Napier Earthquake February 1931

What is an earthquake? Shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane or from volcanic activity.

The main street of Napier

On February 3, 1931 the peaceful tranquillity of New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region was shattered when the area was struck by the worst earthquake in New Zealand’s history.

At 10:46 am on that summer’s day, the quake hit with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale.

The Napier Port

The epicentre of the quake was situated some 15 to 20 kilometers north of the two main centres in the region, Napier and Hastings.

Part of the CBD

The quake lasted for two and a half minutes. The death toll was 258, 162 being in Napier, 93 in Hastings and 3 in the small township of Wairoa

Economic Damage The Post Office after some of the rubble has been cleared away

The same Post Office before the earthquake

Fires also destroyed

A fire swept through both towns immediately after the quake. The fire apparently started in a chemist’s shop in Napier, which was in close proximity to flammable liquids. The flames spread quickly and had, within hours, bridged the distance between Napier and Hastings. The Fire Department in Napier was at a loss to control the blaze as a result of losing their water supply. The Fire Department in Napier was at a loss to control the blaze as a result of losing their water supply.

Ahuriri Lagoon

Port Ahuriri after the quake

Destruction of Napier The force of the earthquake destroyed many of the city’s famous landmarks. (This is seen in many of the photos of the area)

Effects on the Land The long term effects on the Napier landscape were quite substantial. The whole area tilted upwards by about seven feet hectares were raised to sea level. There were about 150 aftershocks in the 24 hours after the main shock. Over the next two weeks, there would be 525 such aftershocks.

Effects on the land Chunks of the coastline were dislodged and thrown into the sea. Napier’s Bluff Hill, a popular tourist spot, was completely destroyed and thrown into the waters below. The upward thrust of the quake also managed to empty the waters of the Ahuriri Lagoon, a wide stretch of water a few kilometres from Napier. The result of this was that 9,000 acres of dry land were made available in a matter of minutes.

Art Deco clock

Effects on the People Most of the major buildings in the city were completely destroyed. Roads and communications across the whole area were cut. People were afraid to enter their homes for days and found accommodations at the local Motor Camp or on the beach.

The central part of Napier after the earthquake

One of the city hotels in ruins

Informing the nation Communications with Napier were cut off by the earthquake it just so happened, however, that the Royal Navy Ship, HMS Veronica, was docked at the Port of Napier. So, it was by way of the Ship’s radio that the rest of New Zealand was notified of the calamity.

Napier - Art Deco capital Art Deco look that prevailed. The city’s brand new look was accentuated with by rows of palm trees and the unique Norfolk Island pine.

Test your knowledge What was the month and year of the Napier earthquake? February 1931

What was the ship in port at the time of the earthquake? HMS Veronica

How many people were injured? 258

What was the land that was thrown up by the earthquake? Ahuriri lagoon

What was the problem that the fire fighters faced in Napier? Water pipes had been damaged and they could not put out the fires