremoniously bulldozed in case it might hurt someone, according to parish publications, although no-one had so much as stubbed a toe on it." (The Press 29.07.13).
Christchurch demolitions were done by diggers! I never saw bulldozers demolishing Christchurch buildings. My 20.08.11 post showed many pics of the 22 February 2011 ruined Holy Trinity Avonside. Dr Rae's debunking citizens' fears insulted families of the dead & those injured by quakes. Heritage-hailers like Dr Rae valued old stones, bricks, cement, wood & iron more than human lives. Dr Rae should also look at ruined Christ Church Cathedral Cathedral Sq & ruinmed Christchurch Basilica, Barbadoes St, to see that walls of those cathedrals were either constructed with grey-concrete, thinly clad by Oamaru whitestone (Christchurch Basilica) or greystone rubble-walls, thinly clad by greystone (Christ Church Cathedral). Any restoration of those cathedrals on liquefactioned swampland would need foundation stabilisation & every stone removed & mortared & reinforced to post-quake building-code. At what cost?
Auckland lawyer Mai Chen opined it was illegal that the Anglican diocese could demolish Christ Church Cathedral, with CERA's approval of course, as it was a heritage building. (The Press 30.07.13). I doubted Chen in Auckland & Rae ever stood anywhere near Christ Church Cathedral ruin & other dangerous buildings & felt the bad vibes those ruins emitted, threatening collapse on stupid people. Chen & Rae should visit Christchurch & stand next to abandoned multi-storey Forsyth Barr, or any ruin of their choice to see & feel them, instead of talking nonsense. Chen stirred Heritage-hailers, enabling lawyers like herself to enrich themselves with court cases. Never mind High Court & more recently Appeal Court rulings: that it was OK for the Anglican diocese to demolish Christ Church Cathedral.
Given other Anglican churches demolished & many other buildings demolished post-quakes, why hadn't Chen & Rae tried to save them too? Where were they when protesters whined outside the Council building, opposing demolition of Manchester Courts post 4 September 2010 Quake?
I had a mental list of repaired / restored buildings in Christchurch I'd never enter again. I'd seen many trashed, concrete tilt-slab buildings, their cracked, concrete tilt-slabs epoxy-glued & painted over. (Thirteen years later, I stopped going to Temuka Bakery in King St while it continued trading while a next-door brick-building with brick-parapets was being demolished, then rebuilt! I'd learnt my lesson seeing so many fatal, unreinforced brick-buildings in Christchurch!)
Since quakes, churchless congregations shared facilities with survivor churches, or public halls. Example: Christchurch North Methodist, Harewood Rd, shared facilities with St Josephs Catholic, Main Nth Rd. After Leah's weekly yoga classes at Mary Potter Centre, near the Blood Bank, Durham St Nth, Leah & other yoga ladies set out chairs for church use.
Pics I took of church ghosts were samples of many damaged, or demolished, or part demolished, or repaired, or restored churches in Christchurch. There were many more churches which survived the quakes. I didn't take pics of all the churchless demolition-sites in Christchurch, as the weedy demolition-sites made boring pics.
Hereford St / Madras St, Latimer Sq: The Anglican Cardboard Cathedral was a transitional cathedral awaiting resolution of court cases & funding for Christ Church Cathedral demolition, or rebuild, or repairs, or restoration, or reinstatement? Whatever. To my knowledge, nearly three years post 4 September 2010 Quake, there were no church rebuilds in Christchurch. But there were many church demolitions & SMF-cordoned ruins awaiting repairs, or restorations, or demolitions, or rebuilds.
Throughout Christchurch, I saw ruined churches from Fendalton to Papanui to the CBD; Richmond to New Brighton; Sumner to Sydenham, to Halswell, to Riccarton. Nearby towns also had ruined churches: Lyttelton, Kaiapoi, Hororata. *Asterisk showed Anglican Church:
Fendalton Rd: *St Barnabas: SMF-cordoned, yellow-stickered, steel-braced nave end-walls. I saw many wall-cracks road-side of the church, especially by windows and tower. Throughout Christchurch, the weight of a church tower & steeple often caused damage, not only due to tower & / or steeple collapse, but the tower / steeple also damaged adjacent church walls, either because the tower / steeple collapsed onto the church, like Christ Church Cathedral & / or the tower / steeple smashed, or pulled against church-walls causing cracks, like St Barnabas. The parish hoped to raise $1m for repairs & maintenance.
22.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned, yellow stickered, steel braced, St Barnabas Anglican Church, Fendalton Rd
Post 4 September 2010 Quake, some church authorities removed steeples from church towers (future quake-hazard) like the Chinese Methodist Church ruin in Merivale. Post 4 September 2010 Quake, there was no consistent treatment for hazardous churches. Christ Church Cathedral steeple / tower was left intact by the Anglican diocese despite great shakings in the 4 September 2010 Quake & the 26 December 2010 Quake. That resulted in Christ Church Cathedral ruining when the steeple / tower collapsed in the 22 February 2011 Quake. Ditto Christchurch Basilica, its twin tower collapsed, Barbadoes St.
Ilam Rd / Aorangi Rd: St Stephens: A five minutes trek from my Burnside home. That church was demolished, due to its promimity to a nearby stream in neighbouring Jellie Park. The church office was OK. The church would be rebuilt as The Village Presbyterian Church, Community Centre. 2021: I saw the new church's outer-wall had vertical & horizontal panels facing the road. Those panels were painted yellow & white.
22.08.13. St Stephens quake demolition site, Ilam Rd / Aorangi Rd. Jellie Park behind. The church would be rebuilt as The Village, Presbyterian Church, Community Centre
22.08.13. Jellie Park stream, St Stephens quake demolition site, Ilam Rd / Aorangi Rd. The Church would be rebuilt as The Village, Presbyterian Church, Community Centre
Streams & rivers threatened nearby buildings, due to soft ground & lateral spreading of river / stream banks & liquefaction. Example: abandoned Christchurch Town Hall which was built on Avon River bank. It was tilted Avon River bank side. Councillors still wanted to spend $127.5m ratepayers' money to repair / restore Town Hall. Months before, councillors had unanimously voted to spend the $127.5m, most councillors not having entered nor examined the 22 February 2011 Quake damaged Town Hall in the red-zone. Only in August 2013 did councillors actually enter the Town Hall for a look. Some changed their minds about the $127.5m spend. The Town Hall farce would continue to June 2015 when new councillors & new mayor Dalziel again voted for Town Hall restoration for $127.5m.
Bryndwyr Rd / Jeffreys Rd: St Johns Moraia: Fifteen minutes trek from my Burnside home. The church was SMF-cordoned & steel-braced at both nave ends. Nave walls were cracked both sides, caused by shaking & tower weight.
A SMF-cordon, board sign:
PEACE
Let it begin
with me
22.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned, steel braced, St Johns Moraia, Bryndwyr Rd / Jeffreys Rd
Riccarton Rd / Mandeville Rd: *St James: Opposite the Korean Buddhist Temple. St James, like St Barnabas, was SMF-cordoned & yellow-stickered. It had steel-braced nave end walls & cracked-walls & cracked-windows. Parish Office was OK.
22.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned, yellow stickered, steel braced, St James Anglican Church, Riccarton Rd / Mandeville Rd
St James' SMF-cordon fence-sign:
CHURCH SHAKEN
WORSHIP SERVICES
CONTINUE
Harewood Rd / Chapel St: Christchurch North Methodist ruin: The decapitated steeple still stood in the garden. The Porta-cabin, church office was open for business. The church was SMF-cordoned & yellow-stickered. Threat-signs:
DANGER
Keep out!
Authorised
People only!
31.07.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake damaged, closed, Christchurch North Methodist Church, Harewood Rd / Chapel St. Removed steeple on ground. Christchurch North Methodist church would be demolished, rebuilt
31.07.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow stickered, Christchurch North Methodist Church, Harewood Rd / Chapel St, awaited demolition, rebuild
31.07.13. Porta-cabin Church Office, Christchurch North Methodist Church, Chapel St
Christchurch North Methodist Church would be demolished, then rebuilt.
Harewood Rd: *St Pauls Papanui: Presently being restored for $400 000. It was SMF-cordoned, office & hall open for business. I saw a blue-portaloo & a grey shipping-container & contractor vehicles in the carpark. I saw a workman, wearing an orange Hi-Vis vest, sawing wood in the carpark.
31.07.13. Blue portaloo. St Pauls Papanui restoration, Harewood Rd
31.07.13. Blue portaloo. St Pauls Papanui restoration, Harewood Rd
31.07.13. Cemetery, St Pauls Papanui restoration, Harewood Rd
31.07.13. Parish Office, St Pauls Papanui, Harewood Rd
Near the Parish Office, a Papanui history board:
EARLY PAPANUI
Spearers, sawyers, swamp suburbs
The Papanui Bush of about 70 acres (30 hectares) was important to Maori for its bird life. The name Papanui may mean "bird-spearer's tree platform."
Papanui was The Canterbury Settlement's first country village growing around the bush which was early Christchurch's nearest source of timber and firewood. Wagons were frequently stuck in boggy Papanui Road. Pit-sawyers had cut out the bush by 1847 when Papanui's population was about two thirds Christchurch's.
The Sawyer's Arms Hotel (1852) was Papanui's first public building.
The first school was opened in 1858.
The rich swamp ground was drained and became market gardens, orchards and dairy farms supplying Christchurch. The 5'3" gauge northern railway (3'6" 1877) reached Papanui in 1872.
The steam tramway (1880) from Christchurch to the Papanui railway station encouraged suburban growth between city and village.
Papanui had its own Town Hall (1881-1909) but was amalgamated into Christchurch in 1923.
Papanui Rd / Rugby Rd: The Chinese Methodist Church ruin was SMF-cordoned, the steeple was removed, tethered in the front garden. Pre-quakes, Jake had flatted in Rugby Rd. Jake presently worked at Brewers Arms next to the ruined church.
31.07.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Chinese Methodist Church demolition, Papanui Rd / Rugby St
Wednesday 31.07.13. The brick church was being demolished while I took pics. One orange & two yellow, Hi-Vis vested workmen cleared rubble in the nave by an abandoned piano. I saw another yellow, Hi-Vis vested workman working on scaffolding in the dark nave, while a yellow-digger cleared rubble outside the demolished north wall. Worker safety? Nave walls could collapse on workmen in the nave! The Church hall was already demolished post 22 February 2011 Quake.
31.07.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Chinese Methodist Church demolition, Papanui Rd / Rugby St
June 2015. New Chinese Methodist Church would be on site.
Church Ln: *St Mary's: I saw a Porta-cabin, Parish Office on the church's demolition-site. The original Parish Office / Centre, was damaged & abandoned & SMF-cordoned. I saw the salvaged wooden-roof on the office lawn. St Mary's would be rebuilt as All Souls Church, opened 2018, Church Ln / Papanui Rd.
31.07.13. Parish Office porta-cabin, St Mary's Anglican Church demolition site, Church Ln
31.07.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Salvaged roof, abandoned Parish Office / Centre, St Mary's Anglican Church, Church Ln
Bealey Ave / Victoria St: Knox Church ruin: Fence-cordoned. Part-demolished windows. Walls were gone, just gaping holes & boarded wooden-arches supported the roof. Next-door Knox Centre was abandoned.
31.07.13. Abandoned Knox Centre & Knox Church, Bealey Ave / Victoria St
By the end of 2014 Knox church would be restored with exterior copper-cladding.
Edgeware Rd: St Athanasius Coptic: A weedy demolition-site. The church was wrecked by the 4 September 2010 Quake.
31.07.13. St Athanasius Coptic Church demolition site, Edgeware Rd
Stanmore Rd: Richmond Methodist Church ruin: The hall was demolished. Pre-quakes, Leah had taken school kids to that church hall for weekly lessons. Next door, London St corner, I saw Richmond Working Mens Club's demolition-site.
31.07.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Richmond Methodist Church, Stanmore Rd. Richmond Working Mens Club demolition site left.
Lychgate Cl: *Holy Trinity Avonside: I saw a green lawn with a carved Oamaru whitestone on top, a salvage-piece on the church's demolition-site. I saw more salvaged Oamaru whitestones scattered by graves. Grave-stones & the green, wooden lychgate still stood. Parish Hall was demolished. Parish Office was open. By Parish Office, I saw a large blackboard, chalk-titled: I love Avonside because... Locals had scrawled emotive comments on the blackboard like: This was where memories were made... 2020-21. The new church would be rebuilt on-site.
31.07.13. Quake survivor, Parish Office, Holy Trinity Avonside, Lychgate Cl
31.07.13. Cemetery, salvaged church stones, lychgate, Holy Trinity Avonside, Lychgate Cl
31.07.13. Holy Trinity Avonside demolition site, Lychgate Cl. Cemetery beyond
Barbadoes St: Christchurch Basilica ruin: Part-demolished, SMF-cordoned. I saw stacked shipping-containers supporting north & south transept walls. I saw many cracks on Oamaru whitestone cladding. I saw the concrete-core exposed on collapsed, twin tower walls.
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. S nave wall, abandoned, part demolished, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Barbadoes St. Collapsed S tower left. Stacked shipping containers braced S transept right
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Collapsed twin towers, W facade, abandoned Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Barbadoes St. See concrete structure clad with thin Oamaru whitestone
A SMF-cordon sign:
CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL PARISH
Has moved to St Mary's Pro Cathedral
373 Manchester Street
Visitors, Tourists and Parishioners
are ALL welcome
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. N nave wall, collapsed N tower, W facade, abandoned Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Barbadoes St. Stacked shipping containers braced the N transept
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. N nave wall, collapsed N tower, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Barbadoes St. Stacked shipping containers braced N transept
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Salvaged Oamaru whitestone. Stacked shipping containers braced N transept & N nave wall, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Barbadoes St
Battling bishops:
May 2015. The RC bishop would announce 45 million dollars would be spent partially restoring Christchurch Basilica.
May 2018. A new RC bishop Martin considered building a new Christchurch Basilica opposite Victoria Sq & Town Hall, if land beside Avon River was available between Oxford Tce & Armagh St.
December 2019. RC bishop Martin would announce rebuild of the new Christchurch Basilica opposite Victoria Sq by Avon River. That new Christchurch Basilica would be built on Avon River swampland! Never mind Christchurch Fault!
2021. Christchurch Basilica, Barbadoes St, would be demolished.
2024. New RC bishop reset: The new Christchurch Basilica would be built on the old Barbadoes St demolition-site! There was more land to rebuild on than the Armagh St site.
Oxford Tce / Madras St: Oxford Terrace Baptist: Demolished. I saw Edmonds Clock Tower across the road was scaffolded & under repair. 2017. New Oxford Terrace Baptist church would be built on the demolition-site. I would frequent Pillars Cafe (named after the Ionic capitals of salvaged pillars before Pillars Cafe) en route my post-quakes, London St to CBD treks.
01.08.13. Madras St view, Oxford Terrace Baptist Church demolition site
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Post quake restoration, Edmonds Clock Tower, Madras St / Oxford Tce
Manchester St / Kilmore St: *St Lukes: Demolished. Post-quake features: Chartres Cathedral maze, built from demolition-bricks laid on the church demolition-site. Near the surviving, white-painted wooden bell tower, a demolition-stone memorial honoured the 185 people killed in the 22 February 2011 Quake. The demolition-site was pathed & wood-mulched to suppress weeds. 2020. The demolition-site was weedy. 2026. The area would be riddled with new housing & new apartments.
01.08.13. NO ENTRY. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Manchester St, S view, post quake CBD skyline. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left. Abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel high rise awaited repairs right. Abandoned Ernst & Young awaited demolition right
01.08.13. Manchester St, St Lukes Anglican Church demolition site, SW view, quake ravaged Christchurch CBD. Abandoned Ernst & Young awaited demolition left. Court House & abandoned Town Hall middle. Forte Health rebuild right. White, wooden Belfry right, all that was left of St Lukes, post demolition
01.08.13. St Lukes Anglican Church, post quake Labyrinth, copy of Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth, made from St Lukes brick rubble, Manchester St
01.08.13. St Lukes Anglican Church demolition site, Memorial to 185 quake dead, made from demolished church stones, Manchester St / Kilmore St
Hereford St / Madras St, Latimer Sq: *St Johns: Demolished. I saw the Transitional Cardboard Cathedral rebuild. An orange-digger & yellow contractor van was parked on the church grounds. Workmen made paths around the Cardboard Cathedral. I saw smiley, grey haired ladies, seated on chairs, having a meeting in the Transitional cathedral. On the SMF-cordon, I saw a Joyfully Un-munted sign which advertised music recitals in the Cardboard Cathedral, August 2013, celebrating opening of the Cardboard Cathedral & its acoustics.
01.08.13. Orange digger. Yellow contractor van. Latimer Sq view, Cardboard Cathedral, St Johns Anglican Church demolition site, Hereford St / Madras St
01.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cardboard Cathedral, Madras St / Hereford St
01.08.13. Cashel St view, Cardboard Cathedral
Saturday 24.08.13. On our first walk in the Port Hills since the 22 February 2011 Quake, above Victoria Park & below Sugarloaf, Leah & I viewed Christchurch on Canterbury Plains, backdropped by snowy Alps, from Kaikouras in the north, to Puketeraki Range & Torlesse Range in the west & Mt Hutt in the south. Little did we know, in 2014 we'd be living in Mackenzie Country, southwest of Christchurch.
Few tall buildings were left in Christchurch CBD. Those I could pick out were abandoned Forsyth Barr awaiting repairs to become Crowne Plaza Hotel; restored Novotel; Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel; abandoned IRD. The Cardboard Cathedral's distinctive tent-shape was easily seen, the only rebuild of any aesthetic worth. The rest were ugly boxes.
May 2015. CERA minister Brownlee would announce construction of the Memorial Wall beside Avon River, the memorial for 185 quake-dead.
Despite Council's & CERA's & CCDU's rebuild hype, the only CBD rebuilds so far were a couple of private sector buildings, like Westende House (soon demolished) & the Cardboard Cathedral. The Anglican diocese had demolished St Johns & built the Cardboard Cathedral on site, all within 29 months post 22 February 2011 Quake.
01.08.13. Peter Majendie's 185 Empty Chairs memorial to quake dead, St Pauls Trinity Pacific Presbyterian demolition site, Cashel St / Madras St. Abandoned IR bldg behind would survive the quakes
01.08.13. 185 Empty Chairs memorial to quake dead, St Pauls Trinity Pacific Presbyterian demolition site, Madras St / Cashel St. Cardboard Cathedral, Latimer Sq behind
01.08.13. Artist Peter Majendie, 185 Empty Chairs memorial to quake dead, St Pauls Trinity Pacific Presbyterian demolition site, Cashel St / Madras St. Beyond car, CTV demolition site where 115 people died when CTV collapsed & burned
Madras St / Cashel St: St Pauls Trinity Pacific Presbyterian: Demolished. I saw the 185 Empty Chairs Memorial on the demolition- site. On the diagonally opposite site, I saw the CTV demolition-site where 115 people died when multi-storey CTV collapsed & burned in the 22 February 2011 Quake. Grey haired artist, Peter Majendie pottered amongst his white chairs. I helped him remove a repainted chair from his car. September 2019. Majende's 185 Empty Chair Memorial was still on that site. 2021. The 185 Empty Chair Memorial would be moved back to St Lukes demolition-site site, Kilmore St / Manchester St.
Hereford St to Cathedral Sq: I saw Torrens House demolition in the East Frame. Although it was more than two years post 22 February 2011 Quake, CERA was still demolishing buildings. But CERA had little CBD rebuild going, so far!
07.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Torrens House demolition, Hereford St, E Frame
07.08.13. Worcester St view, Torrens House demolition, E Frame
Worcester St / Manchester St: Westende House two-storey rebuild. July 2015. For its East Frame / Manchester St widening, CCDU would demolish Westende House rebuild. Post 4 September 2010 Quake, that site was Ground Zero, where breathless TV anchor-girls reported, back-dropped by garish red-lighting & ruined Westende Jeweller. September 2019. Westende House, a repeat demolition-site, would be a shingle carpark beside Manchester St's widened footpath.
Worcester St / Manchester St: on the opposite corner, I saw abandoned Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant: The owner searched for a buyer to resurrect the building, as he'd run out restoration money. If Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant was restored, I'd never enter it. No way could its restoration be as strong as new Westende House across the road was, no matter how much money was spent! The same went for Christ Church Cathedral ruin down Worcester St! 2020-23 Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant would still await restoration completion due to poor funding.
07.08.13. Westende House rebuild, E Frame, Manchester St / Worcester St. Westende House was rebuilt post 04.09.10 quake. July 2015. CCDU would demolish Westende House for Manchester St widening
07.08.13. Orange, plastic, road barrier, steel mesh fence cordon. Serial quake trashed, tarped, boarded, Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant, Manchester St / Worcester St, awaited restoration
Worcester St: Behind Christ Church Cathedral ruin, I trekked past abandoned, boarded, SMF-cordoned, multi-storey design & arts college. Plaster had fallen off the ground-floor concrete-columns, showing cracks. If that multi-storey was restored, I'd never enter it! 2023. The design & arts college would still be awaiting restoration.
07.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed design & arts college, Worcester St
07.08.13. Cathedral Junction undergoing post quake repairs, Worcester St. Westende House rebuild beyond would be demolished by CERA, July 2015
I trekked past Cathedral Junction undergoing post-quake repairs. Cathedral Junction was a hotchpotch of repaired old & new buildings. Pre-quakes trams had rumbled through Cathedral Junction, not the smartest idea for quake-prone buildings! The same went for nearby New Regent St, which had a pre-quakes tram-line going down the middle of the narrow street & Spanish Mission shops, recently restored. 2024. Some of those Spanish Mission shops would still be awaiting restoration!
Cathedral Sq: *Christ Church Cathedral ruin was fence cordoned. Three weeks pre 22 February 2011 Quake, Leah & I had visited Christ Church Cathedral, seeing workmen inside, on scaffolding, checking 4 September 2010 Quake & 26 December 2010 Quake damages: murals & windows. During that time, we were still complacent about quake fatalities!
07.08.13. Worcester St view, E end, abandoned, fence cordoned, Christ Church Cathedral, apse, chancel, transepts, Cathedral Sq
07.08.13. Stacked shipping container cordon. Christ Church Cathedral, N side apse, chancel, transept, Cathedral Sq
07.08.13. Quake damaged stonework, N transept window & buttress, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq
07.08.13. Quake collapsed, part demolished tower, damaged N nave wall, useless steel braced, quake collapsed, W facade, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq. WW 1 memorial statue in foreground
07.08.13. Quake collapsed, part demolished tower, quake collapsed W facade, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq. Steel bracing was useless in the 13.06.11 quake. See stone rubble, clad by thin stones structure, collapsed / part demolished tower walls.
In Cathedral Sq we saw an information board extolling Maori used of the area as a worship place long before colonists arrived, hence the flowery whare erected in front of the broken western facade of Christ Church Cathedral ruin. Like the jarring street-art on cordon fencing, the whare blocked access to Christ Church Cathedral ruin!
Three years later, June 2016, post CERA era, Christ Church Cathedral ruin would still be fence-cordoned. No progress had been made by NZ National government, nor the Anglican diocese, nor Heritage hailers, nor Anderton, Burdon, et al, on a decision to demolish, or repair, or restore, or rebuild Christ Church Cathedral!
September 2018. NZ Labour coalition government: Regenerate Christchurch (the CERA morph) would briefly progress restoration of Christ Church Cathedral ruin. September 2019. I saw the whare was gone. 2021. Stabilisation would begin on Christ Church Cathedral ruin, Reinstatement hopefully completed by 2027! Whenever I visited Christchurch from South Canterbury, I would view Christ Church Cathedral's sloooow reinstatement from first-floor, or second-floor windows of the new Turanga Public Library overlooking Christ Church Cathedral ruin. 2024: Reinstatement was halted due to balooning costs!
07.08.13. Abandoned, fence cordoned, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq. Abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel behind
07.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordoned, Cathedral Sq, NW view, abandoned bldgs: Abandoned Rydges Hotel behind. Chancery Arcade middle, Government Life right awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. 2021. Rydges Hotel would still be abandoned together with abandoned, boarded shops & abandoned multi-storey carpark below. Eyesores.
07.08.13. Abandoned, fence cordoned, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq. Steel bracing didn't stop W facade collapsing in the 13.06.11 quake. See stone rubble structure clad by thin stones. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left. Abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel right
07.08.13. Flowery, Maori whare middle, Cathedral Sq. Abandoned Christ Church Cathedral, abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel left. Aug 2019. Whare gone. Chalice right, quake survivor
07.08.13. Abandoned, fence cordoned, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq. See stone rubble structure clad by thin stones. Bordered by abandoned / repaired hotels
07.08.13. Maori whare view, quake trashed W facade & tower, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq
07.08.13. Abandoned, fence cordoned, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq. See stone rubble structure clad by thin stones. Repaired, reopened Novotel behind left
07.08.13. Abandoned, fence cordoned, Christ Church Cathedral & Chalice, Cathedral Sq
07.08.13. Cathedral Sq, NE view: Christ Church Cathedral, boarded S transept, fenced / stacked shipping container cordon. Repaired, reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel right
07.08.13. Christ Church Cathedral: Columbarium, boarded S transept, S nave wall, clerestory, chancel, Cathedral Sq
07.08.13. Worcester St, W view: Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Sq, fenced / stacked, shipping container cordoned apse, chancel, transepts
Durham St Nth: Durham St Methodist: Demolished. Three people died there in 22 February 2011 Quake when the church collapsed. Like so many CBD demolition-sites, Durham St Methodist became a carpark with nothing to remember the dead, nor the collapsed church!
07.08.13. Durham Street Methodist Church, desecrated as a carpark, Durham St Nth / Chester St West
Late August, a church Information board was erected on the carpark corner, remembering the dead:
Durham Street Methodist Church
From 1864 to 2011 this was where the Durham Street Methodist Church stood. Badly damaged in the earthquake of September 2010 the building collapsed as a result of the major earthquake on February 22nd 2011. Sadly three men who were removing the organ for restoration lost their lives when the building fell.
Constructed of locally quarried stone it was the oldest stone church in Christchurch.
From 1984 the site was shared with the Methodist Mission serving social and community needs for Christchurch city.
Plans are being prepared for a replacement building that will continue the work and worship of the Methodist Church in this place.
Currently the congregation worships off site - details of services...
2018-19. The new Durham St Methodist Church would be built.
So far, there was little in the CBD remembering 185 quake dead. Majendie's 185 Empty Chair Memorial, a temporary memorial needed maintenance & vigilance against hooligans desecrating & stealing chairs from the memorial at St Pauls Trinity Pacific demolition-site. Driving around Christchurch, I saw increased tagging which indicated ruins & abandoned buildings.
Late August, Anderton's Heritage-hailers, peeved by losing court cases to save Christ Church Cathedral, wanted more squabbling with the Anglican diocese & bishop Matthews (media criticism of bishop Matthews) by appealing to the Supreme Court. Their energies & money wasting just enriched lawyers & would've been better spent organizing a decent quake-memorial. Their whinging insulted families of the dead & those injured by quakes. People from over 20 nations died in 22 February 2011 quake!
Colombo St / Brougham St: Sydenham Heritage, an old stone church: Demolished. I saw a makeshift, white board hut atop rubble with three pics: King Brownlee; Joker Parker; Knave Insurer. That old stone church was "illegally" demolished during the 22 February 2011 Quake's National State-of-Emergency, hence the rubble eyesore years later. When rubble would be removed, Heritage-hailers hoped to save artifacts like wooden-pews buried by the rubble. 2020. The church-rubble was still there, an eyesore. 2021. Rubble gone.
07.08.13. Sydenham Heritage Church demolition site, Colombo St / Brougham St.
Cashel St / Olliviers Rd: Samoan Seventh Day Adventist: Demolished. That church was destroyed in the 4 September 2010 Quake. The church hall still stood.
07.08.13. Samoan Seventh Day Adventist Church demolition site, Cashel St / Olliviers Rd. Church hall behind
Union St: New Brighton Union Church: Demolished. The decapitated steeple stood on the ground. The church Hall & Op Shop were still OK. The church Office was a porta-cabin.
07.08.13. New Brighton Union Church demolition site, Union St. See decapitated steeple
Wakefield Ave: Abandoned *All Saints, a stone church: Behind a double-layer shipping-container cordon below Sumner cliff. All Saints stood next to several red-zone tagged houses.
November 2015, erased history: All Saints would be demolished. 1995. During our six months stay in Sumner, we'd attended All Saints services.
07.08.13. Abandoned, red zone house below Sumner cliff, Wakefield Ave
07.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned, fence / shipping container cordoned, All Saints Anglican Church below Sumner cliff, Wakefield Ave. Nov 2015. All Saints would be demolished
Nash Rd, Aidenfield, Halswell: St John of God: It was SMF-cordoned, boarded, scaffolded, undergoing repairs. During our Halswell years, our sons attended Oaklands Primary School & Leah taught at one of the two schools near St John of God.
07.08.13. Abandoned, scaffolded, steel mesh fence cordoned, St John of God, Aidenfield, Halswell
Riccarton Rd / Main Sth Rd: Abandoned *St Peters, Church Corner: SMF-cordoned, boarded, scaffolded, repairs stalled. 2019-20. St Peters would be repaired.
07.08.13. Abandoned, steel mesh fence cordoned, boarded, St Peters Anglican Church, Riccarton Rd / Main Sth Rd
*Trekked Riccarton Rd, Deans Ave, Fendalton Rd, Ilam Rd, Bryndwr Rd, Harewood Rd, Papanui Rd, Church Ln, Bealey Ave, Edgeware Rd, Stanmore Rd, Lychgate Cl, Barbadoes St, Madras St, Manchester St, Hereford St, Worcester St, Cathedral Sq, Durham St Nth, Brougham St, Cashel St, Union St, Wakefield Ave, Aidenfield. 275 images.
Last month CERA minister Brownlee announced cordons would be dropped in Christchurch CBD when NZDF-soldiers evacuated, after occupying the CBD for 28 months. That was partly true, as many CBD buildings & streets were still SMF-cordoned, or OPRC-cordoned! Also many residential buildings & residential roads & churches were SMF-cordoned or OPRC-cordoned nearly three years post 4 September 2010 Quake.
It was frustrating driving anywhere in Christchurch, due to SCIRT excavations & fence cordons & detours. New road cordons & detours were made daily. SCIRT obstacle courses would continue for years, according to CERA's Greater Christchurch Recovery Update, Issue 24, August 2013:
More detail about the sequence and timing of works will be available in coming months. Work will increase significantly from October this year. From then there will be up to 40 SCIRT work crews in the central city at any time to get the work done by the end of 2016 finish date.
It took Civil Defence (three months) then CERA (since 13 June 2011) more than two years to demolish CBD ruins! No wonder builder firms recruited efficient foreign labour, like Filipinos & Irishmen). SCIRT would take another three years to complete CBD infrastructure rebuild: waste-water-pipes, sewage-pipes, water-pipes & road-repairs! And SCIRT had to rebuild suburban roads too!
Imagine several workmen wearing Hi-Vis vests & hard-hats & brandishing STOP - GO signs & chatting into radios while they obstructed your vehicle daily for years. Then there were frequent road-detours while road-rebuilds went on. That's what driving on Christchurch post-quake roads was like.
Given SCIRT's slow progress & & shirking workers for all to see on the road infrastructure rebuild, there would be slow CBD-rebuild by CERA, which had hardly begun nearly three years post 4 September 2010 Quake. So far there was boasting by CERA & CCDU & SCIRT, but little rebuild.
08.08.13. Dominion Post reported on weak buildings post Seddon & Wellington quakes: NZ National government found there were approx 25 000 quake-prone buildings in NZ. The government gave building-owners five years to assess buildings, then 15 years to strengthen those old buildings, up to revised building-code, or demolish thereafter. 20 years to sort out quake-prone builings! Heritage-buildings were given 30 years!
Despite Christchurch demolitions, I could think of several Heritage buildings, including churches which needing strengthening. NZ National government gave owners 30 years to quake-strengthen their old buildings. Pre-quakes, building owners already had many years to strengthen those buildings up to code!
Latimer Sq: I'd witnessed the recent Memorial Service for 185 quake-dead where local & government politicians & lackeys jostled for photo-coverage: Labour's Cosgrove & Dyson recently resigned. Soon to resign, Labour leader Shearer (who showed little interest in post-quake Christchurch) demoted Dalziel, the only effective Labour voice against National's edicts regarding land zonings & clearances & slow EQC & slow insurers. Dalziel thus wanted to be Christchurch mayor, a recycled politician foisted on Christchurch. Parliament queers: one coveted Labour leadership, while PM Key mocked Labour's "Idol" competition. (TV OneNews, 26.08.13).
Nearly three years post 4 September 2010 Quake, there was little Christchurch rebuild. There was some housing development by Halswell Junction Rd & Aidanfield, but many demolitions still had to be done in the residential red-zone & CBD. There was little CBD rebuild. Anyone visiting the CBD & residential red-zones could see CERA's non-rebuild.
Friday 16.08.13. Seddon & Wellington was shaken by the M6.6 quake & aftershocks. Building damages: Seddon, Ward, Wellington, the latter gridlocked, trains cancelled for the day. Breathless TV anchor girls jabbered the Cantabrian script: tough, resilient citizens, complacent of dangers. Like the 4 September 2010 Quake & the 26 December 2010 Quake, the two Seddon / Wellington quake swarms, a month odd apart, were warnings for future bigger quakes. (14.11.16. The M7.8 Kaikoura Quake would cause extensive damage to the northern part of the South Island & Wellington). GeoNet's faultline map of Marlborough showed Seddon was close to several northeast trending faults.
Two & a half years post 22 February 2011 Quake, there was a disconnect between those wanting to save Heritage buildings in Christchurch & those wanting justice for 185 dead! NZ National government wasn't interested in pursuing justice for families of the dead. It still allowed 30 years for quake-prone Heritage buildings to be brought up to code & 20 years for other quake-prone buildings to be brought up to code. It ignored the Coroner's reports & Royal Commission of Inquiry reports. From NZ National government, There was no outrage at 185 deaths, just silence!
Cops did zilch. Cops had the CBD red-zone to themselves with Civil Defence & CERA demolishers & NZDF-cordon soldiers for 28 months post 22 February 2011 Quake. What criminal evidence did cops find regarding quake-dead in the CBD? Did cops find any Council, or engineering, or builder, or owner accountability?
We endured newspaper articles & cop TV programmes where clever cops investigated road accident deaths & cold murder cases where cops expected citizens to dob-in perps caught on CCTV cameras. I heard no outrage from cops about the 185 quake-dead, nor outrage from lawyers like Chen. Where were the clever cop TV programmes about the 185 quake-dead?
Stanmore Rd / Worcester St crossing: Post 4 September 2010 Quake, I'd driven daily past cordoned ruins, some covered in gaudy tarps flapping in the breeze. During the 22 February 2011 Quake one of those ruins collapsed on Wicks Fish shop, killing two people. Along Worcester St & Stanmore Rd more shops had collapsed, like the Argonaut ruin. During the 13 June 2011 Quake more shops collapsed at that crossing. If I could snap many pics of dangerous, cordoned shops over several months before demolitions, why couldn't cops gather evidence for a manslaughter case at Wicks Fish shop? Never mind 115 people killed when CTV multi-storey collapsed & burned!
Coda:
Sunday 14.02.16. Valentines Day, M5.7 quake. Christ Church Cathedral's western facade would crumble more.
30.11.17. After years of CTV investigation, NZ Police's media-release: "Police has determined that there will be no criminal prosecution in relation to the collapse of the CTV building in Christchurch in February 2011..." The ultimate cop-out!
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Merivale 1894 church demolished (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Christ Church Cathedral needs to stay (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Second campaign group prepare legal case (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Joyfully unmunted festival for cardboard cathedral (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Cardboard Cathedral finally unveiled (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Traffic hub to help drivers save time (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Stadium date upsets rugby boss (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Deadline for quake safety set at 20 years (Dominion Post / Stuff Co).
See Rumblings of rebellion in Christchurch (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Christchurch Town Hall $127.5m restoration approved (The Press / Stuff Co).
See New Catholic bishop reconsiders Christchurch Cathedral restoration (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Outcome of investigation, collapse of the CTV building (NZ Police).
