Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch

This spot in Christchurch, where the cathedral now stands, was originally planned for a college and a cathedral back in 1850. The Canterbury Association wanted a city built around them, much like Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford.

When the first Bishop of Christchurch, Henry Harper, arrived in 1856, he really pushed the cathedral project forward. He even lobbied to change the orientation so it would face east, which is traditional for Christian churches. That way, the main entrance would be on Colombo Street.

George Gilbert Scott, a British architect known for his Gothic Revival style, designed the cathedral. He never actually came to Christchurch, though. His initial design was meant to be earthquake-resistant, primarily using oak timber. But Bishop Harper and the Cathedral Commission wanted a stone building. Scott sent revised plans in 1862 for an internal timber frame with a stone exterior, and then later, alternative plans for an all-stone arcade and clerestory, which arrived in 1864.

The cornerstone was laid on December 16, 1864, and the foundations were mostly done by April 1865. But then work stopped because they ran out of money. The square was abandoned for eight years, becoming overgrown with grass. Anthony Trollope, the novelist, even visited in 1872 and called the foundations a "huge record of failure."

Construction started up again in 1873 when Benjamin Mountfort took over as the resident architect. It took 40 years to build the cathedral in total, with construction pausing at times due to funding issues.

Earthquakes have damaged the building repeatedly since it was finished. The spire was hit in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922, and 2010. The February 2011 earthquake destroyed the spire and the upper part of the tower, and severely damaged the rest. A lower part of the tower was demolished right after that earthquake for search and rescue, and the rest of the tower came down in March 2012. The west wall, with its rose window, was also badly damaged in June and December 2011.

The Anglican Church wanted to demolish the building completely, but various groups opposed it, even going to court. While the judgments mostly favored the church, no more demolition happened after the tower was removed in early 2012. The government eventually got involved, and in September 2017, the Christchurch Diocesan Synod announced that the cathedral would be reinstated, with grants and loans from local and central government. By mid-2019, early design and stabilization work had begun. Since August 15, 2013, the cathedral community has been worshipping at the Cardboard Cathedral.