On 18 November 1947 Ballantynes, a Christchurch department store that was a local institution, was razed by the deadliest fires in New Zealand history. The bodies of the 41 victims were buried at Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Bromley, after a civic funeral five days later.
Fire
Events In History
11 December 1907
A great library bonfire was narrowly avoided in 1907, when fire swept through Parliament Buildings in Wellington.
Articles
Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings have been modified, destroyed by fire, half-built and restored; the parliamentary places and spaces have formed an important part of New Zealand's history. Read the full article
Page 8 - Disasters
Fires and earthquakes have been major threats to New Zealand's Parliament
Main image: Bush fires
From 1840 until the first decades of the 20th century, mass burn-offs were a feature of farm land development. By 1920 the farm land area of New Zealand had reached its peak although fields of blackened stumps remained a feature for many decades.
