Brooklands, Christchurch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brooklands
Suburb
Brooklands just after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
Brooklands Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Christchurch
Electoral ward	Coastal
Area
• Land	308 ha (761 acre)
Population  (2018 Census)
• Total	129

	Brooklands, Christchurch

Brooklands is a suburb located in the northern part of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built on land that used to be a swamp. This area is right next to Brooklands Lagoon, which is part of where the Waimakariri River meets the sea.

Sadly, Brooklands was badly damaged by big earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Because of this damage, most of the land and houses were put into a "Red Zone". This meant the government bought the properties, and almost all the houses were taken down. This changed Brooklands a lot.

Where is Brooklands Located?

Brooklands is surrounded by natural features. To the north, you'll find the Waimakariri River. The Brooklands Lagoon is to the east. This lagoon faces Pegasus Bay and is part of the river's mouth.

The Styx River also flows through Brooklands. It eventually empties into Brooklands Lagoon. To the west is Kainga, a semi-rural area. South of Brooklands, there is the large Bottle Lake Forest.

Brooklands History and Earthquakes

In the 1960s, Brooklands was known for its simple houses. Many were made of a material called fibrolite. Over the years, the houses became much stronger and more modern.

How Earthquakes Changed Brooklands

Damage in Brooklands. An underground storm drain was pushed up by soil liquefaction.

Brooklands was hit very hard by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. These earthquakes caused the ground to sink and turn into liquid, a process called liquefaction. This made the land unsafe for houses.

Because of the severe damage, the government decided to declare most of Brooklands a "red zone" in November 2011. This meant that if your house was insured, the government would buy both your house and the land. The land was considered too difficult and expensive to fix while houses were still on it.

Even some houses built in 2011 were affected. Some had only just received permission to build from the Christchurch City Council after the February 2011 earthquake.

Olly Ohlson, a famous Māori TV presenter, used to live in Brooklands. He was known for hosting the children's show After School. He moved away to the Otago Peninsula in 2013 because of the red zone decision. By 2015, most of the houses in Brooklands had been taken down. Only about 25 people who chose not to sell their land remained.

Population Changes in Brooklands

Brooklands covers an area of about 3.08 square kilometers. It is part of a larger area called Brooklands-Spencerville.

The population of Brooklands changed a lot after the earthquakes. In 2006, there were 1,080 people living there. By the 2013 census, the population had dropped to 531 people. In the 2018 census, only 129 people lived in Brooklands. This shows a big decrease in residents due to the earthquake damage and the red zone buyouts.