Christchurch - An Old and New City
Christchurch New Zealand is an old city that is on a huge transformative journey since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The damage to the CBD meant that over two thirds of the buildings were demolished. This created a blank canvas for a world-class rebuild.
I have been documenting the journey since 2010 in my book series Christchurch Then and Now.
In the first 8 months of 2024 I worked on Volume 4, going around the city and taking update photos. This latest volume is different to the earlier ones in that I have dedicated space for text to tell the stories about the various locations and buildings I have photographed.
However, the limited space for story telling in the book and the constantly changing urban landscape as well as funding issues for some key buildings has resulted in the need to provide more detail here on my website.
Christchurch Rebuild – History Repeating
Any story told about Christchurch’s history needs to focus on the heart of the Canterbury Association settlement Cathedral Square and the Christ Church Cathedral.
After munch controversy, in May 2020 phase one of the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project began. This was completed in March 2023. In June 2024 I had the opportunity to go on a tour inside the building, to view all the work that has been done. This meant I had to overcome my past fears, put on hard hat and safety vest (it is a working construction site) and step into severely damaged building. You can learn more about this experience soon.
One of the biggest takeaways from the tour, as well as my research and writing of the book, is that nothing gets built, repaired, or reinstated as quickly as we’d like. It all takes time AND money. In the book I have detailed the eye watering hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the tax payers (via the New Zealand Government and Christchurch City Council) or through fundraising and other means. There has been a huge amount of private investment in the rebuild as well.
And even with all this spending and investment, we have projects on hold, or crawling very slowly forward, such as the iconic Christ Church Cathedral. It was originally designed to be the symbolic heart of Christchurch since the foundations were laid in 1864. A year later the project had run out of money, and so construction stopped. Sound familiar?
It took 40 years to build the original design. Possibly it may take 40 years (let’s hope not) for the reinstatement project to be completed and the central city heart revitalised and beating again.
Christchurch – A Story Still Being Written
A living city is one that keeps changing and growing. It’s story continues to be written daily. Consequently, my Christchurch Then and Now Book Series and other books on Christchurch are snapshots in time. And being in physical form, they are a must own legacy you can pass onto your descendants about the experiences we have lived through since 2010 and the history that has been lost in the post-earthquake years.
My books are also great for evoking shared memories about times in and around the city. I often get people sharing their pre-earthquake stories after looking through one of my books. I’m amazed at how similar our memories are. Therefore I invite you to look through my Christchurch related posts, share your memories with me on my Facebook page, and even purchase a copy of my latest book.
Release Date: 26 August 2024
ISBN: 978-0-9941130-7-8
Retail Price: $35.00
Size: Paperback A4 Portrait (297 x 210 mm)
Pages: 72 pages
Photos: 206 full colour photographs
Weight: 286 grams
The Christchurch Then and Now Series was first published in 2013 and proved to be a popular publication for locals and visitors about the city’s earthquake and rebuild story.
In the series, Deb Donnell shares photographs from key locations prior to or just after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. She pairs them with updated images taken from the same locations.
Christchurch Then and Now Volume 4 gives you the chance to see how the landscape looks in 2024, and compare it to scenes from 2011 and earlier. It covers the central city, residential red zone, New Brighton, Sumner, Lyttelton, Akaroa and Kaiapoi. It also looks at the role Christchurch has played since 1901 as the Gateway to Antarctica.
This latest volume includes new features:
● Historical and other interesting information about key locations.
● City map with reference icons.
Christchurch Then and Now Volume 4 is a must add to your New Zealand book collection, a great gift to send friends and family overseas, and the preferred visual guidebook for visitors and tourists.
Available for purchase from retail book stores or direct from the publisher.