
The start of the sequence
At 4.35 AM on Saturday the 4th September 2010 an unknown fault near Darfield shook violently. It measured 7.1 on the Richtor scale and was at a depth of 10km. The fault was 40km west of Christchurch in a mostly rural area near Darfield. The violence that emanated from the epicentre was clearly evident in the landscape around the epicentre. It buckled railway lines, unaligned road centre lines, moved trees and opened up the earth.
There was widespread damage to infrastructure and properties, with power outages to more than half of the city. Liquefaction began bubbling up, particularly in Avonside, Bexley, Burwood, New Brighton and Dallington. Liquefaction is where some soil behaves like a liquid during an earthquake and forces itself to the surface as liquid silt. In spite of the damage, we counted ourselves lucky that no one died.
Medway Street footbridge
Oxford Terrace, seen from Cambridge Terrace
Collapsed facade on Victoria Street
- Victoria Street
- 179a -181 Victoria Street
- Damaged in September 2010 earthquake and aftershocks
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- 179-181 Victoria Street
- Rubble
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- Shops
- Stores
- Buildings
Earthquake damage, 76 Victoria Street
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- 76 Victoria Street
- Corner of Victoria Street and Salisbury Street
- Rubble
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- Fencing
Fallen masonry at Knox Presbyterian church
- Knox Church
- Christchurch
- Victoria Street
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- Knox Presbyterian Church
- 28 Bealey Avenue
North face of Manchester Courts building
- Christchurch
- Manchester Street
- Corner of Hereford Street and Manchester Street
- corner of Manchester Street and Hereford Street
- 162 Manchester Street
- 2010
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- Central City
- Damaged in September 2010 earthquake and aftershocks
- earthquake damage
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- Hereford Street
- 158-160 Manchester Street
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- Manchester Courts
- Former MLC Building
- Built 1905-1906
- Demolished 2010-2011
Earthquake damage to Provincial Hotel
Buildings that were assessed as unsalvageable were demolished, many of which were brick buildings. This included many suburban shops that were older brick buildings as well as central central city properties.
Westende House demolition
- Christchurch
- Westende Jewellers
- Westende House
- site of former Westende House building
- Corner of Worcester Street and Manchester Street
- corner of Manchester Street and Worcester Street
- Manchester Street
- 2010
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- Central City
- Damaged in September 2010 earthquake and aftershocks
- earthquake damage
- Canterbury Earthquake
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- 14 September 2010
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- Worcester Street
- 184-188 Worcester Street
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- Colour
- Original Westende House
- Built 1903
- Demolished 2010
- demolitions
- Druids buildings
- Greenwich House
- Diggers
- Rubble
- Debris
- Temporary fencing