Editing Hastings, New Zealand (section)

===1931 Earthquake===
{{Main article|1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake}}

On 3 February 1931, at 10:47&nbsp;am, most of Hastings (and nearby Napier) was levelled by an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the [[Richter Scale]]. In Hastings, the ground subsided roughly 1 metre. The collapse of buildings and the ensuing fires killed 258 people, of which 93 were in Hastings. The centre of Hastings was destroyed in the earthquake, and was subsequently rebuilt in the [[Art Deco]] and [[Mission Revival Style architecture|Spanish Mission]] styles, which were both popular at that time. Due to quick thinking by residents and the Local Fire Department, Hastings did not suffer the extent of fire damage that Napier did. Most deaths were attributed to collapsing buildings, namely Roaches' Department Store in [[Heretaunga Street]] where 17 people died.<ref name="govt">{{cite web|url=http://www.napier.govt.nz/index.php?cid=napier/history/hi_gen&mid=308|title=Napier City Council, Napier, Hawke's Bay - Napier City Council|website=www.napier.govt.nz|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402102237/https://www.napier.govt.nz/index.php?cid=napier%2Fhistory%2Fhi_gen&mid=308|archive-date=2 April 2018}}</ref>

The [[Hastings Clock Tower]] was commissioned in 1934 by the Hastings Borough Council as a symbol of triumph over the adversity to celebrate the rebuild of Hastings. The design was by competition, which was won by local architect Sydney Chaplin. In 1995 the Hastings District Council added two memorial plaques to the base of tower in memory of those who died in the earthquake.