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Pre-quake Christchurch - photos

Christchurch Square photo
Christchurch Cathedral photo
Christchurch Crowne Plaza photo
Christchurch Markets photo
Christchurch Museum photo
Canterbury College photo
photo
Christchurch Botanic Gardens photo
Christchurch Tram photo
Christchurch Tram photo
Christchurch Tram photo
Christchurch Tram photo
Town Crier Christchurch photo
Curator's House photo
Worcester St Christchurch photo
New Regent St photo
    
River Avon photo
River Avon photo
River Avon photo
Victoria Square photo
Coastline Coastline photo
The Chalice photo
Chrsitchurch Cathedral photo
Sign of the Takahe photo
    

Related Photo Galleries

Christchurch Suburbs photos
Quake Damaged Christchurch photos
ReStart Christchurch photos
International Antarctic Centre photos
Christchurch Suburbs photos
Lyttleton Christchurch photos
Botanic Gardens Christchurch photos
Christchurch Coastline photos

About Pre-quake Christchurch

Before the earthquakes in 2011 and 2012, Christchurch was a city with many heritage buildings. This gave this southern city its unique character and made the city the most English looking city outside of England. Unfortunately these buildings were not designed to New Zealand's current strict earthquake standards and consequently were no match for three powerful quakes that struck the city along with over ten thousand aftershocks.

The first significant earthquake was the Canterbury Earthquake which measured 7.1 and caused wide spread damage but no deaths. On the 22 February 2011, a 6.3 quake struck the city destroying about one third of the buildings in the CBD and many other buildings and houses in the suburbs. It killed 185 people. Following that a 5.9 and then a 6.3 quake struck in June 2011 with one death and more significant damage. Finally a swarm powerful swarm of aftershocks struck the city on the 23 December 2011 causing further damage, but no deaths.

More Photos

Worcester Street photo
Canterbury College in the year 2000
Banks Peninsula photo
VW photo

 

 

 

 

Author & photographer: David Johnson (Virtual New Zealand). Providing a credit or link is appreciated.
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