Memorialising Disasters: Lessons from 50th Anniversary of the Inangahua Earthquake

As we approach the 50th Anniversary of the Inangahua Earthquake, many people will be reflecting on the significance of these seismic events. Memorialising disasters such as the Inangahua Earthquake enables people and societies to remember and come to terms with what has occurred. The process of memorialisation can take tangible forms that include museum displays, memorial publications and monuments (both secular and religious), or intangible acts of remembrance, such as private or public services or commemorations.

Research within the QuakeCoRE Project 5 is exploring how these disasters were made meaningful through memorialising practices, and how the physical memorialisations of these events came into being. The Flagship 5 Team are exploring the social and cultural practices, which include public debate and competition over what is memorialised and how these changes over time are enabled.  This research aims to address the enduring role these events have on local communities and wider society and the way they shape the ongoing telling of our disaster histories in the present day.

The Flagship 5 Team are convening a field trip and workshop with confirmed participants include Denise Blake, Massey University, Helen McCracken, ManatÅ« Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Caroline Orchiston, University of Otago, Emily Campbell, Massey University, David Johnston, GNS Science/Massey University, Hamish Campbell, GNS Science and Simon Nathan, GNS Science.

The output of the workshop and field visit will be a co-produced peer-reviewed journal article.

If you are a earthquake resilience researcher and would like to contribute to the workshop or associated output please get in touch with Emily,  Contact: E.campbell@massey.ac.nz