18 minute read
North Shore History: David Verran
The Takapuna central carpark
1964 - 2000 By David Verran
When North Shore Motors sold part of its land to Takapuna City Council in early 1964 for the central carpark, it also sold land to Woolworths for a new department store. Part of that site is now occupied by the restaurant Madam Woo.
Takapuna City Council took out the Takapuna Central Off-Street Parking Loan to purchase the carpark site in 1964 which was for 25 years and fully paid off in 1989. Nevertheless, the use of local parking meter revenue to help fund that loan repayment lasted only until mid-1969, after which time that revenue went instead to Council’s general accounts. From 1st April 1973 all the loan repayments came solely out of the special rate on the Takapuna business area, which was also geographically expanded T 2856 courtesy of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection. This photograph was taken on 7 July 1994 and shows the corner of Northcroft and Huron, with part of the old gasometer site on the right and the Warehouse because of the growth of retail shops outside retail store on the left. of the ‘golden triangle’ formed by Anzac Street and Hurstmere and Lake Roads. In April 1992, the Takapuna Central Carpark Flea Market took over
Council records also describe a Takapuna car fair before 1990, with the remainder of the carpark and expanded into the parking spaces at a Saturday fair held from 4th September to 9th October 1971 and at the side road near what is now Citta at 10 Como Street, the 58-space least another in April 1973. Huron Street gasworks parking area and even the pavement in Como
By the 1990s, the central carpark had 260 spaces, along with Street. However, North Shore City Council then banned street trading 28 long-term rental parking spaces at the rear of what is now the and limited the market to the central and Huron carparks. Monterey Cinema. In 1994 there were even more ambitious, if ultimately unfulfilled,
Nevertheless, there were ongoing discussions on future plans for a $25-million shopping centre on the central carpark site, development of the site. For example, in 1971 there was talk of a carpark along with a 250-space carpark on the old gasometer site on the building on the central Takapuna site. However, when Shore City corners of Auburn, Northcroft and Huron streets. This provides shopping centre opened on 23rd October 1974, it had its own carpark an interesting point of comparison with the current plans for the building. The two lower levels of that carpark were used for the Shore Waiwharariki/Anzac site. The new Toka Puia carpark on Northcroft City Flea Market until 1991, when Shore City decided to maximise its and Huron streets has 420 spaces over ten levels. parking spaces for the newly introduced Sunday shopping. By the 1990s, the market was open until noon on Sundays and
Takapuna Sunday Markets Ltd was registered on 21st September had gained much popular support. In 1997, that was demonstrated 1972 and managed the Shore City Flea Market. From mid-1989 that by strong opposition to requests that the market move elsewhere company also managed the Takapuna Central Carpark Flea Market, in Takapuna or at least close by 10am. Suggestions that the nowon the southern part of the central carpark which was separated off iconic market instead move to a temporarily closed Hurstmere Road from the parking area to the north by ropes. This was every Sunday, between Lake Road and Anzac Street were not regarded as an option weather permitting, and initially from 7am to 10am, but not operating at that time. The market is now to be accommodated on the new at Christmas time as the local businesses prioritised Christmas Waiwharariki/Anzac Square. shopping. Bill Jenner and Fred Keith were the long-time managers of both markets, and the market is still with that family. david.verran@xtra.co.nz
Winter Lights Takapuna
4 Spectacular Nights July 28th to 31st
ISSUE 132 – July 2022
NORTH SHORE’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR NEWS, VIEWS, EVENTS AND PEOPLE Proudly published by 21,500 Copies monthly
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Badjelly – School Holiday Fun at The PumpHouse Jock McKenzie A rare all-rounder JULY 2022ISSUE 132 Kindercare Celebrating 50 Years
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CONNECTING AND CURATINGBack home in Takapuna Helen Klisser During
Winter Fashion
Devonport’s Puanga Matariki Celebrations
NORTH SHORE’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR NEWS, VIEWS, EVENTS AND PEOPLE Proudly published by 21 ,500 Copies monthly Distributed to homes with welcoming letterboxes in Devonport, Cheltenham, Stanley Bay, Stanley Point, Vauxhall, Narrowneck, Bayswater, Belmont, Hauraki, Takapuna, Milford, Westlake, Forrest Hill, Crown Hill, Castor Bay, Sunnynook, Campbells Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay, Rothesay Bay, Northcote, Birkenhead, Chatswood, Northcote Point, Birkenhead Point, Hillcrest and to businesses, shopping centres and foyer/reception areas in these areas and Shore-wide. We also have many magazine stands throughout the North Shore. JUNE 2022ISSUE 131 Alaska - When to go?
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OOSE LAKE QUARTER? DEVELOPED BY SW STONEWOOD d have been building ocals with unmatched Lake Quarter is no HIGH QUALITY to a wide range of BUILD pment makes an ideal home buyers, busy ke. LOCATED IN THE HEART OF BELMONT & premium bespoke tainless steel Bosch bench-tops, fully tiled or elevated city views. tee is included. These e in a location you will al and within walking rants, medical centre, ds Beach. Takapuna & Devonport are also 5 minutes away where you will find an abundance of retail, dining and entertainment options on offer. In zone for decile 10 schools - all within walking distance including Belmont Primary, Intermediate and Takapuna Grammar. With just a 10% deposit, you can secure this fantastic new lifestyle. Plans are available for inspection on request. WHY CHOOSE For over 30 years Stonewood have been building beautiful, quality homes for locals with unmatched quality home designs and Lake Quarter is no exception. Designed to cater to a wide range of lifestyles, this multiplex development makes an idea choice for families, first home buyers, busy professionals or downsizers alike.
A LIFE OF EFF Takapuna & Devonport are also 5 ORTLESS REFINEMENT minutes away where you will find an abundance Strategically located in the heart of Belmont - an upcoming su of retail, dining and burb nestled between historic Devonport Village and the retail and commercial hub of Takapuna, award winning Stonewood Homes entertainment options present Lake Quarter. This boutique development made up of 16 architecturally designed homes is due for completion in mid 2023 - on offer. In zone for guaranteed! decile 10 schools - all Why choose Lake Quarter? within walking distance including Belmont Primary, Intermediate and
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Simon Gundry is a Devonport and North Shore identity, and character, who is known for calling a spade a spade. He is a director of contracting company Gill & Gundry, is an enthusiastic sailor (past crew-member of Ceramco New Zealand, Lion New Zealand and Shockwave) and is a life member of the North Shore Rugby Football Club. He has been writing this thought-provoking column for Channel ever since the very first issue (well over a decade ago!).
Remembering Dad, 25 years on...
Simon Gundry.
It’s nearly 25 years since our father died. Nearly 25 years since he struggled for his last breaths.
But it’s gonna be another year or two before we have a physical reminder of him, before we get his ashes to do with what we will.
Maybe we’ll scatter them from the top of Devonport’s Mount Victoria, where we spent many happy years just through the back gate of our home. Or maybe from the top of North Head, where each Anniversary Day he made the pilgrimage to watch spinnaker spectacles from the best vantage point.
Those were the days before his knees gave out, his prostate embarrassed him and the regularity of insulin jabs dictated what was left of his life. The days when he could see what he was looking at.
We had a damn good knees-up for him at the family home, standing room only – no room for anyone to lie in state. Just as well, cause we didn’t have his body.
Dad donated his body to “medical science”. It was a bit of a shock. Mum told us what he wanted as we stood vigil, spilling out of the crowded hospital room. Our whole family reunited from across the globe within a hurried 48 hours.
It was news to me. A joke surely? What possible use could an 82-year-old body be? Particularly when the eyes, ears and heart had given out, the kidneys had seen much better days and the leg ulcer that prompted his admission to hospital remained unhealed.
Turned out Dad thought his body would be of more use to science than it would ever be rotting in the ground. And besides, he couldn’t bear the thought of having a funeral with a clergyman, coffin and all that carry-on.
I had to be convinced. But how can you deny a last request? Hanging on to his body seemed selfish. Only for our sake.
Did no body mean no funeral? No shell over which to wring the last shreds of emotion. It’d be anathema to Māori. Wouldn’t happen, surely. You can bet there’s not too many cuzzie bros keeping him company these days.
We had to agree as a family.
I farewelled him soon after. John Beaumont Foster Gundry. Playwright. Author of 200 broadcast plays, serials and documentaries. Who first dramatised Sargeson’s work for radio in half-hour plays. The Chief Proofreader at the New Zealand Herald, for 25 years. The man I loved, my father, my mentor.
When he moaned to me, as if only for my ears, “I’m not here, I’m not here,” it made it easier somehow. I knew then the man that once was, was no longer. The soldier, who after serving in the Second World War, came home and never talked about it or went to an RSA or attended an ANZAC service; he just wanted those six years to remain silent in his mind.
This fine man, who in the never-ending summers of the '60s breast-stroked with me on his back out to boats moored off Duders Beach, was already a shell. This near-blind man of few words but immense acuity was no longer able to read the finest of journalism and literature nor implore me to do the same.
Dad went off across the harbour bridge when he died. I passed his new dwelling place and headed south.
It was a strange week. No body meant no urgency for a funeral. We took our time. Organised it to suit. It was weird not having a body. Weird not doing the ashes to ashes bit, completing the cycle. But it was a good day.
Odd though. Knowing he was just over the harbour, in the hallowed rooms of the university’s School of Medicine. Mum’s friend Bill was in there too, so at least he had some company.
Wonder if we could get an appointment to see him. Walk in, say hi. Tell him our news. He’d look the same. More or less. I guess. Best not to think too much of that. But anyway it would only be his shell. Not his essence. Not what made him who he was.
We just waved as we drove past.
The med school people were great. Assured us Dad’s body would be treated with dignity and respect during anatomical examinations. Said how important his precious gift was. How the proper functioning of the med school depended on such bequests. Well, how else can aspiring doctors and surgeons become intimately acquainted with bodies? How else can they physically see the effects of long-term diabetes and use it in their research?
I feel proud of what he did. But when we visit Auckland it’s still strange knowing he’s just a stone’s throw away. Strange we can’t visit, share a meal, toast our health. It’s like his life’s been extended. Like he’s not really dead.
Getting his ashes back in a year or so will let us put the last nail in the coffin.
He died so others can live. Sounds a bit religious to me. He’d laugh.
After I walked out of his hospital room that September Sunday, I never saw him again. But he still surrounds me with his love, his insight and knowing chuckle.
Somehow, I can’t help feeling he got the last laugh. A final “up you too” to the world since the family didn’t get lumbered with the cost of a burial.
And he’ll be laughing still about his little secret. A fictitious entry in the Nelson section of Wise’s New Zealand guide that he and a mate inserted in the '70s after their boss riled them. It reads:
UPUTU Local name associated with the finger of sand protruding from Bush End Point at the termination of Farewell Spit. Name means literally: u: to reach a limit; putu: to lie in a heap: but possibly a transliteration.
He’ll be chuffed his secret is out.
By Kevin O’Leary, General Manager, Business North Harbour It’s a challenge to make ends meet
Kevin O’Leary.
The current ‘cost of living crisis’ has done nothing to relieve the ongoing financial burden on businesses or households, as the figure of 7.3% inflation in the year to June 2022, recently announced, is the highest recorded for 32 years. Sadly, economists are predicting that we won’t see a noticeable drop in this figure for quite some time, with current levels possibly extending into 2024.
There is no respite for most people paying mortgages and other loans, as interest rates continue to climb in response to the Reserve Bank signalling that the Official Cash Rate (OCR) will keep rising, as it attempts to slow down the rate of inflation. When you add to these significant issues the now seemingly endless problems with the shortage of labour across many business sectors, not just hospitality and the never-ending supply chain challenges, then it is little wonder that business and consumer confidence continues to decline.
Currently, at any given time, thousands of employees are unable to work as they are in isolation due to the current rise in positive Covid cases in the community. This only serves to compound the already difficult cashflow situation for many businesses who simply can’t operate at financially effective levels. Consequently, at a time when most business owners hoped that they would be closing in on achieving financial sustainability after the turmoil of lockdowns and operational restrictions over the last two years, a significant number are still struggling to keep their heads above water.
Businesses and households also need to brace themselves for the latest increase in rates and water rates, as Auckland Council’s latest annual budget is being rolled out, adding further costs to already stretched financial resources for many.
Currently, when more and more businesses and households are struggling to make ends meet, it is very difficult to put any positive spin on the situation. One crumb of comfort, albeit a small one, is that the first instalment of the $350 Cost of Living Payment announced in the budget, was paid on the 1st August, for those who meet the criteria. Additionally, the Government recently announcement that the 25 cent per litre cut in fuel excise duty and half price public transport fares will be extended until the end of January next year.
The perfect storm created by the pandemic has delivered a range of challenges, the cumulative effect of which many people simply haven’t experienced before. I sincerely hope that businesses and households alike can weather the storm, despite the very challenging situation we find ourselves in.
Finally, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support of your local businesses without which many simply wouldn’t survive.
https://businessnh.org.nz/ Phone: 09 968 2222, Mobile: 027 479 9563, Email: kevin@businessnh.org.nz
By Kathryn Robertson, Takapuna Residential Bayleys Real Estate Ltd
How important is good marketing?
Kathryn Robertson.
We have fewer active buyers in the marketplace than we have had in years. Your agent will help you identify who your target buyer is, and they should personalise your marketing around how best to effectively reach them.
In this changing market, both digital and print marketing is vital. ‘Basic’ listing your property on one or two digital real estate platforms will no longer cut it; if your property is not showing on the first page for the duration of your initial campaign, there’s no point being there. If your marketing package includes a small, insignificant signboard that goes unnoticed outside your house, just don’t. If Google fails to highlight your home on the first page in an online search by address, stop now. Do it right the first time and be clear about how you plan to reach your target market, not just locally, but in Auckland, nationally and internationally. If you’re not confident you are reaching every buyer possible, how will you know you have achieved the best price the market will pay?
50 Beresford Street, Bayswater.
Passive buyers (those people who aren’t actively looking to buy a home), are our biggest buyer group right now; we reach them through existing databases, signboards, mail drops, print ads (such as Channel, Property Press – yes, print advertising still has a place), and digitally through targeted social media ads, online carousels, etc. It all starts with good presentation (styling if necessary), great photos, and eye-catching marketing material. Lastly, if the promise of ‘free marketing’ excites you, get inside that package and get a breakdown… remember, you get what you pay for!
