PAPA TE HAPORI PĀNUI• •COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
Art minds
Ambitious artistic projects and huge feats of volunteer effort have helped to secure the future of a central Auckland church
What does it take to save a heritage place? Blood, sweat, tears – and a whole lot of art. Just ask the members of The Friends of St David’s Trust – a community group that has rallied around St David’s Memorial Church in Grafton, Auckland. There’s Shirley Blackie, who recalls spending up to 15 hours a day removing tape and its residue from the back of artworks – a task that left hands raw and bleeding. Or the group’s treasurer, Dawn Judge, who recounts hairy times hoisted 26 metres in the air in a cherry picker to attend to an art installation. Or photographer Jessica Gernat, who waited for hours on a deserted and freezing central Auckland street until, well
past midnight, she could capture a perfect image of the church. Then there’s Paul Baragwanath, the leader of ‘the Friends’, whose commitment has included taking on the biggest professional challenge of his life – an art fundraising project that raised a record $1 million. “It has been,” admits Paul, “a wild ride.” But well worth it, say the group’s members. Last year the church – which previously had no heritage protection and faced potential demolition – gained Category A scheduled heritage status in Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan, thanks primarily to their efforts.
WORDS: CAITLIN SYKES • IMAGERY: JESSICA GERNAT
30 Hōtoke • Winter 2020
Heritage New Zealand
