New Zealand - Cathedral, Christchurch

The Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand

on the left is horse and carriages and there are a lot of bicycles throughout the postcard
Kiwi Series -  where the stamp goes it reads, 'Penny Stamp for All Places'

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The Anglican cathedral of ChristChurch in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was built in the second half of the 19th century. It is located in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square.

The Canterbury Region has experienced many earthquakes over the years, and like many buildings in Christchurch, the cathedral has suffered varying degrees of earthquake damage.

1881
A stone was dislodged from the finial cap, immediately below the terminal cross, by an earthquake in late 1881, within a month of the cathedral's consecration.

1888
Approximately 8 metres of stonework fell as a result of the 1 September 1888 North Canterbury earthquake. The stone spire was replaced.

1901
The top of the spire fell again as a result of the 16 November 1901 Cheviot earthquake. This time, the stone construction was replaced with a more resilient structure of Australian hardwood sheathed with weathered copper sheeting, with an internal mass damper.

2010
The 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake caused some superficial damage, and the cathedral was closed for engineering inspections until 22 September 2010, when it was deemed safe to re-open. Some further damage was sustained in the "Boxing Day Aftershock" on the 26th of December.

2011
The 6.3-magnitude 2011 Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011 left the cathedral damaged and several surrounding buildings in ruins. The spire that had withstood damage in the September 2010 quake was completely destroyed, leaving only the lower half of the tower standing. While the walls and roof of the cathedral itself 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.