Ten Years After

Today, the tenth anniversary of The Christchurch Quake, I again led a small ceremony of remembrance on the riverbank as part of the River of Flowers commemoration. We were supplied with flowers by Moffats, and also with three floral artworks. I went over early to install these artworks which was not easy. Although they are on iron poles the ground was hard and dry and I couldn’t push them in very far. I went home to get a hammer to assist me, and as I walked back across the road I was conscious of the fact that someone was murdered with a hammer last night, just a couple of blocks away. Even with the hammer I couldn’t get the artworks far into the ground, but I hope they’ll stay upright for the rest of the day.

Flowers and artworks

This year there’s a new seat beside the Bricks cairn and new planting on the riverbank which all seems to symbolise the fact that we are moving forward. The river was tranquil with a few ducks floating by and the summer sound of cicadas. I sat there at 12.15pm wondering who and how many would come to this ten year commemoration. Over 40 people turned up, and I felt emotional as we observed our two minutes’ silence.

Over recent days media have been focussed on the earthquake and its anniversary, and I’ve seen, heard, and read more than I want to. My experience of the earthquake and its aftermath is available on my blog archive for anyone who’s interested, and over 500 of my post-earthquake posts are permanently stored in the University of Canterbury’s Quake Studies archive.

I’ve been honoured to take part in our local annual commemoration, but I’m pleased that this will be the last year I take responsibility for it. Ten years is enough for me. In future people may continue to put a flower in the river, but it will be an individual action rather than anything co-ordinated.

We’ve done it for ten years and so
the time seems right to let it go