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Damage to Hodgson’s store, Murchison |
Early days
Māori have many accounts of violent earthquakes in the early days of settlement, including one at Rotorua where it was said that a pā (fortified village) was swallowed up and the land became a lake.
European settlement
After 1840 European settlers began arriving. Over the next 80 years there were several major earthquakes, including:
- Wairarapa, 1855 (magnitude 8.2). New Zealand’s most powerful recorded earthquake lasted nearly a minute. Wellington was worst affected, but many new wooden buildings survived. Up to nine people died.
- Murchison, 1929 (7.8). Felt throughout the country, this caused damage in Nelson, Westport and Greymouth. Murchison was devastated by landslides, which killed 14 people.
Hawke’s Bay, 1931
This magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck at 10.48 a.m. on 3 February 1931. It was New Zealand’s deadliest, crippling Napier and Hastings. Napier’s ornate stone buildings collapsed and people rushed outside, but were hit by falling concrete and roofs. Others were trapped in rubble. Water pipes burst and fires soon raged, gutting the central district. At least 256 people died.
Aftershocks continued for months and many people moved to refugee camps. But within two years the city was rebuilt with safer buildings – many in the 1930s art deco style.
1942 onwards
Four major quakes have affected New Zealanders since 1931:
- Wairarapa, 1942 (7.2 and 6.8). These two earthquakes caused damage in Masterton, Wellington, and other centres. In Wellington, a total of 10,000 chimneys were damaged.
- Inangahua, 1968 (7.1). This rocked the northern South Island, throwing people out of bed. Roads were blocked and 50 bridges collapsed.
- Edgecumbe, 1987 (6.3). Although smaller, this quake caused major industrial damage. Dozens were injured and a huge crack appeared in the Rangitāiki Plains.