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Story: Historic earthquakes

All images and media

From page 1 - Earthquakes in Māori tradition

Rūaumoko

Slips at Utapu, 1861

Slips at Utapu, 1861

Wellington Harbour (Port Nicholson) and City

Wellington Harbour (Port Nicholson) and City

Wellington Harbour before the Haowhenua earthquake

Wellington Harbour before the Haowhenua earthquake

From page 2 - The 1848 Marlborough earthquake

First record of a Wellington earthquake

First record of a Wellington earthquake

Extent of shaking, Marlborough earthquake, 16 October 1848

Extent of shaking, Marlborough earthquake, 16 October 1848

Wellington street scene, 1847

Wellington street scene, 1847

Account of the 1848 earthquake

Account of the 1848 earthquake

Earthquake damage, Wellington, 1848

Earthquake damage, Wellington, 1848

Reporting the 1848 quake

Reporting the 1848 quake

Wellington in the 1850s

Wellington in the 1850s

The Awatere Fault

The Awatere Fault (1st of 2)

Offset along the Awatere Fault

Offset along the Awatere Fault (2nd of 2)

From page 3 - The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 23 January 1855

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 23 January 1855

Remembering the 1855 quake

Remembering the 1855 quake

Eyewitness account of the 1855 earthquake

Eyewitness account of the 1855 earthquake

Coastal landslide

Coastal landslide (1st of 2)

The landslide site today

The landslide site today (2nd of 2)

Uplifted storm beaches, Turakirae Head

Uplifted storm beaches, Turakirae Head

Wellington shoreline after the 1855 earthquake

Wellington shoreline after the 1855 earthquake

Plans for Wellington in 1841

Plans for Wellington in 1841 (1st of 2)

Basin Reserve – a new cricket ground

Basin Reserve – a new cricket ground (2nd of 2)

From page 4 - The 1888 North Canterbury earthquake

Extent of shaking, North Canterbury earthquake, 1 September 1888

Extent of shaking, North Canterbury earthquake, 1 September 1888

Damaged cottage, 1888

Damaged cottage, 1888

News report of the 1888 quake

News report of the 1888 quake

1888 earthquake rupture

1888 earthquake rupture

Damaged spire, Christchurch Cathedral

Damaged spire, Christchurch Cathedral

Distorted fenceline, Glynn Wye

Distorted fenceline, Glynn Wye

From page 5 - The 1929 Arthur’s Pass and Murchison earthquakes

Extent of shaking, Arthur’s Pass earthquake, 9 March 1929

Extent of shaking, Arthur’s Pass earthquake, 9 March 1929

Falling Mountain landslide

Falling Mountain landslide

Extent of shaking, Murchison earthquake, 17 June 1929

Extent of shaking, Murchison earthquake, 17 June 1929

Geological effects

Geological effects (1st of 2)

Gravel volcano in the Matiri valley

Gravel volcano in the Matiri valley (2nd of 2)

Damage to Hodgson’s store, Murchison

Damage to Hodgson’s store, Murchison

The Mātakitaki landslide

The Mātakitaki landslide (1st of 2)

The Mātakitaki valley today

The Mātakitaki valley today (2nd of 2)

Refugees

Damage further afield

Damage further afield (1st of 2)

Nelson College tower

Nelson College tower (2nd of 2)

Impact of the Murchison earthquake

Impact of the Murchison earthquake

From page 6 - The 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake

Extent of shaking, Hawke’s Bay earthquake, 3 February 1931

Extent of shaking, Hawke’s Bay earthquake, 3 February 1931

Damage to buildings

Damage to buildings (1st of 3)

Grand Hotel, Hastings

Grand Hotel, Hastings (2nd of 3)

Park Island Old Men’s Home

Park Island Old Men’s Home (3rd of 3)

Napier in flames

Napier in flames (1st of 2)

Criterion corner

Criterion corner (2nd of 2)

Fire fighter in the wreckage

Fire fighter in the wreckage

Napier after the 1931 earthquake

Napier after the 1931 earthquake

Clearing the rubble

Clearing the rubble

The hazards of rescue work

The hazards of rescue work

Roadside Stories: Hawke's Bay's big shake

Roadside Stories: Hawke's Bay's big shake

Walking to safety

Walking to safety (1st of 2)

Camping on the beach

Camping on the beach (2nd of 2)

From page 7 - In the Napier earthquake

A mother’s story

A mother’s story

A rush to the playground

A rush to the playground

Long way home

On the farm

From page 8 - Rebuilding Napier

Napier after the 1931 earthquake

Napier after the 1931 earthquake

The Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Act 1931

The Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Act 1931

Tin Town, Napier

Tin Town, Napier

National Tobacco Company building

National Tobacco Company building

Celebrating reconstruction

Celebrating reconstruction

Uplift of the foreshore

Uplift of the foreshore

Ahuriri Lagoon

Ahuriri Lagoon (1st of 2)

Ahuriri Lagoon after the earthquake

Ahuriri Lagoon after the earthquake (2nd of 2)

Dead fish, Ahuriri Lagoon

Dead fish, Ahuriri Lagoon

From page 9 - The 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 24 June 1942

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 24 June 1942 (1st of 2)

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 2 August 1942

Extent of shaking, Wairarapa earthquake, 2 August 1942 (2nd of 2)

Effects in Martinborough, June 1942

Effects in Martinborough, June 1942

St Matthew's Church, Masterton

St Matthew's Church, Masterton

An account of the June earthquake

An account of the June earthquake

Reporting the June earthquake

Reporting the June earthquake

John Chambers building, Jervois Quay

John Chambers building, Jervois Quay

From page 10 - The 1968 Īnangahua earthquake

Extent of shaking, Īnangahua earthquake, 24 May 1968

Extent of shaking, Īnangahua earthquake, 24 May 1968 (1st of 2)

Recording the Īnangahua earthquake

Recording the Īnangahua earthquake (2nd of 2)

Derailed train

Road subsidence

Road subsidence

Landslide damage, Whitecliffs

Landslide damage, Whitecliffs (1st of 3)

Landslide at Whitecliffs

Landslide at Whitecliffs (2nd of 3)

Rebuilding near Whitecliffs slip

Rebuilding near Whitecliffs slip (3rd of 3)

Leaving Īnangahua after the quake

Leaving Īnangahua after the quake

Buller Gorge landslide

Buller Gorge landslide

From page 11 - The 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake

Extent of shaking, Edgecumbe earthquake, 2 March 1987

Extent of shaking, Edgecumbe earthquake, 2 March 1987 (1st of 2)

Seismogram

Seismogram (2nd of 2)

Damage to property

Damage to property (1st of 2)

Shop damage

Shop damage (2nd of 2)

Toppled by the shaking

Toppled by the shaking

Aftermath of the Edgecumbe quake

Aftermath of the Edgecumbe quake

Opened fault

Twisted railway tracks, Edgecumbe

Twisted railway tracks, Edgecumbe

Edgecumbe dairy factory

Edgecumbe dairy factory

From page 12 - The 2010 Canterbury (Darfield) earthquake

Darfield earthquake

Darfield earthquake

Collapsed brick walls in Worcester Street

Collapsed brick walls in Worcester Street (1st of 2)

St John's, Hororata

St John's, Hororata (2nd of 2)

Greendale Fault

Greendale Fault (1st of 2)

Offset road

Offset road (2nd of 2)

Aftershocks, 4 September 2010 to 21 February 2011

Aftershocks, 4 September 2010 to 21 February 2011

Liquefaction

Liquefaction (1st of 2)

Lateral spreading

Lateral spreading (2nd of 2)

Early morning quake

Early morning quake

From page 13 - The 2011 Christchurch earthquake

Aftershocks, 22 February 2011 to 11 February 2012

Aftershocks, 22 February 2011 to 11 February 2012

Liquefaction demonstrated

Liquefaction demonstrated

Earthquake damage

Earthquake damage

Roadside Stories: Christchurch under siege

Roadside Stories: Christchurch under siege

Christchurch city after the quake

Christchurch city after the quake

Shaking in the Press Building

Shaking in the Press Building

Wellington earthquake damage

Wellington earthquake damage

From page 15 - Marlborough earthquakes – 2013 and 2016

Kaikōura earthquake simulation

Kaikōura earthquake simulation

Fault ruptures, 2016 Kaikōura earthquake

Fault ruptures, 2016 Kaikōura earthquake (1st of 3)

Movement along the Papatea Fault

Movement along the Papatea Fault (2nd of 3)

Kēkerengū Fault

Kēkerengū Fault (3rd of 3)

Impact on the coastline

Impact on the coastline (1st of 3)

Uplift of the Kaikōura coastline

Uplift of the Kaikōura coastline (2nd of 3)

Stranded marine life

Stranded marine life (3rd of 3)

Famous cows

Evacuating stranded tourists

Evacuating stranded tourists

Tsunami warning sign, Wellington

Tsunami warning sign, Wellington

From page 16 - Personal stories of earthquakes since 1942

Worse than facing the Japanese

Worse than facing the Japanese

Falling bombs?

Escape from Īnangahua

Escape from Īnangahua

Aftershock

An enormous bang

An enormous bang

Terror on the train

Terror on the train

How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney, 'All images and media', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/media (accessed 6 June 2023)

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 28 Mar 2011, updated 1 Nov 2017