Going Back in Time

Today has been a very wet and cold in Christchurch.. we haven't had any snow in the city but is falling near by. This afternoon the sun did its best to show its smiling face but only briefly. I thought it was a good day to go back in time again with one of Aunty Nancy's Treasures.

This postcard dating back well over 100 years ago is of Cathedral Square. This shot taken in Cathedral Square in about the same spot is what it was like in June 2013. Not a lot has changed since then other the the building on the right of this shot is being demolished now.

All the buildings in this postcard had gone long before the earthquakes apart from the wonderful building with the blue/green dome that was so badly damaged with the earthquakes and it had to come down. There is still one building standing today, but for how long I don't know, it is the old Post Office building with the clock tower. I have heard it is badly damaged and it may have to come down as it would cost too much to restore.. it all comes down to money!

We still have tramlines but the are in a different place than in this Postcard. I can actually remember all of the buildings from my childhood.

The square was originally intended to be called Ridley Square, after the Protestant martyr Nicholas Ridley, but in Edward Jollie's 1850 plan of central Christchurch it is clearly marked Cathedral Square. Ridley's co-martyrs and colleague bishops, Cranmer and Latimer have Squares named after them, not far distant from Cathedral Square. The original choice of Ridley is another of Christchurch's many references to Oxford, since Ridley was martyred there.

Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located. The Cathedral was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake... and that is another long story!

Here are some other images of Cathedral Square over the years.