1 Above: The grave of Thomas and Margaret Whitehouse and an infant son, one of the graves needing repair at Bolton St cemetery. Below: The grave of George William Tabor and two of his children. Heritage (largely) stands strong in Wellington Our much loved older buildings weathered November’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake remarkably well with heritage specialists incredulous that Cuba Street’s stunning Empire- style buildings escaped almost completely unscathed. “If anything was going to happen, that would have been the obvious area. It was a miracle that there was no [major] damage,” says David Watt, Area Coordinator Central Region, Heritage New Zealand. “If the epicentre had been closer to Cook Strait by 70 or 80 km, it could have been disastrous.” Sadly Shed 35 at Kings Wharf is the major casualty, and some local heritage groups are facing costly repairs, namely Bolton Street Cemetery and Katherine Mansfield House & Garden (see below). However, the lack of other major damage can be seen as a vindication of the effort and expense that have already gone into earthquake strengthening. It is also a spur to continue work on the 170 earthquake-prone buildings in the region, particularly as the risk of further seismic events remains high. Large bill for Bolton St cemetery repairs The huge tremor caused severe damage to three tombstones in the Bolton Street Cemetery, and minor damage to at least three others. Botanic Gardens staff reported the breakages and took immediate steps to secure the areas at risk and erect temporary bracing. The bill is likely to be around $12,000 (ex. gst), and repairs will be carried out in the 2016/17 financial year from the existing Gardens budget. This means that other planned conservation work has been put on hold. Thanks to the many contributors to this issue, which is generously funded by The Lion Foundation and Members’ Subscriptions. We are always interested to hear what you have been doing. Anne Taylor, Editor. E: [email protected]T: 06 304 7271 M: 027 489 0704. Today Issue # 20 • JAN / FEB 2017 published by Wellington Region Heritage Promotion Council (WRHPC) ISSN 2463-2988 The impact of the Kaikoura earthquake was felt at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden (above in centre), and Shed 3 (right). See stories pgs 2 & 3.
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Above: The grave of Thomas and Margaret Whitehouse and an infant son, one of the graves needing repair at Bolton St cemetery. Below: The grave of George William Tabor and two of his children.
Heritage (largely) stands strong in WellingtonOur much loved older buildings weathered November’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake remarkably well with heritage specialists incredulous that Cuba Street’s stunning Empire-style buildings escaped almost completely unscathed. “If anything was going to happen, that would have been the obvious area. It was a miracle that there was no [major] damage,” says David Watt, Area Coordinator Central Region, Heritage New Zealand. “If the epicentre had been closer to Cook Strait by 70 or 80 km, it could have been disastrous.”
Sadly Shed 35 at Kings Wharf is the major casualty, and some local heritage groups are facing costly repairs, namely Bolton Street Cemetery and Katherine Mansfield House & Garden (see below). However, the lack of other major damage can be seen as a vindication of the effort and expense that have already gone into earthquake strengthening. It is also a spur to continue work on the 170 earthquake-prone buildings in the region, particularly as the risk of further seismic events remains high.
Large bill for Bolton St cemetery repairs The huge tremor caused severe damage to three tombstones in the Bolton Street Cemetery, and minor damage to at least three others. Botanic Gardens staff reported the breakages and took immediate steps to secure the areas at risk and erect temporary bracing. The bill is likely to be around $12,000 (ex. gst), and repairs will be carried out in the 2016/17 financial year from the existing Gardens budget. This means that other planned conservation work has been put on hold.
Thanks to the many contributors to this issue, which is generously funded by The Lion Foundation and Members’ Subscriptions. We are always interested to hear what you have been doing. Anne Taylor, Editor. E: [email protected] T: 06 304 7271 M: 027 489 0704.
Today
Issue # 20 • JAN / FEB 2017 published by Wellington Region Heritage Promotion Council
(WRHPC) ISSN 2463-2988
The impact of the Kaikoura earthquake was felt at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden (above in centre), and Shed 3 (right). See stories pgs 2 & 3.
Above: Urban Honey rescuing bees at KMH&G, ahead of the wall’s demolition. Photos: KMH&G Facebook page.
The collapsed wall at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden.
The headstones most affected are St John, Tabor and Whitehouse. The first two are obelisks (columns) that have come loose from their bases, and the third is an upright memorial that has fallen flat and shattered. The St John family grave and the Tabor grave are in the lower cemetery, and the Whitehouse plot is in the upper cemetery. The Friends of Bolton Street Cemetery are hoping to raise funds towards the conservation and repairs programme by encouraging new members and donations. If you’re interested in supporting this important heritage programme, please contact me. Kate Fortune. E: [email protected].
Thorndon lady shaken but not stirredEven the resident bees were disrupted at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden when the Kaikoura earthquake struck (below left). More serious was the damage caused by a brick garden wall collapsing against the south wall weatherboards of the House. The brick border wall had been damaged in the 2013 Seddon earthquake and identified as a risk but was still the subject of discussions between the House and its neighbour who did not want to remove or reduce the height of the wall, as recommended by WCC.
Inside, there was no damage to exhibits due to liberal application of museum wax, according to Director Emma Anderson, but staff have been working in the north end of the House pending repairs to the south. A stall at Thorndon fair raised $700 to help restore the garden, which was planted in the 1980s when the museum was established. “The House & Garden are not covered by earthquake insurance,” says Emma. “After Christchurch, it became prohibitively expensive for heritage properties such as ours to have earthquake cover. We don’t qualify for EQC as we’re a ‘commercial’ property.” The total repair bill is $10-20,000, and almost $2,500 has also been raised so far via a Boosted campaign. www.boosted.org.nz.
Wairarapa heritage day timely Plans to start a broad party ‘ginger group’ for Wairarapa heritage emerged from November’s forum day at Longwood, Featherston. Around 70 people attended including heritage property owners and organisations, council and iwi representatives. The meeting followed the announcement of the Heritage Earthquake Upgrade Incentive Programme (Heritage EQUIP) by Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry in mid-December.
The $12 million support fund is available for earthquake strengthening of privately-owned Category 1 Heritage New Zealand listed buildings and Category 2 listed heritage buildings in areas of high to medium seismic risk. Also eligible will be unlisted buildings with heritage values if approved by an expert panel. Senior construction project manager Matthew Kidson of Nelson will chair the panel, with structural engineers Winston Clark and Lara Simmons, conservation architects Chris Cochran and Bruce Dickson, and heritage property developer Maurice Clark as members.
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Early January 2017 is likely to be the last opportunity to see the historic Shed 35 which has stood at the northern end of the waterfront since 1915. Sadly the November earthquake proved too much for the 2000 sqm structure used latterly for storage and carrying a century of history within its walls....
David Watt, Area Coordinator Central Region, Heritage New Zealand, says it would have been untenable to bring Shed 35 up to code, and investigations “to the depth required for a cathedral” would have been needed. “Our structural engineering adviser Win Clark peer reviewed the Port Company engineering report on the building and confirmed it was in a very dangerous state post the earthquake. Sadly its pending demolition was supported.”
The proximity to freight and ferry traffic also made Shed 35’s situation unique. WCC Planning Manager Warren Ulusele says it was a “tough but necessary call” to utilise the Resource Management Act emergency provisions in this case.
While not listed by Heritage New Zealand, Shed 35 has a heritage listing as part of the Wellington City Council District Plan, and will be the first such building to be lost since the early 1990’s. “It was proposed for listing as part of a listing for the Former Harbour Board Historic Area which is still out for consultation,” says David Watt.
Shed 35 was built in 1915 and has been described by architectural conservator Ian Bowman as one of the country’s few remaining original harbour buildings. Several proposals for the site have been put forward in recent years, such as a food market, which would have seen its strengthening and redevelopment. However these did not eventuate.
The building is owned by CentrePort, and General Manager Anthony Delaney had been in the role just a few weeks when the huge tremor hit Wellington. He describes the demolition process at the ‘life-line utility’ as complex. “It’s complicated by the fact that if there is a major aftershock, the building will come down. We obviously want a controlled demolition.” Work to bond asbestos sheeting on the roof that was damaged in the quake was being carried out by crane in late December. The building sustained damage to its roof, walls and structural supports, said Anthony, and would be demolished by early January.
The lack of other supporting commercial activity nearby was always an obstacle to potential redevelopment. “It’s a shame, especially when other wharf sheds such as nos. 11 and 13 have found new lives as home to Mojo Coffee and the NZ Portrait Gallery Te Pukenga Whakaata,” says Paul Thompson, Deputy Director, Museums Wellington. “But they have the advantage of being in high pedestrian zones. We are lucky to have retained so much of our industrial heritage on the waterfront but in this case it seems to have been a major earthquake that has precipitated its demise - not human indifference.”
Top: The arrival of the All Blacks, Shed 35, 1935. On the occasion of their six-month tour of the UK in 1935/36. Crown Studios Ltd: Negatives and prints. Ref: 1/1-032548-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22826241. Above: Photograph of the landing of United States of America troops near Shed 35, between Kings and Pipitea. Collection of New Zealand Maritime Museum.
A second hut has already been promised for the Park but we are appealing to readers to point us to any other available Marines buildings that could be shifted here. Please contact Anthony Dreaver, Kapiti US Marines Trust, 7 Avion Terrace, Raumati Beach. T: 04 9049970 E: [email protected].
The Kapiti US Marines Trust was formed in 2008 to bring this story to life. Since then, with the help of many partners, we have held annual Memorial Day services at Queen Elizabeth Park (‘Camp Russell’); set up a fine exhibition at Paekakariki Station Museum; installed a memorial to sailors who drowned during a landing exercise at our beach; renovated the 1992 Marines Memorial at Queen Elizabeth Park; hosted former Marines and sailors and their families; inspired an annual 13.5 km run/walk around the Marines circuit at Whareroa Farm; and installed a 60 minute walk with signage in Whareroa Farm (Camp Mackay Walk).
We are now working hard to renovate and install an original sleeping hut – one of many that had to be provided with only six week’s notice for the arrival of 25,000 young Americans. After disembarking at Wellington, some men were placed in headquarters facilities round the city, many went to specialist camps in Hutt Valley, Masterton and Porirua, but most descended on Paekakariki. When they arrived at Camp Mackay and Camp Paekakariki after marching from Paekakariki Station, they found tents and sleeping huts, showers, latrines, messrooms, cookhouses, recreation halls for fun and a brig for when the fun got too rough. Roads, power and phone lines, water supply and sewerage had all been installed.
This story will be told in our renovated hut, which has been gifted by owners Grant Cunliffe and Sarah Brown. The hut will be placed on a site at Queen Elizabeth Park designated by Greater Wellington Parks Department, ideally on Memorial Day at the end of May, the 70th anniversary of the Marines’ arrival. We have been assisted by grants from the US Embassy and from Fletcher Construction and their associates. Landscape architects Boffa Miskell have planned the site; conservation architect Chris Cochran has given professional guidance; and a wonderful team at Kapiti MenzShed is doing the hard work. For the display, both physical and electronic, we are working with Steve La Hood of Story Inc.
The story is well-known – how NZ became home to an American training base in 1942…how the population of host town Paekakariki swelled from a few hundred to 15,000 young men. And how they slipped away on the night of 31 October for the battle of Tarawa, where over 1000 would die. Now the Kapiti US Marines Trust is adding a new chapter to the story, with the rescue of a period sleeping hut soon to be installed at QEII Park. By Anthony Dreaver.
The cottage in Tiromoana Road, Raumati South. The right-hand extension is being restored to its original form.
Above: Heading for the mess building c.1942. Note the low walls (4 foot 6 inches) and the timber buttresses. Below: Members of Kapiti Menzshed expose the original malthoid roof.
What are the key heritage issues for you in your ward and Wellington generally?Most of Wellington’s major heritage issues are in Lambton ward; many are prominent features in our cityscape, and seismic strengthening is the biggest problem. Lack of progress over the Town Hall is distressing and it’s hard to find out what exactly is happening, unlike St Mary of the Angels – its $9.5million seismic strengthening project should be completed by Easter, largely funded by parishioners and well-wishers.
I am concerned about St Gerard’s church and adjacent monastery – restoration costs will be enormous and, unlike St Mary’s, it doesn’t have an active parish to drive the fundraising. And we need to find a solution for Cuba Street – I’ve been told it’s considered an outstanding example of Empire architecture, but many of the buildings are earthquake-prone and that’s prohibitively expensive for some owners.
Outside Lambton Ward, the future remains in doubt for Erskine College’s glorious French Gothic chapel. Although the heritage base of the Oriental Bay Band Rotunda is structurally okay, its 1980s addition is riddled with ‘concrete cancer’ (that is, its steel reinforcing has rusted, and rusting steel can expand up to seven times, displacing the concrete and becoming flakey). I have a particular interest in Wellington’s two early settler cemeteries where both my paternal and maternal forebears are buried: the Roman Catholic Mount Street Cemetery needs funds to restore its gravestones, establish full records, and conserve its rather hilly landscape. Bolton Street (Protestant) is in rather better shape, although it was devastated by the Welllington Motorway back in the 1960s.
What are some of the heritage issues that will be engaging you in the future? I was head prefect at Erskine College, so it’s been good to work with the developer (The Wellington Company) and architects, to help ensure the school’s history is reflected
Love of heritage started YoungIn early December, Heritage Today emailed 14 WCC councillors with three questions on heritage. Lambton Ward’s Nicola Young was the only one to reply – so with 2017 underway, here are the issues that are front of mind for her.
in the development (see update below). I’ve also ensured fellow alumnae and local residents understand the proposals, and it’s been terrific to have received their support. Resource consent was finally granted a few days ago, but now the Environment Court has ruled that the Save Erskine College Trust (SECT) has the final say.
I’ve successfully advocated for Wellington City Council to contribute towards costs at St Mary of the Angels. In November I persuaded fellow councillors to support increasing a grant towards re-installing the church’s
wonderful ‘Maxwell Fernie’ pipe organ and cork flooring, which contributes towards its famous acoustics. SMoA is really the face of Catholicism in New Zealand, but it’s also a really important venue for concerts, the NZ Festival and chamber music recitals.
I’ve asked for officers to prepare a paper for Council on the Band Rotunda by February 2017, so we can consider options. It’s a great site, but we need to find a purpose for any (expensive) restoration project.
What do you see as the role and importance of heritage in Wellington?I’m a sixth generation Wellingtonian, and was raised with a deep interest in our local history and heritage – I even spent many of my school holidays in the Alexander Turnbull Library tracing my family history! I’m a Friend of both the Bolton Street and Mount Street cemeteries in central Wellington, and a member of the NZ Founders’ Society.
Heritage lies at the root of our identity; it inspires pride in communities, enriches our lives, and it’s a major tourist attraction. Heritage must be protected for the future; once it’s gone, it can’t be replaced but we also need to be realistic about our priorities as the costs can be enormous – especially when seismic strengthening is required.
Progress at Erskine College The Erksine redevelopment plan has been granted re-source consent by WCC under a special housing area des-ignation and developer Ian Cassells “has shown goodwill to work with affected residents despite Special Housing Area designated areas not requiring any consultation,” according to Paul Eagle, Deputy Mayor and Island Bay resident.
The $30 million project includes a $7 million restoration of the chapel plus the addition of terraced houses and apartment units on the site, a new cafe and early childcare centre, public spaces and restoration of the Reverend Mother’s garden. Community concerns include the impact of parking and traffic on neighbours, but Paul says he is committed to addressing these with Ian and the WCC.
“I was raised with a deep interest in our local history and heritage – I even spent
many of my school holidays in the Alexander Turnbull Library
tracing my family history!
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Calendar DatesThe much-loved QEII Park trams are rolling again this summer.
Tours are a regular fixture at Otari-Wilton’s Bush.
Tues 17 - Sat 29 Jan: The UndertowExperience Helen Pearse-Otene’s stunning quartet of plays about the meeting of the country’s Treaty partners throughout history - The Undertow. From the arrival of the first settler ships, to the gentrified Port Nicholson and troubled Britannia, to our war history and current day urban development, The Undertow will captivate, delight and confront. Soundings Theatre, Te Papa. Bookings at Ticketek.
Saturday & Sundays until Sun 23 Jan (Wgtn. Anniversary Day), 11am-4pm: Kapiti trams After being out of service for over nine months and at a cost of over $40,000 for new electrical equipment, the Vintage Wellington Trams are once again rolling. An electrical storm in January 2016 caused irreparable damage to the main electrical switch for the tramway overhead power.
Museum Vice President of Marketing and Operations Russell Jenkins said that the loss of the trams – a key attraction at Queen Elizabeth Park for 50 years – in what was one of the region’s best summers on record was a big blow to the Museum, which relies on income from tram rides, along with sales from its small kiosk, to fund operations and ongoing maintenance. “It is thanks to RPS Switchgear Ltd, Electra, our insurer, coupled with many hours of voluntary effort by members of the Tramway Museum, that a new power supply has been commissioned,” says Russell. Russell Jenkins T: 027 4471744 / E: [email protected]://www.wellingtontrams.org.nz/.
Until Sun 5 Feb: the collecting passion, from Pablo Picasso to Sue SooThis exhibition at Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, is drawn from just a few of the many private collections across Kapiti. It gives an insight into how and why people ‘collect’ artworks and objet d’art across many media, cultures and forms. The items become embedded in their life story, marking moments, periods, relationships and events of significance. www.maharagallery.org.nz.
Tues 10 Jan, 2pm: Discover Clareville CemeteryClareville Cemetery holds within its gates some fascinating stories and local taphophile Adele Pentony-Graham prides herself on knowing most of them. “We are having our annual tour on the day that Ellen Dougherty became the world’s first Registered Nurse. Another grave we will be visiting is that of Charles Rooking Carter who gave his name to Carterton.” Lady Marion Stuart-Forbes grave is also at Clareville. Her brother in law John Hiley died with General Custer in 1876. Tour of Clareville Cemetery, Chester Road, Clareville, Wairarapa. Meet at First Gate at 2pm. T: 06 379 6402.
Sun 29 Jan, 2pm: Otari walk to botanical gravesAndy MacKay was the first curator / manager of Otari from 1926 to 1946, and lived in what is now the Leonard Cockayne Centre. A walking tour from Otari to Karori Cemetery where he is buried will be held in late January, with stops at other graves of botanical interest. The walk will follow the Kaiwharawhara Stream track up to the cemetery and return via the Lower Blue trail. Bring sturdy shoes for about two hours of on track walking. Contact Phil Parnell T: 04 479 2239.
Sat 4 Feb, 9am: Caring for Otari’s plant lifeThe regular ‘Plant Care’ mornings at Otari resume for the year on Saturday 4 February. Volunteers work in the Kaiwharawhara valley, then meet afterwards for a cup of tea at the Information Centre. Tools are provided and you should wear gardening clothing as some walking and dig-ging is required. ‘Plant Care’ happens on the first Saturday of each month and new volunteers are always welcome. Contact Wilbur Dovey T: 04 499 1044.
Sun 26 Feb, 2pm: NZ Botanical OdditiesHave you ever wondered if the cabbage tree is really a cab-bage? In this easy 1.5 hour stroll, Roy Slack will enlighten you on paradoxical plant names and how they came about. For more info contact Phil Parnell T: 04 479 2239.
