Nine To Noon The 1855 Wellington earthquake
Mar 24, 2026
Jock Phillips, historian and commentator on New Zealand history, explains the 1855 Wellington earthquake and its transformative effects. He describes the massive 8.2 quake, dramatic land uplift and shoreline changes. He also covers how the harbour and Basin were reshaped, the town's immediate reactions, and why rebuilding favored timber over brick.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Wairarapa Fault Caused Massive Land Shift
- The 1855 quake was a massive geological event not on the Wellington Fault but the Wairarapa Fault which moved ~18 metres horizontally and up to 6 metres vertically in places.
- Most of Wellington rose about 2–3 metres, leaving visible scarps in the Wairarapa and still-evident shorelines in Lambton Quay and near Featherstone.
Harbour Rebuilt Into Roads And Cricket Ground
- The earthquake permanently reshaped Wellington Harbour and surrounding lowlands, turning former waterways and basins into land suitable for roads and cricket grounds.
- Examples include the Basin Reserve formerly being water, the raised eastern harbour edge enabling a highway, and a tsunami that carried fish into Miramar and Evans Bay.
Quake Hit Returning Anniversary Day Revelers
- Many people were returning from two days of Anniversary Day celebrations and races when the quake struck at 9:17am, leaving streets full of tipsy, already-out residents.
- Being outdoors and it not raining likely reduced casualties compared with the 1848 quake that occurred during a storm.