I could go completely sentimental or I could go trivial… which did I choose? Well you’d better keep reading…
I miss pre-quakes Christchurch – well part of it anyway.
I miss the architecture around the city – you know those places you always thought were going to be there but then weren’t all of a sudden.
You walk around the city centre and try to remember what was actually in that empty plot of land that has now become a makeshift car park.
Things changed forever in Christchurch on the 4th September 2010, although little did we know what would happen a short 5 months later on 22nd February 2011 where the city I knew and loved would be scarred – in more ways than one.
The city is rebuilding – what else can you do. But the memories are still there. Cathedral Square is still a place to meet. The Re:Start container mall has brought people back into the city – some for the first time in years.
Here are some of my photos of Christchurch pre-quake:
Cathedral Square – the way it was. 90% of those buildings have now goneThe Band Rotunda with the Pine Gould Building behind – both now goneThe stunning Press building – The Press is a local Christchurch newspaper and this was their main building.. like a lor of buildings around Cathedral Sq, it has also goneThe beautiful, now going Baptist Church on Kilmore StreetThe Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament – I use see this building every day when I went to Polytech over the road.It was very badly damaged in the quakesThe Provincial Buildings on Durham Street – some of the oldest buildings in ChristchurchTrams going through Cathedral Square – it’s good to see the trams back in ChchBuilding from 1884 on Gloucester Street – another building that is no longer a part of the city landscapeThe Rose Window of the Cathedral – I actually forgot I had this photo for a long time. I’m so glad I went and got photos from in side the Cathedral The old Timeball Station (or as I like to call it, the Timeball Machine), sadly no longer with us. It was one of the last timeball stations in the world.And of course the Canterbury Cathedral as it was. Whilst the building is still in the same place, it is so badly damaged that it’s kind of sad to see now. There is still an argument going on around what to do with the building and land it sits on.. for my part, I would like to see it turned into a ruin like places in London were after the bombings in WW2. Make it a sanctuary in the middle of the city for people to come and reflect.
wow, it is so nice yet strange to see all these photos of chch! at least we got a whole lot of new buildings out of it 😉 But it is sad seeing all the ones that r gone 🙂 thank you for sharing these!! 🙂 xx
When I first moved to Aussie and would come back home, I would go around taking HEAPS of photos of the city. People would actually laugh at me for taking so many… now I’m glad I did!
haha yes exactly!! 🙂 the weirdest thing is, as u said, trying to remember what was in place of where there is a car park now! I was only 10 during the 22nd of Feb one and I wish I could remember more of the city! 🙂
Oh wow.. you make me feel so old haha.. In one way I think what happened was kind of good (obviously not the loss of life) because it meant that the city had to really think about what was going to be in the city centre. But in saying that, I hate that we lost a lot of our heritage buildings.. some that were uniquely Christchurch
Hello World. It's Me, Sarah 
wow, it is so nice yet strange to see all these photos of chch! at least we got a whole lot of new buildings out of it 😉 But it is sad seeing all the ones that r gone 🙂 thank you for sharing these!! 🙂 xx
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When I first moved to Aussie and would come back home, I would go around taking HEAPS of photos of the city. People would actually laugh at me for taking so many… now I’m glad I did!
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haha yes exactly!! 🙂 the weirdest thing is, as u said, trying to remember what was in place of where there is a car park now! I was only 10 during the 22nd of Feb one and I wish I could remember more of the city! 🙂
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Oh wow.. you make me feel so old haha.. In one way I think what happened was kind of good (obviously not the loss of life) because it meant that the city had to really think about what was going to be in the city centre. But in saying that, I hate that we lost a lot of our heritage buildings.. some that were uniquely Christchurch
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haha 🙂 yeah I know what u mean! and now we have earth quake proofing, which was good in that last earth quake! unlike poor old wellington! 😦 🙂
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all of these are gone or completely damaged? that’s so sad. I hope they re-build it.
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A lot have been demolished. There are a couple that are damanged. I think the Bascillica is being rebuilt
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so sad..
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Yeah it is
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