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Story: Historic earthquakes

Damaged spire, Christchurch Cathedral

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Damaged spire, Christchurch Cathedral

Looking from the south, this view of Christchurch Cathedral shows the damage after the top 7.8 metres of the stone spire toppled in the 1888 earthquake. It was repaired, but the top 1.5 metres fell off again in an earthquake in 1901, and it was later remodelled in hardwood sheathed in copper.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PAColl-7985-72

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Historic earthquakes – The 1888 North Canterbury earthquake, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4490/damaged-spire-christchurch-cathedral (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 November 2017.