The 4 September 2010 Mw 7.1 Darfield earthquake had major physical, economic and social effects on organisations in Canterbury, New Zealand. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted between November 2010 and February 2011 of organisations based in the Canterbury region. Sampled organisations include those belonging to six industry sectors: fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG), trucking, information and communication technology (ICT), hospitality, building suppliers and critical infrastructure. Also included are organisations from the Christchurch and Kaiapoi central business districts (CBDs) as well as rural organisations proximal to the fault trace. Organisational recovery after the earthquake will be a major undertaking and the challenges vary for different organisations and industry sectors. This paper analyses the initial effects of the 4 September event across industry sectors and geographic areas. It also highlights possible interdependencies and system characteristics that affect recovery for these organisations and industry sectors. Other factors considered include the specific challenges organisations faced after this major hazard event.