ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ,
is a
deconsecrated
Deconsecration, also called secularization, is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The practice is usually performed on churches or synagogues to ...
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
cathedral in the city of
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the
centre of the city, surrounded by
Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the
Bishop of Christchurch, who is in the New Zealand ''
tikanga'' of the
Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
Earthquakes have repeatedly damaged the building (mostly the spire): in 1881,
1888,
1901, 1922, and
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
. The February
2011 Christchurch earthquake
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...
destroyed the spire and the upper portion of the tower, and severely damaged the rest of the building. A lower portion of the tower was demolished immediately following the 2011 earthquake to facilitate search and rescue operations. The remainder of the tower was demolished in March 2012. The badly damaged west wall, which contained the rose window, partially collapsed in the
June 2011 and suffered further damage in the December 2011 earthquakes. The Anglican Church decided to demolish the building and replace it with a new structure, but various groups opposed the church's intentions, with actions including taking a case to
court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
. While the judgements were mostly in favour of the church, no further demolition occurred after the removal of the tower in early 2012. Government expressed its concern over the stalemate and appointed an independent negotiator and in September 2017, the Christchurch
Diocesan Synod
In the Anglican Communion, the model of government is the 'Bishop in Synod', meaning that a diocese is governed by a bishop acting with the advice and consent of representatives of the clergy and laity of the diocese. In much of the Communion the b ...
announced that ChristChurch Cathedral will be reinstated after promises of extra grants and loans from local and central government. By mid-2019 early design and stabilisation work had begun.
Since 15 August 2013 the cathedral community has worshipped at the
Cardboard Cathedral
The Cardboard Cathedral, formally called the Transitional Cathedral, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch, replacing ChristChurch Cathedral, which was significantly damaged in t ...
.
History
![George Gilbert Scott](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/George_Gilbert_Scott.jpg)
The origins of the cathedral date back to the plans of the
Canterbury Association
The Canterbury Association was formed in 1848 in England by members of parliament, peers, and Anglican church leaders, to establish a colony in New Zealand. The settlement was to be called Canterbury, with its capital to be known as Christchurch. ...
, which aimed to build a city around a central cathedral and
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
in the
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
region, based on the English model of
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual r ...
. In the original survey of central Christchurch (known as the
Black Map
Black Map (stylized as BL∀CK MAP) is an American post-hardcore supergroup based out of San Francisco, California. The trio consists of Ben Flanagan on bass and vocals, Chris Robyn on drums and Mark Engles on guitar. The band most recently has ...
), undertaken in 1850, it was envisaged for the college and cathedral to be built in
Cathedral Square. The area set aside for the college was found to be insufficient, and
Henry Sewell
Henry Sewell (7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a prominent 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (an office ...
suggested in June 1853 to move it to land reserved for the
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmar ...
. This transaction was formalised through ''The Cathedral Square Ordinance 1858'' passed by the
Canterbury Provincial Council
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch.
History
Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential Eng ...
in October 1858.
The ordinance allowed for
Colombo Street
Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square. As with many other central Christchurch streets, it is named for a colonial Anglica ...
to go through the middle of Cathedral Square at a legal width of with the cathedral to the west.
Henry Harper, the first
Bishop of Christchurch, arrived in 1856 and began to drive the cathedral project.
Most Christian churches are oriented towards the east, and to comply with this convention, Harper lobbied to have the eastern side of Cathedral Square to be used. That way, the main entrance would face Colombo Street, resulting in praying towards the east in line with custom. ''The Cathedral Square Amendment Ordinance 1859'', formalised this change.
In 1858 the project was approved by the diocese and a design was commissioned from
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...
, a prolific British architect known for his
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
churches and public buildings (he later built
St Pancras railway station in London and
St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh). Scott never visited Christchurch, but handed over the oversight of the project to
Robert Speechly
Robert Kelfull Speechly (17 September 1840 – 17 September 1884) was a 19th-century British architect.
Life and work
Speechly was born in 1840 in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, the son of Thomas Kelfull Speechly and Sarah, née Bellars, and a youn ...
.
Scott had earlier designed a timber church, the plans for which arrived with the Reverend
Thomas Jackson in 1851, but were never used.
[
]
Just before work on the foundations began, the alignment of Colombo Street through Cathedral Square was changed by introducing a curve towards the west, with the western side of the legal road having a radius
In classical geometry, a radius ( : radii) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The name comes from the latin ''radius'', meaning ray but also the ...
of 3 chains 75 links (), to place the cathedral slightly further west, making its tower visible along Colombo Street from a distance.
Scott's original design was for a Gothic-style cathedral, primarily constructed in timber. Bishop Harper, however, argued that the cathedral should be built from stone and by 1862 Scott's revised plans, as forwarded to the bishop, showed an internal timber frame with a stone exterior. Continuing pressure for an all-stone church, and concerns over the lack of timber in Canterbury, led to Scott supplying alternative plans for a stone arcade and clerestory. These plans arrived in New Zealand in 1864.[
The cornerstone was laid on 16 December 1864, but lack of money in the fledgling city saw construction halted in late 1865. At the start of the project, Christchurch was still a small town (its male population numbering only 450) and raising funds for construction proved to be difficult. Commentators of the time voiced their disappointment at the lack of progress – the novelist ]Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...
visited in 1872 and referred to the "vain foundations" as a "huge record of failure".[
In 1873 a new resident architect, New Zealander ]Benjamin Mountfort
Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort (13 March 1825 – 15 March 1898) was an English emigrant to New Zealand, where he became one of the country's most prominent 19th-century architects. He was instrumental in shaping the city of Christchurch's unique ...
, took over and construction began again. Mountfort adapted Scott's design, adding tower balconies and the west porch and decorative details such as the font, pulpit and stained glass.[ The initial plans called for wooden construction, but were changed with the discovery of a source of good quality stone locally. ]Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...
totara
''Podocarpus totara'' (; from the Maori-language ; the spelling "totara" is also common in English) is a species of podocarp tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows throughout the North Island and northeastern South Island in lowland, montane a ...
and matai timber were used for the roof supports.[
]
The nave, long, and tower were consecrated on 1 November 1881.[The Cathedrals of Christchurch]
Christchurch City Libraries When Mountfort died in 1898, his son, Cyril Mountfort
Cyril Julian Mountfort (5 October 1853 – 23 November 1920) was a New Zealand ecclesiastical architect. He was the second son of Benjamin Mountfort.
Biography
Mountfort was born on 5 October 1853; his surname is recorded as 'Mountford' on his ...
(1852–1920), took over as supervising architect and oversaw the completion of the chancel, transepts and apse, all of which were finished by 1904. The Christchurch Beautifying Society planted two plane trees
''Platanus'' is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae.
All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. All except f ...
to the south in 1898.[
The Rhodes family, who arrived in Canterbury before the ]First Four Ships
The First Four Ships refers to the four sailing vessels chartered by the Canterbury Association which left Plymouth, England, in September 1850 to transport the first English settlers to new homes in Canterbury, New Zealand. The colonists or s ...
, provided funds for the tower and spire. Robert Heaton Rhodes
Robert Heaton Rhodes (1815 – 1 June 1884) was a New Zealand politician, who represented the Akaroa electorate from 1871 to 1874, when he resigned. He was elected unopposed in 1871.
Born in 1815 in Rotherham, in the English county of York ...
built the tower in memory of his brother George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
and the spire was added by George's children. The family purchased eight bells and a memorial window and paid for renovations as required. In May 2012, the Rhodes memorial window depicting St John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...
was recovered from the north wall.
The spire reached to above Cathedral Square, and public access provided for a good viewpoint over the centre of the city. The spire was damaged by earthquakes on four occasions. The tower originally contained a peal of ten bells, cast by John Taylor & Co
John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell foundry. It is located in Loughborough, ...
of Loughborough
Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second larg ...
, and hung in 1881. The original bells were replaced in 1978 by 13 new bells, also cast at Taylors.
In 1894, Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, the widow of Alfred Richard Creyke
Alfred Richard Creyke JP (1 September 1831 – 30 November 1892) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand. He was a significant landholder in Canterbury. Of English descent, he spent just over ten years in the colony be ...
, arranged for the western porch to be built in his memory. On the south side of the nave there is a Watts-Russell Memorial Window in memory of her first husband.
The cathedral underwent major renovations during 2006 and 2007, including the replacement of the original roof slates.
Earthquakes
The Canterbury region has experienced many earthquakes and, like many buildings in Christchurch, the cathedral has suffered earthquake damage.
;1881: A stone was dislodged from the finial cap of the spire, immediately below the terminal cross, within a month of the cathedral's consecration.
;1888:Approximately 8 metres of stonework fell from the top of the spire as a result of 1 September 1888 North Canterbury earthquake. The stone spire was replaced.
;1901:The top of the spire fell again as a result of 16 November 1901 Cheviot earthquake. It was replaced with a more resilient structure of Australian hardwood sheathed with weathered copper sheeting, with an internal mass damper. The repairs were funded by the Rhodes family.
;1922:One of the stone crosses fell during 25 December 1922 Motunau earthquake.
;2010:4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake (also known as the Darfield earthquake) struck the South Island of New Zealand with a moment magnitude of 7.1 at on , and had a maximum perceived intensity of X (''Extreme'') on the Mercalli intensity scale. Som ...
caused some superficial damage and the cathedral was closed for engineering inspections until 22 September 2010, when it was deemed safe to reopen. Further damage was sustained in the "Boxing Day Aftershock" on 26 December.
;2011 February
:The 6.3-magnitude
Magnitude may refer to:
Mathematics
*Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction
*Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object
*Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector
*Order of ...
earthquake on 22 February 2011 left the cathedral damaged and several surrounding buildings in ruins. The spire was completely destroyed, leaving only the lower half of the tower standing. While the walls and roof remained mostly intact, the gable of the west front sustained damage and the roof over the western section of the north aisle, nearest the tower, collapsed from falling tower debris. Further inspections showed that the pillars supporting the building were severely damaged and investigations of damage to the foundations will determine whether the cathedral can be rebuilt on the site.
:Preliminary reports suggested that as many as 20 people had been in the tower at the time of its collapse, but a thorough examination by Urban Search and Rescue
Urban search and rescue (abbreviated as USAR or US&R) is a type of technical rescue operation that involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in an urban area, namely structural collapse due to natu ...
teams found no bodies.
;2011 June
:The cathedral suffered further damage on 13 June 2011 from the 6.4-magnitude
Magnitude may refer to:
Mathematics
*Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction
*Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object
*Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector
*Order of ...
June 2011 Christchurch earthquake
The June 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a shallow magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurred on 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST (02:20 UTC). It was centred at a Hypocenter, depth of , about 5 km (3 mi) south-east of Christchurch, which had p ...
with the rose window
Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...
in the west wall falling in and raised the question of "... whether the cathedral needed to be deconsecrated and demolished".
;2011 December
:The cathedral suffered further damage from the swarm of earthquakes on 23 December, the largest measuring 6.0 on the Richter magnitude scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
, during which what remained of the rose window
Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' w ...
collapsed.
Interior
The high altar's reredos
A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images.
The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...
was made from kauri
''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...
planks from an old bridge over the Hurunui River and includes six carved figures: Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden (25 June 1765 – 12 May 1838) was an English-born priest of the Church of England in Australia and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand. Marsden was a prom ...
, Archdeacon Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to:
Politicians
* Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign
* Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ...
, Tāmihana Te Rauparaha
Tāmihana (born Katu) Te Rauparaha (1820s – October 1876) was a notable New Zealand Māori leader, Christian evangelist, assessor, writer and farmer. He was born in Pukearuhe, Taranaki, New Zealand, the son of the great Ngāti Toa leader ...
, Bishop George Selwyn, Bishop Henry Harper and Bishop John Patteson.
The pulpit, designed by Mountford, commemorates George Selwyn, the first and only Bishop of New Zealand
The Diocese of Auckland is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area stretching from North Cape down to the Waikato River, across the Hauraki Plains ...
. Mountford also designed the font, which was donated by Arthur Penrhyn Stanley
Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, (13 December 1815 – 18 July 1881), known as Dean Stanley, was an English Anglican priest and ecclesiastical historian. He was Dean of Westminster from 1864 to 1881. His position was that of a Broad Churchman and he w ...
, Dean of Westminster
The Dean of Westminster is the head of the chapter at Westminster Abbey. Due to the Abbey's status as a Royal Peculiar, the dean answers directly to the British monarch (not to the Bishop of London as ordinary, nor to the Archbishop of Canterbu ...
in memory of his brother, Captain Owen Stanley
Captain Owen Stanley FRS RN (13 June 1811 – 13 March 1850) was a British Royal Navy officer and surveyor.
Life
Stanley was born in Alderley, Cheshire, the son of Edward Stanley, rector of Alderley and later Bishop of Norwich. A brother w ...
of HMS ''Britomart'', who arrived in Akaroa in 1840.[
The cathedral contains the throne and memorial to Bishop Harper, the first Bishop of Christchurch and the second ]Primate of New Zealand
Primate of New Zealand is a title held by a bishop who leads the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Since 2006, the Senior Bishop of each '' tikanga'' ( Māori, Pākehā, Pasefika) serves automatically as one of three co-equ ...
, who laid the foundation stone in 1864 and preached at the consecration service in 1881. In the west porch are stones from Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
, Christchurch Priory
Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset (formerly in Hampshire).
It is one of the longest parish churches in the country and is as large as many of the Church of E ...
, Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey ( cy, Abaty Tyndyrn ) was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow. It is situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which at this location forms the bo ...
, Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction.
The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It wa ...
, Herod's Temple
The Second Temple (, , ), later known as Herod's Temple, was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem between and 70 CE. It replaced Solomon's Temple, which had been built at the same location in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited ...
, St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
.
The north wall includes a mural dado of inlaid marble and encaustic tile
Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product of the glaze but of different colors of clay. They are usually of two colours but a tile may be composed of as many as six. The pattern appears inla ...
s, donated by the Cathedral Guild in 1885, which includes fylfot
The fylfot or fylfot cross ( ) and its mirror image, the gammadion are a type of swastika associated with medieval Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a cross with perpendicular extensions, usually at 90° or close angles, radiating in the same direc ...
motifs. A memorial window above the mural was donated in memory of Sir Thomas Tancred, Bt (1808–1880).[
The Chapel of St Michael and St George was opened by ]Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Sir Bernard Freyberg, VC, the Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...
(6 November 1949) and dedicated to Archbishop Campbell West-Watson
Campbell West-Watson (23 April 1877 – 19 May 1953) was successively an Anglican suffragan bishop, diocesan bishop and archbishop over a 40-year period during the first half of the 20th century.
Born on 23 April 1877 he was educated at ...
.
Heritage listing
On 7 April 1983, the church was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
as a Category I historic place, registration number 46. It is the only church designed by Scott in New Zealand. Its design was significantly influenced by Mountfort. It is a major landmark and tourist attraction, and for many it symbolises the ideals of the early settlers. There are numerous memorial tablets and memorial windows, acting as a reminder of the early people and the region's history. For example, a list of the 84 members of the Canterbury Association
The Canterbury Association was formed in 1848 in England by members of parliament, peers, and Anglican church leaders, to establish a colony in New Zealand. The settlement was to be called Canterbury, with its capital to be known as Christchurch. ...
was first compiled for volume one of ''A History of Canterbury''. Even before the history was published in 1957, a memorial tablet of the members was installed in the western porch in 1955.
Proposed demolition
It was announced on 28 October 2011 that the structure would be deconsecrated
Deconsecration, also called secularization, is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The practice is usually performed on churches or synagogues to ...
and at least partially demolished, although it was not clear whether any parts would be retained and included in a future building; this would depend on the state of the fabric as determined during the work. ChristChurch Cathedral was deconsecrated on 9 November 2011.
On 2 March 2012, Bishop Victoria Matthews announced that the building would be demolished. She questioned the safety of the building and stated that rebuilding could cost NZ$
The New Zealand dollar ( mi, tāra o Aotearoa; sign: $, NZ$; code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New ...
50 million more than insurance would cover and that a new cathedral would be built in its place.
The decision was supported by 70 local Christchurch churches and Christian groups.
In September 2012, Bishop Matthews suggested sharing a new church with the Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
community, as their place of worship was also damaged in the quakes. The Roman Catholic diocese was not receptive to the idea.
Opposition
There has been opposition to demolition, with heritage groups including the UNESCO World Heritage Centre
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
opposing the action. A local character, the Wizard of New Zealand
The Wizard of New Zealand (born Ian Brackenbury Channell; 4 December 1932) is a British-born New Zealand educator, comedian, illusionist, and politician. He is also known by his shorter name, The Wizard.
Life and career
England
The Wizard ...
, made protests calling for the cathedral to be saved.
Kit Miyamoto, an American-based structural engineer
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of safety, technical, economic ...
and expert in earthquake rebuilding, inspected the cathedral after the September 2010 quake. He cited his experience in stating that restoring and strengthening of the building was both "feasible and affordable".
In April 2012, a group of engineers from the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering launched a petition seeking support of 100 colleagues to stop the demolition. They claimed that legal action was also a possibility. In the same month the Restore Christchurch Cathedral Group was formed and sought signatures for a petition to save the cathedral.
Progress
In late March 2012, demolition began and the scope involved removing the windows and demolishing the tower. By 23 April 2012, the stained glass of nine windows had been removed and work had begun to pull down masonry from the tower to give safe access to further stained glass windows. On 15 November 2012 the High Court issued an interim judgement granting an application for judicial review
Judicial review is a process under which executive, legislative and administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with authority for judicial review may invalidate laws, acts and governmental actions that are incompat ...
made by the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust, challenging the lawfulness of the decision to demolish. This placed a stay on further demolition.
While accepting that the application for judicial review should be granted, the court did not set aside the decision of the church at this stage. Because the diocese had indicated it wanted to rebuild on the site, its decision to demolish was "incomplete" but not unlawful. It was said that the diocese should have an opportunity to reconsider and complete its decision having regard to the interim judgement. In granting the review, Justice Chisholm ruled the diocese must formally commit to rebuilding a cathedral in Cathedral Square, but was not required to replicate the cathedral as it stood before the quake. Justice Chisholm did not set any time frame but ruled that he wanted the review to take place "as soon as possible".
In early December 2013, the Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
rejected a bid to preserve the cathedral. While the diocese interpreted this as being free to demolish the building and continue with plans for a replacement, demolition did not recommence, as there was still another court case pending. In July 2015, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee
Gerard Anthony Brownlee (born 4 February 1956) is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1996, was Leader of the House, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery and Minister of ...
wrote to church leaders stating concerns that the lack of progress was holding up the earthquake recovery of the central city. In September, Bishop Matthews announced that the church had agreed to a proposal to an independent government-appointed negotiator between Church Property Trustees and the Great Christchurch Building Trust. No official announcement was made with regards to the appointment, and the Christchurch newspaper ''The Press
''The Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday to Saturday. One comm ...
'' reported later in October that according to their understanding, Miriam Dean QC had been appointed for this role. It was also stated that all parties had signed confidentiality agreements. Confirmation for Dean's appointment was published in mid-December. On 23 December, Bishop Matthews announced that the church had agreed to Dean's report that stated that "the building could be either reconstructed to be 'indistinguishable' from the pre-quake cathedral or replaced". This brings to an end a stalemate of over three years with all parties agreeing to the report, and the church hierarchy now open to reinstatement, which was not an option previously considered by them.
Announcements for restoration initiatives were expected in late 2016, and then early 2017, but nothing happened. In April 2017, Anglican leaders announced that they had commissioned another opinion poll; the fifth after two major surveys each in 2013 and 2014. This was justified as needing "up-to-date information", but critics saw it as yet another delaying tactic. In May 2017, Bishop Matthews announced that she had transferred the decision-making power from the Church Property Trustees (i.e. the legal owners of the land and buildings) to the 225-member diocesan synod
In the Anglican Communion, the model of government is the 'Bishop in Synod', meaning that a diocese is governed by a bishop acting with the advice and consent of representatives of the clergy and laity of the diocese. In much of the Communion the b ...
. The synod meets once a year and their next meeting was scheduled for September. The new Earthquake Recovery Minister, Nicky Wagner
Nicola Joanne Wagner (born 23 July 1953) is a New Zealand teacher, businesswoman and politician. She represented the Christchurch Central electorate for the New Zealand National Party in the New Zealand Parliament.
Early life and career
Born ...
, stated that she was "deeply disappointed", as she had hoped for a breakthrough. Mayor Lianne Dalziel
Lianne Audrey Dalziel (; born 7 June 1960) is a New Zealand politician and former Mayor of Christchurch. Prior to this position, she was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for 23 years, serving as Minister of Immigration, Commerce, Minister ...
urged the government to consider using its emergency powers to take ownership of the building as a last resort to get the renovation underway.
At a meeting of the diocesan synod on 9 September 2017, Bishop Matthews announced that the synod had voted with a 55% majority that ChristChurch Cathedral would be reinstated. She estimated that the project would be completed within 10 years.
Proposed reinstatement
On 22 August 2018, an agreement was signed that established a company, Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited, to reinstate the cathedral. Physical works include a combination of repair, restoration and seismic strengthening. The strengthening includes the removal of internal walls so that the rubble fill can be removed and replaced with structural steel or concrete. Base isolation
Seismic base isolation, also known as base isolation, or base isolation system, is one of the most popular means of protecting a structure against earthquake forces. It is a collection of structural elements which should substantially decoupl ...
will also be retrofitted. Holmes Consulting has been appointed for structural engineering design, with Warren and Mahoney
Warren and Mahoney is an international architectural and interior design practice - one of the few third generation architectural practices in the history of New Zealand architecture. It is a highly awarded architectural practice, with offices ...
providing architectural services.
In 2017, the cost of reconstruction was originally estimated at NZ$104 million, by October 2020, when the plans for the reconstruction were released, it had increased nearly 50 percent to NZ$154 million (US$101.8 million).
The new plans include a museum and visitor centre, with cafe, to the north, and an office building with parish hall to the south.
The plans necessitate for the Citizens' War Memorial to be removed. It will be moved to the site of the old police kiosk and be reinstalled for ANZAC Day 2022; for this to happen the police kiosk was demolished.
Transitional cathedral
Construction of a transitional cathedral
The Cardboard Cathedral, formally called the Transitional Cathedral, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch, replacing ChristChurch Cathedral, which was significantly damaged in ...
started on 24 July 2012. The site, on the corner of Hereford and Madras Streets, several blocks from the permanent location, was blessed in April 2012. Designed by architect Shigeru Ban
[Biography](_blank)
, The Hyatt Foundation, retrieved 26 March 2014 is a Japanese architect, known for his i ...
and seating around 700 people, it was expected to be completed by Christmas 2012, but the completion date was put back to July and then August 2013 with the dedication service held on 15 August. The materials used in its construction include cardboard tubes, timber and steel.
In November 2012 the diocese began fund raising to pay for the NZ$5 million project, following a High Court judge indicating it may not be legal to build a temporary cathedral using its insurance payout.
Deans
Beck resigned in late 2011 from his role with the Anglican Church; disagreement with Bishop Matthews was cited as his reason for leaving. He was succeeded as dean by Lynda Patterson
Lynda Jane Patterson (6 February 1974 – 20 July 2014) was a Northern Irish-born Anglican priest who was the 13th dean of Christchurch, New Zealand. She was the first woman to hold that position, serving from 2013 until her death in 2014.
Earl ...
, for the first 20 months in an acting position, and she officially succeeded as dean on 1 November 2013, becoming the first woman to serve in that role. As ChristChurch Cathedral was inaccessible, Patterson first worked at St Michael and All Angels and then at the Cardboard Cathedral
The Cardboard Cathedral, formally called the Transitional Cathedral, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch, replacing ChristChurch Cathedral, which was significantly damaged in t ...
. Patterson died of natural causes on 20 July 2014.
Notes
References
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External links
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Reinstatement project website
Cathedral Conversations
official website discussing the future of the cathedral
* News story featuring aerial photo showing fallen spire.
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2011 Christchurch earthquake
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