IntroductionThe Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial was opened to the public at the sixth anniversary commemoration event on 22 February 2017. The memorial is a place to reflect on the 2010/2011 earthquakes that changed Greater Christchurch forever. It pays respect to those who lost their lives, those who were seriously injured and survivors. The memorial also acknowledges the shared trauma and the support received during the response and recovery that followed.Devastating shallow quakeThe Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial is a place to reflect on the 2010/2011 earthquakes that changed greater Christchurch forever.Five months after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, centred near Darfield southwest of Christchurch, an even more damaging quake struck on 22 February 2011. That shallow, 6.3 magnitude quake, in the Port Hills just 10 kilometres from the centre of Christchurch, caused the greatest ground acceleration ever recorded in New Zealand.The earthquake claimed the lives of 185 people and injured many more. There were also significant psychological impacts as people endured more than 11,000 aftershocks, while dealing with lost and damaged homes, and disrupted communities and workplaces.About 25,000 houses suffered serious damage and more than half of all buildings in the central city had to be demolished.Remembering those who were lostThe 185 people who lost their lives in the 22 February earthquake were in Christchurch either by chance or as a usual part of their daily lives. It was a busy time of the year for locals and visitors, and at 12.51pm on a fine summer’s day people were doing a range of things, such as working, studying, shopping, having lunch with friends, or walking.The earthquake struck without warning and claimed the lives of people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. Almost half those who lost their lives in the city, suburbs and surrounds were from overseas – working, studying or holidaying here.The losses experienced that day continue to affect people from the local community, throughout New Zealand and overseas.People from all walks of life, life stages and places are remembered and it is this inclusiveness that we hope to share through the experience of the memorial. We acknowledge and remember those we lost and those whose lives were changed forever in the tragic events of that day.In addition to the loss of life, more than 220 people were treated for major injuries at Christchurch Hospital, and about 6,500 people were treated for minor injuries.Remembering those who provided supportMany of those injured were rescued or assisted by volunteers, and that selfless support for those impacted continued in the ensuing days and weeks. The coordinated efforts of groups like the Farmy Army and the Student Army – clearing liquefaction, providing meals and patching up damaged homes, for example – were matched by spontaneous acts of support by neighbours, friends and family.Immediately following the earthquake, almost 600 emergency service personnel came to the city’s aid under the control of Civil Defence Emergency Management. Experts from around New Zealand were joined by international colleagues from Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Taiwan, China and Singapore.The New Zealand Defence Force responded with its largest domestic operation, and various agencies provided humanitarian aid, including the New Zealand Red Cross and the Salvation Army.Remembering the broader impactsThe immediate trauma of the earthquake and the sequence of more than 11,000 aftershocks that continued for two years had a major psychological effect on the community. It is estimated that about 10,000 residents left Christchurch after the earthquake and the population did not return to pre-quake levels until 2016.The severe damage to property has reshaped greater Christchurch. Large residential areas were ‘red zoned’ (deemed unsuitable for housing in the short-to-medium term) and cleared of more than 5000 homes, while the inner city has been redesigned with key precincts and anchor projects, based on the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan.Damage to schools, churches, sport, community, cultural and other facilities also impacted the lives of Cantabrians.A peaceful and beautiful spaceThe Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial pays respect to those who lost their lives, those who were seriously injured and survivors. It also acknowledges the shared trauma and the support received during the response and recovery that followed.Feedback from those most affected suggested the memorial should incorporate water and greenery, and be a peaceful and beautiful space.The location, either side of the Ōtākaro/Avon River downstream from the Montreal Street bridge, was chosen because it is an accessible central Christchurch area, suitable for commemorative events or an individual seeking quiet reflection. Image Memorial designThe Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial has been designed so that the two key spaces are integrated – the reflective space on the north bank and the memorial wall area on the south bank.The north bank area is an attractive park with large trees, seating and a view across the Ōtākaro/Avon River to the memorial wall area, which in turn is a sheltered place of remembrance, close to water, looking across to the park, says memorial designer, Grega Vezjak.The experience of the memorial can be viewed as a journey. A place to remember and to find peace – a place of past and future.If you enter the memorial from the city end, you pass the beautiful kōhatu pounamu and descend down the ramp, leaving the hustle of the city at the street level to enter a quieter space. On the sunny terrace, with the sound of the river, you can take in the memorial wall or sit among trees and mourn or reflect. This is a sheltered and serene place that bereaved family and friends, and others impacted by the earthquakes, can experience in peace.Although this is a place of sadness it is also a place of beauty, graced by the gentle river flow, full sun and the delicate shadows cast by trees. The space is also a celebration of life. I hope that with its shape and space, the memorial invites and embraces people from near and far, bringing them together for remembrance.The memorial design was chosen from more than 330 submissions that stemmed from a call for ‘Ideas to Remember’.Oi ManawaThe memorial development was a joint project between the New Zealand Government, Christchurch City Council and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the administrative body of the South Island iwi, Ngāi Tahu.The memorial was one of several anchor projects for the Christchurch rebuild managed by Ōtākaro Ltd. It was transferred to Manatū Taonga after it was opened.Ngāi Tahu gifted the Māori name for the memorial, Oi Manawa, which means ‘tremor or quivering of the heart’. Ngāi Tūāhuriri (Ngāi Tahu sub-tribe) also blessed the memorial, along with sites where lives were lost in the earthquake.A significant kōhatu pounamu (greenstone) at the memorial entrance, gifted by Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio (Ngāi Tahu sub-tribe), indicates the importance of the memorial. There is an established Māori tradition of placing pounamu at important entranceways, and the ritual of touching the stone connects visitors back to the land and all those who have been there before us. Image Kōhatu pounamu (greenstone) at the memorial entrance South bank area Image The south bank area features a memorial wall that extends more than 100 metres along the curve of the Ōtākaro/Avon River. A wide terrace with seating and maple trees separates the 3.6-metre high wall from the river. The area has been designed to accommodate variable river levels.The names of those who died as a result of the 22 February 2011 earthquake are inscribed into marble panels. Each name is written as requested by their family. Bereaved families guided the arrangement of many of the names. The names of those with personal and other relationships are near each other, while other names are placed in a chance arrangement, reflecting the random nature of the earthquake.Other words inscribed in the wall describe the impact of the earthquake. Oi Manawa – Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial inscription and names Transcript of the inscription on the memorial wall and a sortable table of names of all those who died in the earthquakes. Visiting the memorialThe memorial is about five minutes’ walk up the Ōtākaro/Avon River from the retail area of Cashel Mall or the Bridge of Remembrance.The south bank area with the memorial wall can be accessed down a ramp at the eastern or city end, and by steps at the western end. It is accessible 24-hours a day.Public transportFrom the Bus Interchange, Christchurch’s main bus terminal, the Memorial is two blocks’ walk west along Lichfield Street and Oxford Terrace.Car parkingA mobility carpark will eventually be available near the memorial south bank ramp in Oxford Terrace. In addition to street parking, carpark buildings are located in Cashel Street (opening in March 2017) and adjacent to the Bus Interchange in Lichfield Street.Further informationCEISMIC: a digital archive led by the University of CanterburyEQ Recovery Learning: shared insights from the Canterbury earthquakesTe Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand: information about the earthquakes and seismic activity in New ZealandGNS Science: information provided by New Zealand Crown Research Institute responsible for geoscienceQuake City: Canterbury Museums exhibition located 299 Durham Street North, Christchurch CentralNational Dedication and Civic Commemoration Service, 22 February 2017 Videos of the service on the Takikura Tandem Media YouTube channel.
Oi Manawa – Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial inscription and names Transcript of the inscription on the memorial wall and a sortable table of names of all those who died in the earthquakes.