WELLINGTON

NGAHURU • AUTUMN 2022

A job well done – 804 sash windows restored

A two-year project to restore the 804 sash windows in one of the world's largest wooden buildings has been wrapped up.

WORDS: Anna Knox

In October last year, joiner extraordinaire and legendary tour guide, Mike Deavin, shut the latch on the final window at Wellington's Old Government Buildings, which is cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The moment drew significant media attention, with Mike's ‘moment’ captured in many places across the country, including TV3 news and the Sunday Star Times. For Mike, it was a satisfying end to a project that saw him restore every sash window in the historic building, which was once the administration centre of the New Zealand government. “Mike knows a thing or two about restoring windows – after working on 804 of them at Old Government Buildings, he should do too,” said OGB Property Lead, Caroline Ritson. “It's the culmination of two years of painstaking attention to detail and hard work.”

Mike's knowledge of the materials and the processes involved is extraordinary, down to the manufacturer of the pulleys and the original cast iron weights that are the core to each window's functioning. “Archibald Kendrick have been operating since 1791,” says Mike. Most of the

weights are still original, as are many of the pulleys, but the cords have been replaced over the years. Besides being a proven authority on all things relating to sash windows, Mike is a fount of knowledge and expertise on almost every detail of the iconic heritage site; from the edibles in the native gardens surrounding the building, to the ghosts purported to walk the hallways. “As well as the window restoration project – no small task in itself – Mike winds the tower clock, retains a mental archive of the heritage graffiti in the building's attics, has designed a hand-crafted donations box, and pioneered a ‘virtual tour’ of the building,” says Caroline. “In his highly informative and entertaining tours, he speaks about the building like an old and familiar friend. Mike has also taken the opportunity throughout the project to pass his expertise onto others, running workshops and documenting his restoration process – which we are very grateful for.” On finishing the project, Mike said he felt sad. “It's not been work, it's been fun,” was his comment. But he says he will be onto the next project soon enough. The last time the windows were restored was 1996. Mike doesn't think he'll be around to see the next round of repairs, but – as is the tradition of tradespeople – his name is inscribed on sash pocket covers around the building, for posterity and for the next person who works on the windows to discover. n

This issue

1 WELLINGTON A job well done – 804 sash windows restored

3 EDITORIAL Heritage requires constant care

4 NORTHLAND Clendon House farewells Lindsay Charman

6 AUCKLAND Heritage hero recognised

7 HAWKE'S BAY Te Kohatu o Rīpeka listed as a wāhi tapu

8 FEATURE INTERVIEW UNESCO 2022 Ambassador Sophia Newton 11 ARCHAEOLOGY Exciting events lined up for Archaeology Week 2022

12 ARCHAEOLOGY Protecting Māori archaeology on the Kaikōura coast

14 WELLINGTON More engagement needed to conserve our historic cemeteries

16 THAMES 3D rendering brings rocks to life at Thames

18 TOHU WHENUA Behind the Walls: 150 years of Larnach Castle

20 NORTHLAND Printer's link – historic prayer book hits the right notes heritagenewzealand heritage_nz @heritagenz

Editor: Anna Knox Designer: Jeremiah Boniface

Published by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Heritage Quarterly keeps you up-to-date with heritage news from around New Zealand.

Copyright © Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

All images credit Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga unless otherwise stated.

For more information or to subscribe, write to PO Box 2629, Wellington 6140 or contact the editor, phone: 04 470 8066 or email: aknox@heritage.org.nz.

ISSN 2324-4267 (Print) ISSN 2324-4275 (Online).

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