Genealogist uncovers victims of the Hawke's Bay earthquake
2 Feb, 2021 07:54 PM
4 minutes to read
It's been 90 years since a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Hawke's Bay, killing 247 people and badly damaging or destroying buildings along the east coast. Photo / Earle Denford, File
Hawkes Bay Today
By: Gianina Schwanecke
For Christine Clement, the 247 people who died in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake are more than just names on a plaque. The Te Puke-based genealogist spent more than a year researching and collating an official list of those who died in the quake.
"I have always been interested in New Zealand disasters and tragedies and was always aware that there were discrepancies with the total from the Hawke's Bay earthquake," she explained.
Historic HB: Grim task of building coffins after 1931 earthquake
28 Jan, 2021 09:06 PM
5 minutes to read
A lorry load of coffins is stationed on Marine Parade, across the road from the temporary morgue in the Napier courthouse.
A lorry load of coffins is stationed on Marine Parade, across the road from the temporary morgue in the Napier courthouse.
Hawkes Bay Today
By: Michael Fowler
This year marks the 90th anniversary of New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster – the 7.8 magnitude 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. While the 2011 Canterbury earthquake (and I find it hard to believe it was now 10 years ago) recorded accurately the 185 victims and the locations of fatalities, this did not occur 80 years previously in Hawke's Bay.
Historic HB: Damages sought after fatal plane crash
21 Jan, 2021 09:59 PM
5 minutes to read
Hawkes Bay Today
By: Michael Fowler
Before the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake cleared the Ahuriri inner lagoon of water, Napier struggled to find a piece of land in which to operate an airfield. Hastings, on the other hand, had large expanses of open, flat country. So when Dominion Airlines Limited was formed in 1929 it chose Hastings as its aerodrome for its flights between Gisborne and Wellington. It began its service in 1930.
When the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake had struck on February 3, Dominion Airlines' Desoutter II had been undergoing an overhaul at Hastings. The company, however, took the opportunity to increase business due to the earthquake, and its directors told George Bolt to resume flying between Hastings and Gisborne, with a fare hike to £4 ($419).