The word 'survivor', by its mere mention, suggests involvement in some traumatic event - which involved deaths. The 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, which many of you here today lived through, had at least 258 deaths, and remains New Zealand's greatest loss of life in a natural disaster. Many of you were young children during 1931; some of you may have just started work. I was once asked what I was doing during the 1931 earthquake, and I hope the lady in question had very bad eyesight, as I don't want to look at least 82 in my forties.

I am going to discuss four survivors of the 1931 quake that I have had the pleasure to interview. The first person is the late Ron Shakespeare, a chartered accountant, and former Hastings city councillor and deputy mayor. I interviewed Ron in 2005 at his home in Taradale. Ron was at school when the quake struck. As a fifth former, he was taking part in the initiation of third formers, who had to run through the older boys, who pelted them with flour, hit them with sticks, and dunked them in the horse trough when they reached the end of the paddock. The masters of the school, and female students watched (and apparently enjoyed) this annual event – and this certainly would not be allowed to happen today. The students were dismissed immediately after the quake struck, and many, such as Ron, made their way into town to check on their parents.

Ron told me that his mother was trapped under a veranda in Heretaunga Street, and cycle store owner, Paul Hannah rescued them. Ron went to check on his family members, and his sister was trapped on the roof of Westerman's and watched her being rescued by a fireman as she slid down the drainpipe, followed by my great Aunty Joan, the horror of their situation temporarily forgotten while jumping into the arms of a handsome fireman.

Ron's father – called William Shakespeare, was working at Williams & Kettles, now a car park in Hastings. He was standing next to 73 year old manager John Colebourne, who was not quick enough to avoid falling debris, and was killed. Ron also remembers being at various times being literally thrown of his bike with the aftershocks, and seeing the glow of Hastings alight at night while on fire.

He also told me the story of the schoolboy, Rex Fredsberg, who went to buy a school cap at Roachs, and was one of the 17 that died in the building.

In 2004, I interviewed the late Ina Ennor, a dear, little old lady from Napier, who waited for me outside the entrance at Atawhai Rest Home. Although in her 90s, she was very sprightly. Ina worked at Bennetts Optometrists in 1931, and the building still survives today in Hastings Street. When I visited her, it was in connection to her working with one of the earliest accountants in Napier, Mr J Gleadow - but conversation soon turned to her earthquake experience. Like many I have interviewed, Ina did not seem traumatised by the event, and calmly told of hiding under a table, and seeing glass eyes falling from their containers, and having the sensation of the eyes bouncing all over the floor, and being slightly unnerved with those eyes looking at her. She remembers looking out the second floor window, and seeing the Marine Parade, which was now possible as the buildings across the road were badly damaged. Ina told me of the relief of being reunited with her parents, after taking refuge on Napier Hill from a possible tsunami.

Ina also talked about the aftermath of the quake, her father was a grocer, and struggled to stay in business, and finally went broke – the great depression also took victims economically.

Many will know of May Blair, a well-known Napier identity, who I met in December 2009. May, as you will likely be aware, passed away in March 2011. She was a pupil at the Napier Technical College, which like many buildings in the 1931 quake, collapsed due to its poor construction, and a number of pupils and teachers were killed. May, however, had not contacted me to talk about herself, but rather her brother Bill Forrest. Bill was a sailor aboard the HMS Dunedin, which arrived at Napier in the early hours on February 4, 1931. Bill's family lived at in Battery Road, close to where the ship had berthed. Anxious for news of his family, Bill was not allowed to walk the close distance to check on them, but was instead sent to Hastings to help with the clean-up. By the 6th of February with the navy still unwillingly to let Bill find out about his family, he went AWOL to Napier. After finding his family was ok, he escaped to New Plymouth - knowing the navy would be searching for him. The navy did catch up with him, and he spent 60 days in Mount Eden prison, an event which clearly affected and hurt Bill's family. It would be hoped today the navy would handle this quite differently. Bill later became a fisherman in Napier, owning his own boat.

The last person I wish to discuss is Frances Eves. I interviewed Frances in 2006, in Havelock North. Frances worked at Roachs' department store, Hastings, and had just finished serving a lady who purchased a pair of gloves, and was writing out a sales docket. Before she could utter the words earthquake, she was thrown to the floor, and looking up, saw the top floor coming down towards her, and then was knocked unconscious. Coming round, she struggled for breath with the volume of dust. She crawled along a passageway, and then able to stand up on bricks and concrete, she saw a light in the distance, and made her way towards it, passing the lifeless body of a young girl she worked with, buried up to her head. Reaching the light, she was helped up by one of the owner's sons, Gordon Roach, and Frances stepped onto the roof of the building, and then onto King Street.

Frances went to Eastbourne Street and once again fell into unconsciousness, and was later found by relatives who took her back to Otane.

Frances was a wonderful lady, who was full of her Christian faith, and had no doubt God had saved her that day. I will never forget her facial expression when describing coming across the body of her friend in the ruins, it was time to move the conversation on, although the researcher in me wanted to know who the young girl was – Frances would protect the girls dignity.

Many of these girls, such as Frances were later sent to Wellington, and given work in Department stores such as Kirkcaldy and Stains – which terrified them - being once again working in a brick multi-storeyed building.

This is but a small sample of those who I have interviewed, a group of very special people.

I have been told a few interesting stories over the years by survivors, and I will recall a couple here. One is of the homeless man fond of drink who was sleeping on Marine Parade bench before the earthquake. He had apparently been blamed for property damage in the past, which he always denied. Waking up after the first tremor, he looked at the colpase of many buildings, and apparently was heard to scream "they can't blame this on me!"

The other story, which falls more into the apocryphal category, concerns various beautiful young ladies falling out of buildings in bath tubs, and men rushing over to them to put their coats around them. This is more likely to be wishful thinking!

Last year, I held a fundraiser talk for the Red Cross Appeal for the Christchurch, 22 February earthquake. Craig Foss, MP for Tuki Tuki, as he still is, came along. He told me he was in Christchurch at the NZ US partnership forum when the quake struck. Craig, like many others, had a harrowing experience, and was still a bit traumatized. I told him an obvious statement, that he was now an earthquake survivor from our second deadliest earthquake in lives lost. Craig was now part of the new generation of earthquake survivors from the 22 February, catastrophic event. I am sure that you will join with me in remembering those who have lost loved ones, and those still deeply affected both emotionally, financially and physically in Christchurch.

Whether your ancestors arrived by waka or by sailing ship, they came to one of the most beautiful countries in the world. But they also exposed themselves and you, their descendants, to an unstable country of earthquakes and volcanoes. Nature cannot take full responsibility for the tragic deaths of natural disasters - man has contributed by unsafe buildings, so it is important that we as a country do learn from each disaster, so to avoid the same mistakes, so that the word 'survivor' can be mentioned without deaths.

You will know, or were told by your parents, how difficult life was after the earthquake, especially with the Great Depression in full swing. But your families played a role, whether big or small, in rebuilding our communities - which will still appreciate today, and that we thank you for.

While Christchurch has seen dark days, and continues to struggle, I hope in 81 years' time, in 2093, that city can look back and honour its survivors appreciatively, as we are doing here today.

Thank you for listening.

© Michael Fowler 2012