Bookmark and Share

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Latest Facts about Christchurch's Damaged Infrastructure

On the 28th September, Cera released a report about the extent of damage to Christchurch roads, water systems, power and buildings. This included mention of 600 kilometres of damaged roads and removal of 500,000 tons of silt. Click here for more details.




Friday, September 9, 2011

Christchurch Earthquake Book Includes Unique Story of the 1929 Murchison Earthquake

The following is an extract from the life story of Robert Percy Hughes who lived in the Murchison area at the time of the 7.8 magnitude quake in 1929. The full account is contained in Magnitude 7.1 & 6.3.



Gradually we investigated the other homes and in some we had a herculean task of cleaning jams and pickles, intermixed with glass, off the floors as the pantries had spilled their shelves. What a heart-break. One home had a piano and apparently it was left with the cover up. Fowls had been roosting on the piano and their droppings were all over the keys. All this was cleaned up, along with floors, using oceans of boiling water that we boiled up in the coppers which the homes were equipped with. The woman was never told what a mess her piano had been subjected to. What with fowls living in the houses, dogs, cats and even pigs found their way in as holes had been smashed with falling chimneys. Food had been hastily left as the folk decamped, never expecting in lots of cases, to return. No doubt the pigs smelt food and invaded the premises. We had quite a job, and seeing we had decreed we were not returning, did our best to make the places habitable should folk return.


Canterbury Acknowledged in Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony

Friday 9th September 2011 saw the official Opening Ceremony of the Rugby World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Part of the celebration paid tribute to Christchurch and Canterbury and the loss the region has experienced through the recent earthquakes. Click here to read more about the ceremony.