Everyone has a Cathedral Square story. What’s yours?

Cathedral Square Unearthed is a new exhibition created by the Christchurch Archaeology Project that brings Cathedral Square’s early history to life. This free exhibition will be held in Christ Church Cathedral from 16 to 22 February 2026, marking the 15th anniversary of the 22 February earthquake. Tickets are online now and being snapped up quickly.  Don’t miss out – secure yours today!

We’d love to see your photos and hear your stories.

You can share them by:

• Commenting on one of our posts on Facebook or Instagram

• Tagging us using #CathedralSquareUnearthed or @christchurcharchaeologyproject

• Emailing your memories directly to admin@christchurcharchaeology.org.nz - or flick us a DM

Send us your stories by 12 noon on 5 January, and one favourite entry will be selected to receive:

• Two tickets to our opening event on the afternoon of 15 February 2026

• Your story featuring on an exhibition display panel

• A beautiful handcrafted bowl made from wood recovered from Christ Church Cathedral, generously donated by the Diocese of Christ Church Cathedral

While the exhibition focuses on the 19th century, we’re gathering personal memories of Cathedral Square from any era, adding living voices and lived experiences to the exhibition conversation.

The selected contributor will be contacted directly to request permission to use their content.  The judges’ decision is final. The winner will be notified on 6 January 2026, and no correspondence will be entered into.

In addition, we’ll be creating a scrapbook of shared memories to display as part of the exhibition, with the possibility of future publication. Before any stories are included, we’ll be in touch to confirm that contributors are happy for their memories to be shared.