An aerial photograph of the Copthorne Hotel on Colombo Street. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "When the PricewaterhouseCoopers building is demolished, the Copthorne Central Hotel will be alone on the block. Oxford on the Avon and Plunket House are also gone from Oxford Terrace, and on the other side of the river is the demolition site of the PGC building where 18 people died".
A view down Beresford Street in New Brighton, looking west towards the city at sunset. The photographer comments, "On the other side of the Avon river from New Brighton is the Bexley red zone. Here numerous earthquake damaged streets of houses will be flattened due to it being to uneconomical in the current climate to repair the land to be suitable for housing. There is a campaign at the moment to try and convert all this red zone land, which is mainly adjacent to the Avon river to a giant park".
A residential street in New Brighton. Liquefaction still lines the street, and lampposts are leaning in different directions. The photographer comments, "This is the New Brighton red zone, which is parallel to the Avon River. The area suffered serious liquefaction during the numerous earthquakes/aftershocks and the land is being bought by the government. Although the houses do not look too bad in the background they have suffered badly. On the day I took this picture the council had just hours before cut the grass, which made the area look less abandoned".
A woman chats over her garden wall to a passerby who is curious about a huge container-like structure labeled 'emergency kit' that has been built beside the house. She says that in the event of a natural disaster Harold wants to ensure that they will have enough provisions to see them through the Rugby World Cup. Refers to the Christchurch earthquake that occurred 4th September 2010. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man sits in an armchair in the ruins of his house with his wife beside him. A man carrying a briefcase marked 'EQC' has come to make an insurance assessment and says 'Unfortunately, this is a North Canterbury collapse - so you'll only get your first $100,000 back'. Context; the Christchurch earthquake of 4th September and the collapse of the South Canterbury Finance Company. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man representing 'EQC' (Earthquake Commission) talks to a couple outside their collapsed house. He says 'Unfortunately, this is a NORTH Canterbury collapse - so you'll only get your first $100,000 back.' Context: This refers both to the collapse of the South Canterbury Finance Company and to the problems that people are having with insurance companies in North Canterbury after the first Christchurch earthquake on September 4th 2010. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon shows a monstrous machine with an enormous crushing ball attached to a giant crane. It moves past a signpost that points towards Christchurch. A man watches and tells his friend 'Gerry Brownlee borrowed it from Auckland! Context - Brownlee has caused a stir by suggesting that if he had his way some of Christchurch's older buildings would be "down tomorrow". He also said the price of saving some historic buildings badly damaged in the February 22 earthquake was too high. People had died in the quake because of attempts to save historic buildings badly damaged in the September 4 quake. Brownlee said he had no regrets despite the stir his comments caused - but he was annoyed by suggestions the Cathedral and Riccarton House were among buildings he thought should be bowled. He believed those buildings should be saved, and they would be. "I'm not a philistine; I was chairman of the trust that actually saved Riccarton House from the bulldozers in 1990. "I understand conservation architecture very well and I do have an appreciation of heritage buildings." Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Prime Minister John Key drives a tractor to which is attached a crane and a huge demolition ball in the shape of MP Gerry Brownlee's head; the ball smashes against a historic building bringing stone pediments down. Context - Gerry Brownlee, who is Earthquake Recovery Minister, has caused a stir by suggesting that if he had his way some of Christchurch's older buildings would be "down tomorrow". He also said the price of saving some historic buildings badly damaged in the February 22 earthquake was too high. People had died in the quake because of attempts to save historic buildings badly damaged in the September 4 quake. Brownlee said he had no regrets despite the stir his comments caused - but he was annoyed by suggestions the Cathedral and Riccarton House were among buildings he thought should be bowled. He believed those buildings should be saved, and they would be. "I'm not a philistine; I was chairman of the trust that actually saved Riccarton House from the bulldozers in 1990. "I understand conservation architecture very well and I do have an appreciation of heritage buildings." Original cartoon held at A-474-048 Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A faded yellow sticker stuck to the window of a house on Avonside Drive. It has been issued by the Christchurch City Council and reads, "Restricted Use. No entry except on essential business. Warning: This building has been damaged and its structural safety is questionable. Enter only at own risk. Subsequent aftershocks or other events may result in increased damage and danger, changing this assessment. Re-inspection may be required. The damage observed from external inspection is as described below." It goes on to set out the conditions for entry to the building and information about the inspector. The sign is so faded that the handwritten information is almost illegible.
A man representing 'Chch' (Christchurch) walks a tightrope between two cliffs. Suddenly below there are piles of dollar notes from the 'AMI' and he says 'A safety net at last!' Context - Christchurch earthquake problems with insurance. Insurers are saying that they will only pay for repairs for houses in the Red zone that are destined for demolition but that are relatively undamaged. Maybe the cartoon is expressing an ironic response to AMI's 'total replacement' policy. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man gets a phonecall from the Earthquake Commission (EQC) informing him that he can 'remediate and build here again!' The call comes just as another aftershock happens causing the family and pets to huddle in a terrified crowd as the house collapses around them and they find themselves waist-deep in mud and water. Refers to the Canterbury earthquake of 4th September and its continuing aftershocks as well as the problems surrounding rebuilding. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A yellow sticker on the door of a house in Worcester Street reading, "Restricted use. No entry except on essential business. Warning: This building has been damaged and its structural safety is questionable. Earthquake aftershocks present danger. Enter only at own risk. Subsequent events may result in increased damage and danger, changing this assessment. Reinspection may be required. The damage is as described below: partial collapse of longitudinal walls". Following on from this are the specific conditions that must be complied with to enable entry into the property, the inspector's identification details, and the date and time the building was inspected. At the bottom the form reads, "Do not remove this placard. Placed by order of the territorial authority Christchurch City Council".
A residential property in Bexley with an overgrown garden. A spray-painted message on the wall of the house reads, "Thanks 4 the memories, 1997-2012, kia kaha". The photographer comments, "Today I took a drive around the residential area between Bexley and New Brighton. It was a stark reminder to be thankful for the situation we're in and perhaps not complain too much that our garden wall hasn't yet been rebuilt ... Saddest of all are the messages that have been scrawled on walls and garage doors by departing locals. At one end of the scale, thanking the family home for the memories, and at the other end of the scale cursing the looters which have made a bad situation that much more unbearable".
A digitally manipulated image of the Gap Filler Monopoly board square on Manchester Street. The photographer comments, "On the site of a demolished earthquake damaged building in Christchurch, New Zealand is a Monopoly game square for giants. The Gap Filler Project makes the bare land where once a building once stood into something both interesting and unique and this time they created a massive Monopoly board square. In the game of Monopoly you move your player with a dog, shoe or maybe the hat, but as the most common thing in the City are diggers they have the placed one on the square. There are also two houses on Manchester Street, which is priced at $240".
Damage to River Road in Richmond. The road is badly cracked and slumped, and is closed off with a row of road cones tied with warning tape. The word "closed" has been spray painted on the road surface. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd and recovery work around Richmond and St Albans. River Rd was again subject to severe lateral spreading. The river is still grey with silt, the road is ripped and sunken, and power poles lean at random angles. The red car belonged to a postie, who had to come back with a tow truck to extricate the car from the hole that had opened underneath it. Looking along River Road to the north-east. Taken outside 79 Medway St".
A man chats over the fence with a newcomer to the area who is digging a vegetable patch. The newcomer is wearing a red and black striped jersey, his dog wears a red and black dog-coat and there are red and black curtains in the windows of the house. The passer-by wonders where the newcomer has located to the Waikato from. The colours make it obvious that he is from Christchurch. Context - People moving away from Christchurch following the earthquake of 22 February 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
An aerial photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Victoria Square is at the centre of this picture with its green lawns and trees. The bare patch of earth in front s the demolition sites of the Allan McLean building, the Oxford on Avon, and Plunket House. The contract to demolish the Crowne Plaza Hotel has been let, while the fate of the Town Hall is still undecided. The Convention Centre is coming down. On the very bottom, slightly to the right is the Medlab building which is also to be demolished. In the bottom left corner is the PWC building which is also to be demolished".
The cartoon shows a daffodil blooming in an earthquake fissure with the wrecked buildings of Christchurch in the background. Context: September 4th is the anniversary of the first quake. Many people in Christchurch are still living in houses that may yet be red stickered (condemned) and many city buildings are still out of bounds, either condemned to destruction or rebuilt after the earthquakes of September 4th 2010 and February 22nd and June 13th 2011. But the return of spring maybe brings a sense of encouragement and hope. Title provided by librarian Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
20131212_6234_1D3-24 Another New Brighton building comes down (Day 346/365) The old Esplanade Tavern is being demolished due to damage suffered in the earthquakes of 2011. Another one of New Brighton's iconic buildings to go. #4457
The cartoon shows a family standing proudly in front of their tent which has 'No leaks!', is 'Earthquake-proof!', and 'Affordable!' An 'Optional extra' is an 'inflatable base for tsunami-prone areas'. Text below reads 'Not suitable for volcanic areas. Refers to the problems that have been experienced in the last couple of decades with leaky homes because of slack building codes (which have now been tightened), refers also to the Canterbury earthquake of 4th September with its aftermath of rebuilding for greater earthquake proofing and lastly refers to the problem of people being unable to afford houses. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A policeman and his dog stop outside a house wrecked in the Christchurch earthquake and phone for assistance saying 'Have found signs of low-life' because he can see 'Christchurch looting in progress'. Context - on 22 February 2011 a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck in Christchurch, which has probably killed more than 200 people (at this point the number is still not known) and caused very severe damage. The courage, generosity and 'can do' attitude of the people has been wonderful apart from the antisocial behaviour of a few looters and others taking advantage of the situation. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
In the living room of a house half-ruined by the Christchurch earthquake a decrepit and useless-looking man in a grubby white singlet doses in his armchair with a glass of beer in his hand; his wife whispers to a friend 'Just between you and me, I'm hoping to have him red-stickered!' Context - The two Christchurch earthquakes of 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 and the technique of using different coloured stickers to designate the degree of damage to buildings - 'red' indicates that it needs to be demolished. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text across the top of the cartoon reads 'Greener pastures for red zone residents?... A new subdivision named 'Quakehaven' has streets named 'Wobble Way', 'Poopong Parade', 'Turd Tce.', 'Liquefaction Lane' etc. One of a couple visiting the new area says 'I've got a bad feeling about this new subdivision!' Context - Housing after the Christchurch earthquakes. After the first Land Report was delivered on 23rd June people whose houses were in the Red Zone had their properties bought up by the government and now have to move to new subdivisions. The suggestion in the cartoon is that the subdivisions may not be on safe ground. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
A man and woman clutch each other in terror as their house rocks in an aftershake; the man grabs his phone and offers his land for sale adding that 'foreigners are welcome'. Refers to the Canterbury earthquake of 4th September 2010 which continues to experience aftershakes, some of them quite significant. Refers also to the debate about whether New Zealand should be selling land, particularly farms, to foreigners; one side of the debate considers the sale of land to foreigners to make economic sense while others feel that our heritage is being lost. Both colour and black and white versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).
Text reads 'Latest Christchurch East band' The name of the band is 'The Silty Stones' and the band sings 'We can't get no... sa-tis-faction! 'Cos we got more li-qui-faction! And we cry, and we cry, and we try to get by We can't get no sa-tis-faction!' The band are cleaning up the latest liquefaction from around a house and are using their tools as musical instruments. Context: there was a 4.9 magnitude aftershock in Canterbury on December 26th (Boxing Day 2011) The song is a take-off of the 'Rolling Stones' song 'We can't get no satisfaction'. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text reads 'Could the wrecking ball be used on structures outside Christchurch?' The cartoon shows Minister for the Reconstruction of Christchurch Gerry Brownlee as the wrecking ball on a crane; he says 'let the fun begin'. To one side is a large house crowded with people which represents 'the welfare state' and is surrounded by a barrier on which are printed the words 'Fiscal emergency'. Context - Gerry Brownlee is seen by many as rather too quick to demolish heritage buildings in his rush to rebuild Christchurch. The wrecking ball idea also suggests that the National government is likely to wreck the welfare state in its efforts to sort out economic problems. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Homeless earthquake victims arrive in Hobbiton with their bags when it seems that New Zealand is going to lose The Hobbit to another country. Refers to the dispute between Warner Brothers, represented by Peter Jackson, and NZ Actors Equity over a union demand for negotiations over the terms and conditions offered in the contracts for actors and others working on the film very nearly caused the film to be made somewhere else. The battle, which was eventually resolved successfully after meetings between PM John Key and Warner Brothers representatives, divided New Zealanders. Refers also to the Canterbury earthquake of 4th September and its aftershocks that have left many houses uninhabitable. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon shows a part of Christchurch with a great earthquake fissure running through it. In the fissure are dozens of eyes shining in the dark and people struggle to clamber out. A sign reads 'The Orange Zone. No fun - no parties - Come in and wait for nothing to happen!' Context: The 'Orange Zone' makes a wordplay on 'fanzone' the play spaces for Rugby World Cup revellers. The Orange Zone in Christchurch is the area where as yet decisions still have not been made about the fate of the houses in it. These people feel as though they are in limbo, unable to make decisions about their lives and homes. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text at top reads 'Some Christchurch suburbs to move?... The cartoon shows three complete suburbs that have been dug up and are now being flown by helicopters attached to tall towers to their new spots on the Australian Gold Coast. Someone in one of the houses on the move yells 'Woohoo! Yeehaa! Well... As NZ and Ozzie are such great mates... Gold Coast here we come!' Context - In some cases where whole communities have to move because the earthquakes have made it impossible for them to remain in their present locations, many in the community have elected to try to move and relocate together in order to retain their old neighbours and community spirit. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
Text reads 'The new liquefaction?...' and the cartoon depicts a huge mass of 'insurance red tape' inside which is a man with a spade. Two people stare despairingly at the red tape and the man says 'How are we EVER gonna rebuild with this stuff bubbling up!' Context: The people are trying to rebuild their house after the Christchurch earthquakes and are having trouble with their insurance company. The Press has been contacted by people unable to get insurance to buy new homes, construct buildings or start businesses. Business leaders have called insurance delays a "cancer" eating away at the city's recovery, and Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has acknowledged insurance is an "ongoing problem". (The Press - 24 August 2011) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).