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Story: Historic earthquakes

Christchurch city after the quake

Video file

This clip shows how central Christchurch looked after the earthquake of 22 February 2011. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed, while others appear untouched. Following the quake, the central city was cordoned off, leaving it eerily quiet. This video was shown, without commentary, at the official memorial service, held in Hagley Park on 18 March 2011, before the formal proceedings began.

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Historic earthquakes – The 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/32480/christchurch-city-after-the-quake (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 21 March 2011, updated 1 November 2017.