An archaeological report compiled for New Zealand Historic Places Trust under the Historical Places Act 1993
It seems almost expected now that many of us will go on semi-frequent overseas jaunts and visit the spectacular local scenery that New Zealand has to offer. However, most of us probably don’t often think about when these destinations became … Continue reading →
Building Record Form for the former Christchurch Railway Station, 392 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch.
Register Record for the Cranmer Centre (former Christchurch Girls High), 40 Armagh Street, Christchurch
Up until February 22nd, 2011, the city of Christchurch was a unique, historic and cultural living and breathing entity. Inherited from a long list of valuable contributors dating back to its incep…
Being a Roman archaeologist by trade, wherever I go in the world I seem to sniff out some classical antiquities. Some call it a talent, some call it an obsession (I’ll leave that to you to decide…). There’s something about … Continue reading →
The city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was until very recently a “Junior England”—a small city that still bore the strong imprint of nineteenth-century British colonization, alongside a growing interest in the underlying biophysical setting and the indigenous pre-European landscape. All of this has changed as the city has been subjected to a devastating series of earthquakes, beginning in September 2010, and still continuing, with over 12,000 aftershocks recorded. One of these aftershocks, on February 22, 2011, was very close to the city center and very shallow with disastrous consequences, including a death toll of 185. Many buildings collapsed, and many more need to be demolished for safety purposes, meaning that over 80 percent of the central city will have gone. Tied up with this is the city’s precious heritage—its buildings and parks, rivers, and trees. The threats to heritage throw debates over economics and emotion into sharp relief. A number of nostalgic positions emerge from the dust and rubble, and in one form is a reverse-amnesia—an insistence of the past in the present. Individuals can respond to nostalgia in very different ways, at one extreme become mired in it and unable to move on, and at the other, dismissive of nostalgia as a luxury in the face of more pressing crises. The range of positions on nostalgia represent the complexity of heritage debates, attachment, and identity—and the ways in which disasters amplify the ongoing discourse on approaches to conservation and the value of historic landscapes.
"Heritage Buildings, Earthquake Strengthening and Damage: the Canterbury earthquakes September 2010 - January 2012", a report submitted by the then New Zealand Historic Places Trust to the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission. The report was written by Robert McClean.
The Beca Heritage Festival 2019 is currently on in Christchurch. There’s lots of interesting events being held, highlighting both the work being done in the heritage sector in Christchurch and providing opportunities to visit and interact with Christchurch’s heritage (see … Continue reading →
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Historic building owner John Phillips wants the red tape to go so he can pull his very badly damaged heritage building down and start again so the businesses in the premises can start again. Phillips owns the former Nurse Maude building on Madras Street".
Building Record Form for 107 Bealey Avenue, Christchurch
Register Record for 17 Rossall St, Fendalton, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 1 Eversleigh Street, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 232 Opawa Road, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 112 Centaurus Road, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 116 Centaurus Road, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 236 Cashel Street, Christchurch.
Gerry Brownlee, Earthquake Recovery Minister.
Anna Crighton, Chairperson, Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Building Trust Board.
A digitally manipulated image of a broken window. The photographer comments, "There is hardly anything left of Christchurch's proud heritage buildings. Most older buildings were made of brick and though they should have had improvements to make them withstand a medium earthquake most did not. They were badly damaged when hit with a series of earthquakes that were up to 2.2g at the epicentre and 1.88g in the City".
Submission of the then New Zealand Historic Places Trust to the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.
Building Record Form for 17 Rossall St, Fendalton, Christchurch
Register Record for Weston House, 62 Park Terrace, Christchurch.
Building Record Form for Knowlescourt, 274 Papanui Road, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 37 Hackthorne Road, Cashmere, Christchurch
Building Record Form for Marli, 118 Bealey Avenue, Christchurch
Register Record for Harald's Building, 80 Lichfield Street, Christchurch
Register Record for Fisher's Building, 280 High Street, Christchurch
Building Record Form for 82 Springfield Road, Christchurch.
Building Record Form for Larel, 277 Papanui Road, Christchurch