Welcome to Christ's College Old Boys' Association website dedicated to keeping Old Boys in touch

The Old Boy community is, understandably, interested in our unique buildings - questions relating to the Dining Hall have outnumbered enquiries about the safety of students about 10 to one! The campus will fully recover. School House and Harper/Julius sustained moderate, but quite superficial, masonry damage. Neither building is at any risk in the future, and repair schemes are being prepared. The Dining Hall lives to tell the tale thanks to its substantial strengthening, but requires remedial work to some stonework and the leaded glass windows. The Chapel required minor repairs and was fully operational in time for Palm Sunday; we are pleased that Christ Church Cathedral has made its home with us for the foreseeable future, grateful that our Chapel is one of the few stone churches in Christchurch to have emerged largely unaffected. Big School required only a little repointing. The mathematics block is certainly repairable, though dramatically parted company with a substantial amount of plasterwork. Its future is undecided.

The most profound damage was to the Cranmer Centre (the ex Girls' High School premises on Cranmer Square) and the English Block (formerly the science labs). Both buildings were undergoing extensive repairs and refurbishment and were out of use. They were being strengthened against this sort of eventuality, but nature couldn't wait it seems. Both were demolished and removed. The Chapman Block now stands unattached for the first time in 50 years, demonstrating its resilience (to the frustration of some) and is a temporary home for Harper and Julius. Thereafter, a likely refurbishment, as originally planned, should provide a needed revitalisation. Our assembly hall will be back in use shortly, albeit without its ceiling.

School House is currently unoccupied. Most minor damage has been repaired, but a more substantial job is being done on the north wall than is strictly required, whilst the house is empty. The building presides over the quad and is a treasure - it will once again house our eager School House community some time next term.

The aftershocks of 13 June led to another school evacuation, and two days closure whilst the buildings were checked over again. 100 windows were broken, but no more substantial damage. The north-south orientation of the 6.3 event set all the lights in the dining hall swinging in perfect unison, fully illuminated, for some five minutes. A remarkable sight.

The last nine months have written some of the most dramatic pages in the school's long and proud history. The community has endured the anguish of wars, and the loss of its members through conflict. It has ridden out economic recessions, and risen above innumerable setbacks over the years. These events none of us wanted, but were anticipated. We were 'lucky' of course that there were no serious injuries, but luck has only a little to do with our buildings - what we see today is down to prudent investment in strengthening, guided by architectural and engineering expertise over many years. The current generation of boys, and their parents, are certainly those who have the most reason to appreciate what has gone before. We certainly have a 'good tradition' of thoughtful governance, most definitely 'well maintained'.

And to the future. We now have the most exciting opportunities. The replacement for the English Block will be a state of the art facility, rather than a creative but nevertheless constrained conversion. The clearance of the Cranmer site will further enhance already exciting options for the College. There is no doubt that in the next few years, with the active support of the wider school community, the legacy of the last few months will be a very positive one indeed.