A PDF copy of pages 250-251 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Cardencity'. Photos: Trent Hiles
A PDF copy of pages 288-289 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Greenzone'. Photo: Reuben Woods
A PDF copy of pages 278-279 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Porthole'. Photos: Tessa Peach
A PDF copy of pages 318-319 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Macbeth'. Photos: Darryl Cribb
A PDF copy of pages 98-99 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Meet Me on the Other Side'. Photo: John Collie. With permission: Christchurch Art Gallery.
A PDF copy of a letter from the Anglican Advocacy (formerly the Anglican Life Social Justice Unit), to Christchurch City Council requesting exemption from parking requirements for inner city east landowners.
Christchurch is rightly or wrongly traditionally thought of as an English city, but at every turn we can see a glimpse of England’s arch enemy…the Scots. While they may now technically be at peace, they do still meet annually on … Continue reading →
If you walk along the Avon River by Cashel Street you might catch a glimpse of the small gondolas taking their fares for a leisurely punt through the city and botanical gardens. Today this attraction is aimed largely at tourists, … Continue reading →
In 1848, when the City of Christchurch was nothing but a design concept of the Canterbury Association back in London the idea of a ‘little slice of England’ (but half the world away) was born (Rice 2014, 9). Exactly how … Continue reading →
A brochure created for Beca Heritage Week 2014, outlining SCIRT's repair work on heritage structures in the Central City. It was handed out to members of the public at SCIRT's walk and talk tours.
A copy of the plan developed in 2011 to facilitate a collaborative approach between all stakeholders and minimise the impact on the traffic network, because of the extensive repair works necessary to repair vertical and horizontal infrastructure.
A PDF copy of a 'chapbook' featuring selected writings of "some of Canterbury's most exciting young writers, aged 10-15 years". The booklet was created for the WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival 2014 with the support of All Right?, The School for Young Writers, Christchurch City Libraries, and WORD Christchurch.
A PDF copy of pages 364-365 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Deconstruction'.
A PDF copy of pages 32-33 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'View From the Studio'. Photo: Andrew Hewson
The end of year is upon us again, and Underground Overground Archaeology is closing the boxes on our finds for the year. The year we finished up our Christmas party with a scavenger hunt around the central city using cryptic … Continue reading →
From Staffordshire pottery to American made glass-ware, we’ve come across artefacts from all over the world on archaeological sites here in Christchurch. This prevalence of internationally made artefacts, and what it means for the city’s history, is something that’s come … Continue reading ...
The temperatures are heating up, there’s Christmas decorations in shops around the city and we’re on the countdown to summer holidays. In our penultimate blog post for the year we’re going to look back on some of our best artefacts … Continue reading →
When you think about the Avon River running through Christchurch, you might imagine punting boats and kayaks in Hagley Park. Such attractions in our garden city are far from new and, recently, a few of us here at Underground Overground … Continue reading →
Once upon a time, there was a baker (a pie-maker, even) who left his home in Germany and travelled the length of the world to a small country in the South Pacific. There, in a young city built on a … Continue reading →
Earlier this year, we excavated a site on Armagh Street that revealed not only a large quantity of artefacts, but also a historical and material narrative set in the swampy bowels of a fledgling city, a tale of politics, commerce, … Continue reading →
Recently, Peter Mitchell, one of our building archaeology specialists, recorded a 19th century residential dwelling just on the edge of Christchurch’s Central City. This dwelling was similar in form and function to others we have seen in Canterbury – it … Continue reading →
A PDF copy of pages 80-81 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Roger Sutton/Man About Town'.
A PDF copy of pages 344-345 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Canterbury Quakes'. Photos courtesy of Canterbury Museum
A PDF copy of pages 118-119 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Mural Madness'.
A PDF copy of pages 120-121 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Brighton Up!'.
A paper prepared for the Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 44, no. 4, December 2011.
A PDF copy of pages 106-107 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'COCA Windows Project'. Photos: Ed Lust, Chloe Geoghegan. With permission: COCA Gallery.
Late in 2014 we were contacted by contractors working on a rebuild project in Christchurch’s city centre. It was reported that a number of bottles had been uncovered during routine earthworks and the area cordoned off until our arrival. The bottles … Continue reading →
Today we’re going back to Christchurch’s hinterland, this time to Kura Tāwhiti/Castle Hill, a place that’s still an important and valued part of the city’s surrounds. But in the interests of full disclosure, I feel like I should let you … Continue reading →
As life-changing experiences go, the earthquake on 22 February 2011 was fairly significant. On the one hand, our house was red-zoned (but still liveable), friends lost their lives and the city lost many of the old buildings that, for me, … Continue reading →