File:Letter from Colonial Secretary of New Munster, Alfred Dommett (10175974133).jpg

At 1.40 am on 16 October 1848 a large earthquake occurred in Marlborough, resulting in widespread damage in Wellington. The quake had an estimated magnitude of 7.5, lasted around two minutes and was felt throughout much of New Zealand. It initiated a long series of significant aftershocks which struck the Wellington region for several months afterwards, and resulted in estimated damages of about 14,000 pounds. Around 3,000 - 4,500 European settlers inhabited Wellington at the time, and remarkably only 3 fatalities were recorded. Several settlers decided to leave the area however, fearing that the region was unsafe and unsuitable for colonisation. While the aftershocks subsided after several months and rebuilding progressed, an 8.2 magnitude earthquake then hit the region in 1855 resulting in significant changes to the Wellington landscape.

The damage incurred in the Marlborough earthquake impacted on the outcome of the 1855 earthquake. Observations were made at the time that stone and brick buildings fared much worse than wooden ones, with the result that much of the rebuild after the 1847 quake was done in wood. Consequently, when the 1855 quake occurred, the damage to buildings and resulting harm to people was somewhat minimised. This preference towards using wood for building material lingered for several years after the two quakes, as can be seen in the construction of the 1876 Government Building (now the Victoria University Law School) opposite Parliament, for example.

This letter from 25 October 1848 by the Colonial Secretary of New Munster, Alfred Dommett, relates to the construction of a gaol in Nelson. It advises that: ‘should the earthquake have been sufficiently strong in your settlement to crack or injure brickwork, you will not on any account cause the building to be constituted in brick. In Wellington it is not intended to put up any more buildings of that material’ This record comes from the General Inwards Correspondence Group series, from the Superintendent of the Southern Division record group. The series comprises of letters from local officials and residents, and from the Superintendent's immediate superior, the Colonial Secretary of New Munster. This correspondence covers all aspects of government administration in the Nelson area.

See more on Archway: www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=4310516 Archives reference: ACHY 8952 SSD1 1/247

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