It’s official

THE ARTS CENTRE IS OPEN!

Arare clear break in a week of relentless heavy rain smiled on Diocesan School for Girls as the official opening of the Arts Centre took place on the morning of Friday 18 June. The Arts Centre was opened by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Her Excellency The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, and was attended by the official party, invited guests, students and staff. After the ceremonial karanga and speeches, the audience was entertained by a selection of music, dance and theatrical items. As the official party left the theatre, they met and talked to the performers before leaving the venue. Quotes from Dame Patsy’s speech are interspersed with photos from the event.

From left to right: Ms Ashley Pihema, TIC Te Reo Māori; Rev’d Sandy Robertson, Chaplain; Rev’d Kerry Davis, Kaumatua for Diocesan School for Girls; Mrs Margaret van Meeuwen, Head of Senior School; Ms Heather McRae, Principal; Her Excellency The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, Governor-General of New Zealand; His Excellency Sir David Gascoigne; Mr Andrew Peterson, Chairman of the Board of Governors of Diocesan School for Girls; Mrs Sue Brewin, Head of Junior School; Mrs Angela Coe, Director of Development; Charlotte Hulme, Head Prefect; Mr Ian Goodall, Board of Governors (responsibility for campus development).

Your beautiful new building and its facilities would be the envy of many civic centres in New Zealand. It shows just how much this school values the arts. I am delighted to see this level of commitment.

Be guided by the whakatauki He toi whakairo he mana tangata Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.

There is enormous satisfaction and joy to be had in the exploration of creativity and performance. The arts will feed your soul throughout your lives, and your creative skills will help you shine, whatever career path you take.

Creative expression, whatever its form, takes us to new places in our thinking about what it means to be human. It enables us to think through the big questions, as the creators of work, or as the audience for that work.

Pre-show reunion

DIO ARTS ‘ANGELS’ CELEBRATE AND REMINISCE

The opening night of Les Misérables, the first major senior production in our new theatre, was a perfect opportunity to gather some special friends of the arts at Diocesan for pre-show refreshments at a ‘Champagne and Chicken Sandwiches’ function. Over the past 15 years the wonderful Dio Arts ‘Angels’, led by Arts Patron Rosey Eady, have hosted fabulous events like the Fizz & Quiz nights and Secret Art exhibitions, raising funds for the Arts Centre and the Arts Fund of Diocesan’s Heritage Foundation.

These funds have enabled the Foundation to award our Dio students grants to represent the School at national and international events and competitions. Dio Arts is a significant principal donor to our new state-of-the-art Arts Centre. Thank you, Dio Arts, for your wonderful contribution to Diocesan School for Girls! Some of those who attended the function were former Heads of Music Leonie Lawson and David Gordon, along with Dio Arts stalwarts Meegan Pollock, Jo Raymond, Mark Leishman, Kerry McMillan, Jane Williams, Juanita White, Anna Irvine, Kendall Irvine, Sam Scott, Jess Scott and Jude Dobson, to name a few.

Following the refreshments in School House Dining Room our 35 guests were seated in the theatre for the opening performance of the show. In the beautiful words of our one-and-only Rosey Eady:

“Full of excitement and arm in arm, the Dio Arts Angels walked across to the Arts Centre and took our seats; a night that most of us have ‘Dreamed a Dream’ and ‘One Day More’ as the songs say, for over 15 years. and sensational opening night for Les Misérables.

“The glorious music filled the theatre, and my heart leapt as the beautiful velvet curtains opened, revealing the fabulous cast of Dio and Dilworth students on stage. I had tears in my eyes. It was better than we ever imagined. The vision had become reality.

“I am so proud to be a Dio Old Girl and Patron of Dio Arts. I am also thrilled that the arts at Dio are on the way to new heights.

“Congratulations to the Director Sarah Spicer and Musical Director/Producer Lachlan Craig, the cast, the crew, and the orchestra for achieving this milestone and putting on a professional, world-class production.

“Celebrate, everyone, for you have all added to the incredible history of the arts in our fabulous School!”

AUCKLAND PROPERTY INSIGHTS

By Rebecca Williamson

Where we live, how we work and the ways in which we spend quality time with our families have been crucial considerations for the past 12 months, more so than ever before. Our homes have become our sanctuaries through lockdowns and the multitude of challenges brought on by Covid-19. International travel – both for business and pleasure – has been put on the backburner. This realisation of ‘home is where the heart is’ has undoubtedly led to a shift in priorities, and this is reflected in the current high-flying New Zealand property market. New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty (NZSIR) Managing Director Mark Harris says more and more New Zealanders are not only investing in the bestpossible education for their children, they are investing in the best-possible homes. “We are seeing people throughout all stages of life trade up their homes and move within communities, as well as cashed-up expats returning home to NZ with their children to take advantage of the excellent schools and opportunities we have here,” he says. “These factors are driving a heated market in Auckland, particularly in the suburbs proximate to excellent schools.”

Since June 2020, activity in the NZ property market has accelerated, and continues to do so. Buyer demand has remained strong and prices are high because inventory levels are constrained, which is great news for vendors in sought-after locations. Auckland has experienced the busiest April month in five years and the median year-on-year house price has significantly increased in popular areas such as Parnell (40% rise), Remuera (49%) and Epsom (65%).

Mark Harris, NZSIR Managing Director.

Harris says right now is the optimal time for vendors to achieve higher sales before the effects of recent Government and Reserve Bank policy changes set in. The extension of the Brightline test, the prevention of investors offsetting interest paid on home loans against rental income, and LVR restrictions have been implemented to slow house price inflation. “Combined with a stagnant population growth due to closed borders, these changes suggest that demand may begin to waver over the coming months,” he says. “But while the market may start to plateau, I don’t think there will be a big correction. My assessment is that we are at or near the domestic demand peak, although we do expect to see continued growth at the higher end of the market as ‘Brand NZ’ maintains momentum in attracting wealthy internationals and expats.”

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