Devastated by loss of iconic pub in earthquake

The Carlton Bar and Restaurant is demolished. Photo / Dean Purcell

James Murdoch stood with his arms folded and watched grimly yesterday as years of hard work was torn down in front of him.

Mr Murdoch has owned the Carlton Bar and Restaurant for the last five years. It has been a family project with his father Ross but that ended sharply when last week's 6.3 earthquake hit.

The building, which is on the corner of Papanui Rd and Bealey Ave, has been badly damaged although Mr Murdoch had been told the building might survive.

It was difficult to see how that could be possible yesterday as a digger began tearing down part of the roof that threatened to fall onto the road.

He said it was one of the oldest pubs in Christchurch dating back to 1906, although a hotel has existed on the site since 1865.

The ferocity of the earthquake caused the building facade and bricks from the roof to crash down in front of the buildings - smashing onto an area that could have been full of lunchtime crowds if it had been warmer.

When the earthquake struck two tables of diners had just arrived and sat inside. "It was a bit of a cooler day so they were inside, not like the previous day. If it had of happened then it would have been a different situation."

Mr Murdoch was inside with his chef who had a narrow escape after a sign "crashed through the kitchen" in front of him.

He'd been told by a New South Wales fire crew of the partial-demolition for safety purposes so knew what to expect but was still sad to see it happen.

It was difficult to see something he'd worked on so hard vanish so quickly, he said. The well-known building made it through September's earthquake with minimum damage.

"The Bealey Ave side had to be propped up but this time it was the Papanui Rd side that gave way."

A section of the wall has completely caved in revealing a giant hole in the side of the wall.

He told the Herald he would try and get some of his 15 staff work at another bar he owned in Christchurch but up to 10 faced losing their jobs.

But he was impressed with initial details of the Government rescue package announced in response to the disaster.

His father Ross was "devastated" by the loss of the building. "It's iconic in Christchurch. People know it as the Carlton Corner."

People had continued drinking in the suburbs but the problem there was a lack of stock, he said.

A big crowd of onlookers gathered with their cameras to watch as the digger moved in yesterday but some were forced back after firefighters warned of asbestos in the ceiling.