Honouring our heritage throughout the rebuild

Following the 15th anniversary of the 22 February earthquake, we’re looking at different Council aspects of the rebuild, and how far we’ve come. Starting with heritage in the city.

A prominent landmark in Christchurch’s central city, the 1887 Former Municipal Chambers showcase a rare example of the decorative Queen Anne-style which had not previously been used in New Zealand.

The chambers underwent a multimillion-dollar programme of post-quake restoration work, with extensive bracing and strengthening work needed before the repair team could even get inside. To help work out some of the missing details throughout the repairs, old photos were used as a reference and many of the special bricks required were recreated by a local company.

Christchurch’s series of heritage clocks, towers and statues act as a historical reference, allowing us to remember our history.

The jewel in the city’s crown of decorative heritage clocks, the Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower on Victoria Street was built in 1897 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign. The volcanic stone and limestone structure has decorative wrought iron work with coloured glass around part of the tower and four clock faces.

The clock stopped and finial bent from the force of the earthquakes and was repaired and strengthened in 2014 before undergoing a meticulous programme of conservation and maintenance work in recent years.

The Edmond’s Clock Tower on the corner of Madras Street and Oxford Terrace had its top half temporarily removed from 2012 - 2015 while restoration was underway, and repairs were also made to New Brighton’s Clock Tower on Marine Parade, and the Lyttelton and Scarborough clocks.

New Brighton’s Clock Tower on Marine Parade is ticking again after post-quake repairs

William Rolleston’s statue lost his head but is back in one piece on Rolleston Avenue now, the two-metre bronze Godley Statue was reinstated in Cathedral Square in 2015 after it fell of its plinth, and the 2.5 tonne Scott Statue was put back where he belonged after repairs in 2017.

The Old Stone House and the Rose Historic Chapel both opened their doors in early 2018 after an 18-month repair and restoration programme.

Nestled at the foot of the Port Hills, Cracroft’s Old Stone House was saved after the walls were upgraded and strengthened, roofing improved, seismic separation joints formed, ceilings replaced, and masonry repaired and repointed.

The Rose Chapel had its beautiful, ornate spiral staircase damaged beyond repair – which was able to be replaced by a similar staircase made by the same manufacturer and sourced from the demolished Regent Theatre. The iconic rose window and all the stained glass were removed and restored before being reinstated alongside the marble alter.

The Rose Chapel had its iconic rose window and stained glass removed and restored

The only chapel in the world built to honour nurses killed during the 20th century was restored to its former glory following significant post-quake damage. The 90-year-old Nurses’ Memorial Chapel outside Christchurch Hospital was officially reopened in 2018, after its neo-gothic arts and crafts architecture, stained glass windows and intricate oak carvings were restored.

One of Christchurch’s oldest domestic buildings, Chokebore Lodge was restored by creating cob bricks from clay, hay and water to retain the lodge’s original appearance as much as possible. Following its $1.5m restoration, the Community Board recommended to reclassify the Racecourse Road property to allow residential or commercial rental in 2025.

The historic Ferrymead Cob Cottage was repaired in 2018, retaining some of the cottage’s original sod and cod fabric with some badly damaged sections encased in glass to provide protection. Restoration aimed to keep the site’s history alive, showcasing the simplicity and workmanship of the early European settler homes and securing a window to the early days of our city.

The Sign of the Kiwi and Sign of the Takahe rest houses in the Port Hills were damaged in the quakes and reopened years later. The buildings were made from local stone and reflect the arts and crafts style in the way they blend with the natural landscape.

Sign of the Takahe reopened after eight years of restoration as a café and bar

Sign of the Kiwi was closed for nearly six years after the earthquakes before reopening as a café and visitor centre in January 2017, and Sign of the Takahe reopened after eight years of restoration as a café and bar - both providing a new space for visitors and locals to acknowledge our district’s heritage.