Tamati Kruger, Tuhoe negotiator and chair of the Te Urewera Board asks his own question in response to a question from Radio New Zealand about the architectural worth of John Scott’s Te Urewera National Park Visitor Centre at Aniwaniwa at Lake Waikaremoana:
A (small) spoonful of sugar
Maggie Barry, the Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage recently announced (Aug 2016) the government’s new Heritage Earthquake Upgrade Incentive Programme (EQUIP) fund, which is to fund seismic strengthening for heritage buildings to the tune of $12 million over the next four years.
More money for Wellington heritage
Wellington City Council has just released its next round of funding for heritage buildings from its Built Heritage Incentive Fund. It’s great to see the fabulous Futuna Chapel getting a substantial $34,000 for seismic strengthening and conservation work, along with large amounts for two Frederick De Jersy Clere religious buildings: St Gerard’s Monastery, and St Matthias in…
What’s In A Name?
Today, the Queen Elizabeth II Pukeahu Education Centre was officially opened. This building was once the Home of Compassion Crèche, next to the Basin Reserve. A crèche was established in 1903 by the Sisters of Compassion to care for children whose mothers, often widows or those who had been abandoned by their husbands, needed to work, and did so for…
Great news for the Arts Centre in Christchurch
It is great to hear the news that the Great Hall in the Arts Centre in Christchurch has finally reopened. The once-vibrant Arts Centre, made up of buildings that had been the buildings of Canterbury College and two of the city’s secondary schools, was devastated by the Christchurch Earthquakes.
New Zealand Wars Day
Want a depressing read? Check out the submissions made to the Maori Affairs Select Committee about the petition made by Otorohanga College students Waimarama Anderson and Leah Bell
Cultural Landscapes v Development
A recent Environment Court ruling seems to me to have the potential to have a real chilling effect on the effectiveness of the ability of Heritage New Zealand to protect heritage places of importance to Maori.
Heritage News: Risingholme Fire
Christchurch has already lost so much heritage, so the news of the fire at Risingholme is particularly sad. The house was built in 1864 by the parents of William Pember Reeves (1857-1932), and was his family home as he was growing up.
Heritage News: Maurice Clark receives an honour
Heritage ‘hero’ Maurice Clark was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday honours list, in recognition to his services to heritage preservation and the construction industry. He has been responsible for a series of heritage preservation projects, including the high-profile Public Trust Building, my personal favourite the old Defence House (now Ministry…
Heritage features in the 2016 Wellington Architecure Awards
Heritage featured strongly in the 2016 Wellington Architecture awards this year, with four great projects by four of the big architecture firms in Wellington.
Heritage news: WCC funding for conservation
Eleven heritage buildings around Wellington have jointly received $274,600 in March 2016 from a funding pool to go towards seismic strengthening work and conservation.
Te Aro Salt Water Baths
Talk by the new ‘Better Te Aro Collective’ of its idea to install a new hot saltwater outdoor pool next to Freyberg Pool made me in think of the old Te Aro salt water baths which once enclosed a section of the harbour in the same position. There are a great set of photos of the…
Bay Heritage Consultants Wellington 