The cathedral, also known as the Christchurch Catholic Basilica, was severely damaged in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch announced it would demolish the cathedral on Barbadoes St last year and work to deconstruct it began in October. Photo: Heritage New ZealandAccording to Christchurch City Libraries, the cathedral was designed by Francis William Petre and was based on old Roman basilicas. The building required more than 3300 cubic metres of Oamaru stone, 560 cubic metres of Mount Somers stone, 113 cubic metres of concrete and 88 tonnes of steel. Plans for a new Catholic cathedral were announced last year.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 03, 2020 03:45 UTC