A nation came together in Christchurch on January 22 to mark the anniversary of the 2011 Canterbury earthquake and dedicate the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial to the memory of the 185 victims who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake six years ago.
"This memorial will be a place for people to reflect on the devastating earthquakes that changed Canterbury and its communities forever, honouring those who lost their lives on 22 February, 2011, and acknowledging those who were seriously injured and everyone who helped in the rescue and recovery operation," Christchurch City Council said.
The Memorial is a joint initiative of Otakaro Limited, Christchurch City Council, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.
The Civic Commemoration service included the reading of the names of the 185 people who died in the earthquake, which were read in an order reflecting their arrangement on the Memorial Wall, guided by the wishes of their bereaved families. Later, a minute’s silence was held 12:51 p.m., the time the earthquake had hit.
The Memorial Wall on the south bank of the site was unveiled by first responders after Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy dedicated the space to honour and respect the memories of the victims. Before her, Prime Minister Bill English and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel also made speeches.
“The impacts of the quakes went right through the country and around the world for those who lost loved ones in our city on this day six years ago. It is a time to reflect on our shared sense of loss and also to give thanks for the incredible work that emergency services did in our city after the quakes," Christchurch's Mayor Lianne Dalziel noted, adding that the memorial is the culmination of the undertaking given by city’s former Mayor Sir Bob Parker of providing a space where the names of the 185 victims would be engraved forever.
“Since 2013, dozens of pieces of correspondence have been translated into five languages and sent to a group of more than 300 affected people in 15 different countries. Incorporating the wishes of these people has been a very important part of creating this Memorial,” Otakaro Limited Chief Executive Albert Brantley noted, expressing that he was grateful to the people who have provided important input to the memorial.
Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Chief Executive Arihia Bennett added that the unveiling of Oi Manawa Canterbury National Earthquake Memorial is a positive step forward following an extended period of upheaval.
The PM, in his short address, remembered the war hero and fire-fighter Steve Askin who lost his life fighting the Port Hills Fire last week. “This memorial is a place of love and respect. It’s a national place of remembrance. It’s also an international memorial and our way of expressing gratitude to the world community, which stood by us and helped our community in our hour of need,” he concluded.