Heritage Quarterly Hōtoke Winter 2023

Cashmere Sanatorium open-air shelter heritage listed

WORDS: Rosemary Baird

A rare surviving open-air shelter for tuberculous patients in Huntsbury, Christchurch has been entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero.

In 19th century Christchurch, tuberculosis (TB), a global killer throughout human history, was a serious cause of death. The one cure for TB, developed in the second half of the 19th century, was sanatorium care. Rest, sunlight and fresh air were understood to arrest the progress of the disease. In 1903, Nurse Maude set up an open-air

consumptive tent camp amongst the sand dunes of New Brighton. The camp closed a few years later, but not before it had highlighted the tragedy of TB.

In 1906, the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board decided to build a sanatorium for consumptive patients in the Port Hills

next few years, the first buildings were constructed: an administration and dining building, disinfecting laundry, morgue, nurses’ home and portable patient shelters.

Opened in 1910, the sanatorium was a place where patients in the early stage of TB could recover through rest, ample

of Christchurch. Over the

Women’s Shelters, Middle Sanatorium at Cashmere, 1913. Note the wheels and prefabricated construction.

Photo: Christchurch City Libraries, File Reference: CCL-Arch887-065

food and fresh air. The patient huts or shelters (men’s and women’s huts were separated on different terraces) had doors and windows designed to let in the air, and some huts could be rotated to catch the sun.

In her book, Bread and Roses, activist and MP Sonja Davies, née Vile (19232005), recalled her experiences there as a patient in the mid-1940s. Patients slept with their ‘shack’ fronts open through winter, kept warm only by hot water bottles. The patients’ lives were on hold; they followed a strict regimen of rest and occupied their time with reading, writing and handicrafts. Friends and family could only visit briefly and at allocated times. The sanatorium complex grew through the first half of the 20th century. Coronation Hospital was built in 19131914 for advanced TB cases (so-called ‘incurables’). Further up the hillside, a military sanatorium was built in 1918-1919 for returned soldiers with TB. A fresh air home (preventorium) for children at risk of TB opened in 1923, followed by an open-air school in 1926. In 1942, a new Upper Sanatorium (Annex) complex was built mainly for returning soldiers from WWII.

pleased this remnant of the historic site is now recognised. “Although it looks like a basic wee building, it tells a fascinating wider story. It gives a poignant insight into the relevance of isolation and fresh air medical responses in our nation’s health history. Something we’ve learned a lot about recently with the Covid-19 response and lockdowns!”

From the 1950s, as medical treatment improved, TB sanatoria were no longer needed. Cashmere Sanatorium buildings were gradually repurposed or demolished, and in 1991 the hospital closed. The single remaining open-air shelter was moved to Coronation Reserve, the original site of the Middle Sanitorium Terrace, where it remains to this day. n

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Editor: Adrienne Hannan

Designer: Michael Steele

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.

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Robyn Burgess, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Listing Advisor, is

The open-air shelter at Coronation Reserve. Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Heritage an important consideration in crisis response

WORDS: Andrew Coleman

Like many others, we stepped up following the recent cyclone activity of summer.

Reported as the worst storms to hit Aotearoa New Zealand in living history, communities experienced significant rainfall and wind, and waves recorded as high as 11m impacted along coastlines. The impact on the land and the people – their homes and livelihoods – was destructive and widely reported, but less cover was given to the devastating impact on heritage, taonga and collections.

The stories in this Heritage Quarterly that focus on places and people highlight the importance of heritage protection, conservation and recognition, in so-called normal times but also importantly in crisis.

There are four phases to crisis management. Planning and preparedness, the crisis itself, the response, and lastly, recovery. The central agency responsible for crisis management is the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). In preparing and responding to a crisis NEMA needs to be aware, some might argue more aware, of heritage, history, museums and collections – those things that make us, us. Our job at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is to advocate for this.

Much needs to happen in the planning and preparedness phase. We were able to respond very quickly with advisories to impacted communities including caring for marae, taonga and urupā after floods. This quick response came about because of the thinking and preparation that had been undertaken prior to any crisis event and applying our learnings from past events. Looking ahead, we need to work closely with NEMA to ensure they have our broad heritage interests and functions, particularly the regulatory archaeological authority process, within their knowledge and plans.

In the moment of crisis, unless there is life at peril, no one should travel to the places

under threat. This poses significant risk for those directly impacted by the crisis, but also to those who might travel there, adding to the first responders’ burdens. This can lead to questions of inactivity and lack of immediate caring, but this time is much better used preparing to implement the response plan. In the Gabrielle emergency response, we were able to make contact, in a difficult communication environment, with many impacted maraes and to register their situations. This allowed us to plan our boots-on-the-ground response, alongside partner agencies including National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

We are now planning for the mediumterm response to the crisis and transiting to the recovery phase. Through the preparedness phase and drawing on our experience of past responses, we are aware of what is required to maintain our crisis outreach and advisory services but, importantly, also to maintain our core services and functions. We anticipate an increased workload in archaeological authorities and site works, Māori built

heritage with dozens of marae buildings and urupā badly damaged and in need of respectful conservation and repair, and the impact on properties and places that are heritage-listed.

When you peruse this edition of Heritage Quarterly, admiring the places and people of heritage, spare a thought for the conservation and protection required if they are impacted by a crisis. They all warrant and deserve preparedness and planning, something Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga will be focusing on with NEMA. n

Andrew Coleman Chief Executive

Tangioio Marae. Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Heritage titan remembered

WORDS: Antony Phillips

In January 2023, renowned conservation architect Jeremy Salmond passed away. There has been a great deal written about Jeremy since his passing – this is Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga’s tribute to one of our leading heritage professionals, friend and colleague.

Many readers will have come to learn of Jeremy Salmond and his work either through various editions of Heritage Quarterly or Heritage New Zealand magazine or when his work generated notoriety through other media. The projects that garnered his involvement stemmed from the nationally significant to the lesser-known private commissions. Those with an interest in visiting heritage destinations in Aotearoa New Zealand are likely to have visited a place touched by Jeremy’s heritage expertise.

Jeremy Salmond was raised in Gore and like many who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s, home was an old timber dwelling. His grandfather, Louis, and uncle, Arthur, were both architects and during his younger years he developed a keen interest in drawing. These early interests and influences, gently nurtured in his childhood Edwardian villa home, would serve him well when deciding upon a career.

After gaining experience with the Ministry of Works in Dunedin and undertaking

studies at the University of Otago, Jeremy completed a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Auckland. At the same institution he later completed a Master of Architecture with the title to his thesis: ‘The New Zealand House: 1800-1910' Jeremy reworked his thesis into a book which was first published in 1986. Later editions would follow, and the publication is now in its eighth edition.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Senior Conservation Architect, Robin Byron, notes the educational importance

Jeremy Salmond in his office at Salmond Reed Architects. Photo: Dr Phillip Hartley, Salmond Reed Architects

of this publication as a professional point of reference: “Jeremy wrote the book that has helped us understand the provenance and evolution of dwellings in this country.”

Jeremy and his wife, anthropologist and former Historic Places Trust chair Dame Anne Salmond, established a residence in Devonport (also an Edwardian villa) where they raised their family. He practised as an architect in Devonport, later partnering with fellow conservation architect Peter Reed to form Salmond Reed Architects.

It has been suggested some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant heritage places remain due to Jeremy’s conservation, design and technical contributions. Robin is in no doubt as to the heritage practitioner’s significant contribution, “There is no doubt Jeremy has had a hand in the conservation of many of the country’s most significant heritage places.”

In Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, his conservation adroitness is peppered across the city. Downtown, he served as the principal Conservation Advisor to the regenerated Britomart Precinct including the former Chief Post Office. City landmarks such as the Civic Theatre, Auckland Art Gallery, the former Auckland Jewish Synagogue, the War Memorial Museum and nearby Wintergardens were all recipients of his expertise. Further afield notable mentions: Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington and the Pompallier printery in

Kororāreka Russell, and the innumerable private projects and commissions have added a richness to our built environment.

Jeremy’s immeasurable contribution to the heritage community went beyond architectural advice. He was generous of spirit and with his time and his knowledge aided the professional development of his colleagues and heritage practice in this country. “He has forged a path for those committed to the conservation of New Zealand’s architectural heritage and shaped heritage philosophy, practice and policies through his membership and contribution over the years to ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) New Zealand,” says Robin.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga staff would often work with Jeremy to support heritage owners to cultivate good heritage outcomes in their projects. Byron sums up her experiences:

“Jeremy had an uncanny ability to produce heritage design proposals that seem like the most obvious solutions to the conundrums that on occasion bring a heritage assessor (me) and an owner to an impasse. This deft ability, to find the appropriate responses, is the result of not only an innate intelligence, pragmatism, and design sense, but also of the experience, understanding, scholarship and knowledge he possesses of Aotearoa New Zealand’s architectural legacysmoothed by his ability to communicate articulately, always with wit and bon mots.”

Jeremy was called on by regional offices of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to assist their cases to the Environment Court. He would often refer to these occasions as “getting a summons from the family.” On one such occasion and relevant to the housing zeitgeist of today, the case concerned the demolition and removal of houses in Auckland’s oldest suburbs. Under cross-examination by Counsel for the appellant, he was presented with an image of a dilapidated, derelict, severely neglected Ponsonby villa to which his elicited and expected response was that the house was beyond hope and ripe for demolition. “On the contrary!” he retorted, stating it was the resurrection of just such places that he had built his career upon. Considered one of the family, Jeremy consistently did a wonderful job supporting our staff in court.

It should be noted while Jeremy’s practice was primarily concerned with historic places, he would set his sights forward not back as was noted in his NZIA (New Zealand Institute of Architects) Gold Medal citation: “Jeremy is interested not only in the integrity of heritage places, but with how they are made fit and relevant for the present and future. He championed good contemporary design and the contribution it makes to the continuum of valued built environments. And not constrained to the conservation of buildings, the Waikereru (Longbush) Ecosanctuary, an initiative that he along with his wife, Dame Anne, founded to help re-establish indigenous vegetation and birdlife at their property near Gisborne, looks ahead to replenish the biodiversity of the place, setting an example for wildlife conservation, management, and education.

In 2007, Jeremy was awarded the Queen's Service Order. In 2018 he was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal, the highest award conferred by the architecture profession, and in 2021 was made a distinguished alumnus by the University of Auckland. These honours were richly deserved and represent a lengthy career of specialist and principled work, firmly embedded in the conservation and layered understanding of our built heritage landscape that will enable future generations of New Zealanders to enjoy.

The thoughts of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and our wide network of friends are with Dame Anne, Jeremy’s whānau and colleagues. n

Interior of the newly reopened Domain Wintergardens in Auckland, post restoration and seismic improvements. Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Jeremy talking to University of Auckland architecture students at Pompallier House, on a study tour of the northern North Island. Dame Anne seated, left. Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Kate Sheppard rock musical comes home

WORDS: Rosemary Baird IMAGES: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Marking 130 years of women's suffrage in Aotearoa New Zealand, this year Showbiz

Christchurch is putting on rock musical That Bloody Woman in the Christ’s College auditorium, 5–15 July. It is a unique opportunity for Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House to team up with Showbiz

Christchurch and share Kate’s story.

From its humble beginnings in a tent at the 2015 Christchurch Arts Festival, That Bloody Woman became a nationwide sell-out smash hit. Now in 2023, Showbiz have gathered a talented and diverse cast to share this story with new audiences.

For Helen Osborne, Property Lead at Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House, it is an exciting collaboration. “We hope that Showbiz’s production will bring a new wave of interest in our most celebrated suffragist Kate Sheppard.”

That Bloody Woman is a great entry point for audiences to learn about how Kate Sheppard, and New Zealand achieved a world first – women being granted the vote in 1893. “The show uses some creative licence to emphasise how ground-breaking Kate really was,” says Helen.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has made Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House, accessible to the

Showbiz production team and cast as they prepare to put Kate’s story on the stage. Showbiz General Manger Craig Ogilvie says, “We are incredibly lucky that the team at Kate Sheppard House has such in-depth knowledge of Kate’s story. They have been an amazing resource for our cast and crew to call upon for inspiration. We look forward to utilising the house for upcoming photo shoots, events and display opportunities to support our efforts in promoting the show.”

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Director Southern Region, Christine Whybrew, hopes that Showbiz’s generous promotion of Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House will inspire people to visit. “When people come here, they discover further layers of nuance in Kate’s story. And we get so many comments about the special atmosphere of the beautiful house and gardens.”

To find out more about That Bloody Woman, visit showbiz.org.nz

Information about Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House, can be found at visitheritage.co.nz n

Visitors discover new elements of Kate’s story and family history.

Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House.

Weathering the storms

WORDS: John O’Hare IMAGES: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

February 6th: “...at sunset the sky assumed an extraordinary fiery appearance.” February 7th: “...In the morning the clouds in the west were very heavy but were soon dispersed with a ferocious wind.” So wrote Richard Davis, a lay preacher based at Te Waimate Mission in Northland, jotting his observations in his weather journal in 1839.

Though judging by his account, he could almost have been describing the La Niña summer of 2023. “It wasn’t a wild cyclone Davis recorded, but it’s fair to say that the weather gods have been keeping us on our toes for nearly two centuries here,” says Alex Bell, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Manager Hokianga Properties.

Except for a tree being levelled –thankfully well clear of the mission house – and power outages, Cyclone Gabrielle and other tempests associated with summer 2023 left Te Waimate Mission relatively unscathed.

At the Kerikeri Mission Station, however, staff raced to put measures in place to prevent damage to Kemp House, the Stone Store and valuable collection items in anticipation of the arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle.

An assessment before the cyclone’s onset identified several pressure points –including the impact of wind driving rain against the sides of both buildings.

“Kemp House is 200 years old, and –while certainly robust – is not rated for cyclones. We were concerned about the possibility of rain being driven into the house through gaps in the wooden joinery and other vulnerable parts of the building,” says Kerikeri Mission Station Property Lead Liz Bigwood.

“We also had similar concerns with the Stone Store. Our amazing team moved valuable collection items away from

vulnerable areas of the house and packed them in waterproof wrapping. We also had towels ready to mop up any effects of the storm in both buildings. We had a plan and carried it out following tikanga and museum protocols,” she says.

“The team were fantastic and drawn from across the site – staff who usually deliver guided tours, run the Store, and make and serve food and coffee in the Honey House Café came together and worked tirelessly to stave off the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle.”

Northland office staff also pitched in placing sandbags around vulnerable areas of the two buildings, while Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation staff in the Kororipo Basin stood by in case their help was needed.

The planning paid off. “We learned a lot through our interventions and we’re all

very thankful that – compared with other parts of the country – we got off fairly lightly,” says Liz.

“Going forward, we need to be aware of the impact of changing rainfall and flood patterns, as well as other factors like wind strength and direction as well as storm surge effects on tides. We need to be vigilant when significant weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle arrive.” n

Richard Davis’ weather recordings of 1839-1851 form part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Register and are available online for the weather curious.

https://unescomow.nz/inscription/ richard-davis-meteorologicalrecords-1839-1851

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Northland Manager Bill Edwards working on a wall of sandbags in front of Kemp House.

Q&A with architect Malcolm Walker

WORDS:

Tell me about your interest in history and heritage buildings.

I’ve always had an interest in heritage since I was at school in Hokitika. I was even campaigning then to preserve a neglected Carnegie Library. I went to Christchurch for a science degree, and in my last year I discovered architecture through meeting Miles Warren and John Scott. So, I thought “Oh bugger this” and enrolled in architecture at Auckland University and it fitted me like a glove.

I was still interested in New Zealand history and did my sub-thesis on the huge Chapman Sawmill in the town of Ross. Following that my full thesis was on architects of the Westland Gold Fields. There were more than you might expect, and they were clearly chasing the money. In 1977, my ex-partner and I were commissioned to research and write a history of the Westland County Council. It was such an adventure.

History has a strong connection with architecture. Architecture writes the visual and physical narrative of settlements, economics and society.

I’m not a heritage architect, but I’m often called one as a considerable amount of our work is alteration work to older buildings. All buildings of course are heritage of some sort – some more than others. Significant heritage buildings throughout New Zealand should be maintained, appreciated and enjoyed. For this to happen you must understand the building

and its meaning. It’s often no good just copying and fixing what’s there; often when they’re dead and unused there’s a reason why they die. Understanding this and exploiting what you have is important to achieve a useful and significant building. Sympathetic and supportive local authorities can help to achieve this.

What is your connection to the Hokitika Government building?

My father worked there before I was born, and I have always been interested in it. The whole town knew people that worked in the building as it housed Lands and Survey, Lands and Deeds, Forestry and the Court.

About 15 years ago, I became indignant with the council for allowing it to be sold for some miserable amount for demolition and sale of the bricks. Fortunately, this didn’t go ahead.

After several further failed sales and proposals, three investors bought it and

came to see me to make it a hotel. It was perfect but the building had significant earthquake and maintenance issues. They were good people, but they didn’t have the money for it.

It went back on the market, and I campaigned for Government to buy it suggesting it would make ideal headquarters for the Department of Conservation, who are a significant part of the Hokitika economy and character. Eventually the Government gave funding to Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to buy it for restoration and strengthening and potential future lease to DOC.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga then engaged me for the preliminary design for the building, and I’m now happily on the project team as an Advisor. It’s great to see the project is starting to get traction under their custodianship. My role is to make sure the building’s interests are represented. I love that building and I want

Rosemary Baird and Malcolm Walker

Malcolm Walker. Photo: Malcolm Walker

to see it come back to life; magnificent, lively and performing as well as any contemporary building would.

Tell me about the building, what makes it so special?

It was designed by John Campbell, who was the Government Architect at the time. He delivered many buildings, including Parliament Buildings, the Law Courts in Dunedin, and the Ponsonby Post Office in Auckland.

The Hokitika Government Building was built in two halves. They built the first half, then needed to negotiate for more money to build the second half. Not an unusual story in New Zealand!

It had a huge parapet which was removed for earthquake safety. The building is all masonry, soundly built, with timber floors.

It’s formal; symmetrical with elaborate window work. While lovely on the outside, it’s glumly functional inside. I’ve always been interested in getting light and crossventilation into it – that's on my agenda for it.

This building is such an asset to the town and its loss would be significant on many levels.

Tell me about other heritage buildings in Hokitika that you are involved in. My partner and I, and my cousin and her partner, went halves and bought the Renton’s building, which the council had approved for demolition. We’ve been sweating it since but we’re getting there now. The building was a large family hardware business from the gold rush days. It's big, so everything we touch and change is expensive.

I learned lessons from what we did there. There was considerable public aggression as many people thought the building was a nuisance and worthless, but now it’s being painted and has a new verandah and is cleaned out inside, looking loved. People keep saying, “I was against it being kept, but you’ve put your money where your mouth is. Good on you,” and that’s what will happen with the Hokitika Government Building too.

All towns have many types of heritage buildings. Local councils should support efforts to keep these. If you take extraordinary buildings away, it will diminish history and the town. You’re a cartoonist as well, can you tell me about that?

I’ve been a cartoonist longer than I’ve been an architect. I’ve drawn for a wide range of newspapers and magazines for many years including Sunday News, The Independent, NBR, The Dominion, NZ Doctor and Architecture NZ. I’m also responsible for many cartoon books and illustrations. Cartooning is an interesting parallel career with architecture. My take is they are both processes that take complex and disparate information and distil them into something coherent, articulate and easily understood. It’s fun! n

Hokitika Government Building. Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Malcolm Walker (left) consults with an engineer at the Hokitika Government Building .

Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Architectural gold at Thames museum

WORDS: John O’Hare IMAGES: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Planning for a much-needed refresh of Thames’ legendary Mineralogical Museum, cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, has revealed layers of beauty that have been completely obscured for nearly 70 years.

Arecent building report into the state of the plaster ceiling has exposed spectacular solid kauri beams supporting an original kauri ceiling that was covered by a plaster ceiling sometime in the 1950s.

“The museum is known for its rather severe concrete stucco exterior, and on the inside a dusky 1950s interior colour scheme,” says Thames School of Mines Property Lead Elton Fraser.

“We were delighted to discover that after a special heritage soft wash treatment to the stucco exterior, the original pink colour of the sand render is visible once again.

“Both are only a façade, however. People are surprised to learn that underneath the 1950s surface is a beautiful 1880s kauri building,” says Fraser.

The Thames School of Mines and neighbouring Mineralogical Museum are two of the leading heritage gems in a

region that celebrates its rich history of gold mining. Both are cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and hark back to the days when the Coromandel was a central part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s gold industry.

When the Thames School of Mines opened in 1886 there were 30 such mining schools around the country, though Thames was the largest. Today it is a rare, authentic survivor from an era when governments

School girls visiting the Mineralogical Museum, Thames School of Mines Collection.

were keen to invest in training workers for the mining industry.

The original school building was expanded to include an experimental metallurgical works, and the Mineralogical Museum which opened to the public in 1901.

“The museum is a geologist’s paradise housing one of the largest collections in the Southern Hemisphere with 3,500 specimens of rocks, minerals and fossils,” says Fraser.

“Rare exhibits include a sample of Ruby Rock® – our one and only official gemrock unique to Aotearoa New Zealand, a sample of potentially dangerous Tākaka Asbestos and a piece of rock from the famous Pink and White Terraces.”

The journey of rediscovering and reinterpreting the Mineralogical Museum with a refresh of the Museum’s interior will include revisiting collection items, themes and narratives.

According to Fraser, “The Thames School of Mines and Mineralogical Museum are popular visitor destinations. In 2023, we’re excited to be taking our visitor experience to the next level.” n

Assay, assay, assay – get a load of this...

In 1896, the Thames Star ran a poem by anonymous student ‘Dickey B’ who outlined, in inimitable fashion, the Thames School of Mines curriculum:

You think you know everything here at a glance

Conceit still a weak brain confines

You’ll get it knocked out of you in the first hour

You have at the Thames School of Mines

If geology, chemistry, drawing you lack Metallurgy, figures, co-sines

Meridian true by theodolite view

You’ll learn at the Thames School of Mines.

Surveying, assaying, volumetric or dry Mineralogy – mix up your wines; The whole cyanide process you see in full work

At the side of the Thames School of Mines.

You can learn to ‘sink’, to level, and drive A tunnel or engine with signs;

Write out a report, swear hard in a court, If you go to the Thames School of Mines. You talk about high conversational powers

Round a fire built of coke which refines

Listen now to the boys with their crucible poured At the scales of the Thames School of Mines.

“Both are only a façade, however. People are surprised to learn that underneath the 1950s surface is a beautiful 1880s kauri building.”

The Mineralogical Musuem showing the stucco façade applied in the 1950s. Photo: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Having a blast researching forges in Northland

WORDS: John O’Hare IMAGES: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

A week-long dive trip at Luncheon Cove in Fiordland back in 2008 fuelled a curiosity about ships’ forges that Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga volunteer Jack Kemp is using to research a possible early French site in Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands.

The dive trip that took place 14 years ago introduced Jack to a place that Lieutenant James Cook named and charted in 1773 – as well as the site of a forge which was used by some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s earliest Pākehā settlers some 20 years after Cook’s visit.

“Luncheon Cove is the site of the first temporary European settlement on

Aotearoa New Zealand shores dating back to 1793. Closer to the water’s edge you can see the remains of the forge which was used by would-be settlers to repair their ship,” Jack says.

“I found an abundance of charcoal around the circular hole in the ground where the forge was, which is where Professor Ian Smith of Otago University did a study and

survey in the 1990s. It is a significant area for several reasons – including being the place where the first foreign ship was built in New Zealand using native timbers.”

Fast forward to 2022 and Jack’s abiding interest in forges has stood him in good stead. So much so that he moved to Blacksmiths Bay just out of Kerikeri – the place where repairs were carried out on

Jack Kemp at the possible site of the French forge on Moturua Island.

the HMS Osprey by Royal Navy sailors using a portable forge.

“The forge in Fiordland was of great interest to me and after moving to the Far North I built a working forge on my property,” he says.

After catching up with archaeologists Bill Edwards and James Robinson in the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga office in Kerikeri earlier this year, the long-term volunteer heard that they had found what they suspected was the site of a possible metal work repair forge on Moturua Island built by early French explorers. They suggested that Jack join them for a look.

“The feature on Moturua Island looked very similar to the Cook site – a hole in the ground with a ditch leading from it down to a stream. Using a metal detector we found many metal targets – most likely being scale from when they were striking metal with a hammer,” he says. The blacksmiths in question would have been French sailors who would have been with mariner Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne during his disastrous sojourn in Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands in 1772. Du Fresne had brought his two ships the Mascarin and the Marquis de Castries into the bay for repairs, and for his scurvy-ridden crew to recuperate. Although things had started well with Māori in the bay, a series of misunderstandings and missteps on the part of the French resulted in tension which spilled over into violence. Du Fresne and several of his men were killed, and French retribution resulted in the deaths of over 200 Māori.

“Before things deteriorated into warfare, however, the French were able to carry out ship repairs at this location by using their go-ashore forge,” says Jack.

Jack was keen to test his theory about the suspected Moturua island forge, and with a bit of guidance from James and

Bill, undertook some experiments.

“I built a similar pit forge, which operates above a simple hole in the ground, and did some tests. Though instead of a set of bellows – which the sailors would have used – I rigged up a mechanical blower in the base of the hole to generate the heat required in the forge to soften metal.”

Using a bag of charcoal from a local hardware store and his electric bellows substitute, Jack was amazed to see the required temperature of 1,500 to 2,000 degrees Celsius – enough to soften metal – was reached after about five minutes. He believes Du Fresne’s men would have used mānuka wood and a couple of sailors working a portable set of bellows.

“Bending the metal on an anvil wasn’t a problem – even with low carbon metal –and I was able to make a few fishhooks,” he says.

“The fire in a pit forge would be fine for a repair or for bending metal, though probably not for welding two pieces of metal together which would have required a more conventional forge. It was certainly hot enough to do the job that was needed though.”

Jack’s experiment is a perfect example of how archaeological theories can be ‘ground-truthed’ by subjecting them to a good dose of reality – in this case 1,500

degrees of heat. Jack’s theory came through the fire unscathed according to James Robinson.

“When you take the evidence we have –the distinctive shaped hole in the ground, journal and map records from people travelling with du Fresne, as well as the evidence of what appears to be hammer scale – and then combine all that with a working model of the device we believe could have been used, you end up with a full picture of what is likely to have occurred on the island,” says James.

“Further analysis will be undertaken, but thanks to Jack’s specialist knowledge and technical curiosity, the shallow hole on Moturua Island may well be found to be one of the very few physical remnants from the brief time the French were in the Bay of Islands 250 years ago.”

For Jack, the chance to explore this angle of early Aotearoa New Zealand history has been a lot of fun.

“Working as a volunteer for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has been an absolute blast. They are fantastic people to work with – and who knows what finds may emerge next?” says Jack.

“With sea levels rising our history is in danger of being lost to the ocean so it’s important that we record as much of it as possible – places like this possible forge site are just one example. There are so many places untouched in the north with new discoveries being made each day.” n

Jack Kemp

“The forge in Fiordland was of great interest to me and after moving to the Far North I built a working forge on my property.”

“Working as a volunteer for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has been an absolute blast. They are fantastic people to work with – and who knows what finds may emerge next?”

Newly listed old papakāinga becomes a new papakāinga

WORDS: Niki Partsch and Annemarie Gillies IMAGES: Ejay Gillies

Listed as a wāhi tīpuna in 2021, Puketapu Pā is located in Waimarama, south of Hastings in the Hawke’s Bay and is home to around a thousand people. This significant historic site is now the location of new papakāinga housing for whānau who whakapapa to the land there.

Awāhi tīpuna is defined as a place important to Māori for its ancestral significance and associated cultural and traditional values. Puketapu Pā was a papakāinga (village or home base), a place culturally, spiritually, and environmentally significant for the local hapū and iwi. Being listed as a wāhi tīpuna acknowledges its association and cultural significance to whānau and hapū of Waimarama through well-known tīpuna.

Dr Annemarie Gillies identifies Puketapu Pā as “a place of cultural significance to whānau and hapū of Waimarama. It links the people of the place to the original inhabitants of the area which includes Kupe, Toi, Paikea, Whatonga, Tara and Rangitane, and Kahungunu.”

It is situated approximately in the heart of a system of early settlement kāinga stretching from Te Matau-a-Māui (Cape Kidnappers) to Southern Wairarapa, Te Whānganui a Tara (Wellington), and to Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui (top of the South Island). The nearby Pouhokio River and surrounding ngahere (forest) together with the many resources from the moana provided an abundance of food during the early days of the original pā. There is archaeological evidence of ovens, fire pits, middens, and storage pits.

Oral testimony from local people and historians indicates that Puketapu Pā was likely utilised as a place to rest when travelling further south to the Rangitane Pā of Hakikino and further along the coast to Kairākau, Pourerere, and Pōrangahau.

This pā site is mostly associated with the Ngāti Kurukuru ancestress Nohongātahi. However, there are other important tīpuna connected to the wāhi including Tamai Awhitia and Ura-ki-te-rangi (the eponymous ancestors for whom two of the hapū of Waimarama are named), other tīpuna include Hikawera of Te Awanga, Rangi-te-uira, Kahu-o-te-rangi and brothers, Tiakitai and Harawira.

The current hapū of WaimaramaNgāti Kurukuru, Ngāti Whakaiti, Ngāti Urakiterangi, and Ngāti Hikatoa, claim their descent from the mix of early inhabitants Ngāti Ira, Ngai Tara, and Rangitāne. Rangitāne held their position in Waimarama for several hundred years before the migrations south of Ngāti Kahungunu.

Newly built homes for whanau who whakapapa to this land.

Photo: Ejay Gillies

Pā usually indicates a fortified village, stockade, or fort, so its name is certainly perplexing given Puketapu Pā is not associated with either battles or burial grounds. However, this does make the site suitable for its new development as a modern papakāinga. An Otago archaeological field school led by

Professor Richard Walters excavated some sites prior to the commencement of the new papakāinga. Archaeology students Stella August and Wikitoria (Wiki) Moore who whakapapa to the whenua and to Puketapu Pā took part in the mahi associated with the field school.

Care was taken during development to avoid disturbing further cultural and archaeological sites.

The wider benefits of this listing include whānau and hapū being able to live on the land to which they have a connection, to learn about its history and to become involved in future development and conservation projects. New insights and knowledge will add to the history of this place. The historical narrative will educate and inform current and future generations of the hapū through recognition and acknowledgement of links to wider tribal groups both in the north and south. n

Puketapu has been widely translated as ‘sacred hill’. There are numerous hilltop sites in Aotearoa New Zealand with the name. Puke meaning hill, hillock or mound and tapu meaning ‘restricted’. So, Puketapu references hilltop areas which are not generally suitable for development or common usage due to their significance, usually because of how the site was utilised over time or perhaps an incident that occurred there associated with a death or deaths.

“The wider benefits of this listing include whānau and hapū being able to live on the land to which they have a connection, to learn about its history and to become involved in future development and conservation projects.”

This roadway is named for the Ngāti Kurukuru ancestress Nohongātahi. Photo: Ejay Gillies

Making a new Tohu Whenua region

You may have heard the news already. The next region that Tohu Whenua will roll out is Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha Canterbury. With the new region delivered within the next two years, it will be easier than ever for all New Zealanders and visitors to find and connect with some of Canterbury’s most significant heritage places.

Rolling out in Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha makes a lot of sense. The region connects neighbouring Te Tai Poutini West Coast and Otago, which between them have 17 sites recognised as Tohu Whenua.

Not only will future travellers have an uninterrupted heritage trail to follow through a large part of Te Waipounamu, connecting these regions also allows for the opportunity to tell stories of past journeys throughout the South Island, irrespective of contemporary boundaries. This is especially true of journeys related to early Māori such as pounamu, trade and kai routes.

And, like all our regions, Canterbury has a rich heritage.

At the heart of how we bring a new Tohu Whenua region to life is engagement. For this purpose we’ve brought on board connector extraordinaire, Nigel Harris.

For the next two years Nigel will be leading the roll out of Tohu Whenua in his role as Pou Whakahaere Kaupapa Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha/Project Manager Canterbury. He’ll be working with a team of staff from our partner agencies, namely Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation and Te Puni Kokiri Ministry of Māori Development, with key advice from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Together they’ll be connecting with iwi, hapū, local government, regional tourism organisations and heritage groups to identify and select the places that mean most to the people of Canterbury.

The full region stretches from Kaikōura in the north to Waimate in the south, and as far west as Aoraki Mount Cook.

There is no hiding the fact that we are excited about the potential line-up

of heritage sites, which could include significant natural features that tell our earliest creation stories, Māori rock art sites dating back 800 years, pā sites, the heart of our women’s suffrage story, gothic revival architecture reflecting settler history throughout Christchurch, pastoral and farming history, whaling and coastal heritage, and more.

To ensure that we capture the stories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s long and rich history, we will initially work closely with iwi and hapū to add sites of significance to Māori, after which we will engage with all our other groups.

All site nominations will be assessed by our team of regional experts against Tohu Whenua’s criteria. It doesn’t matter whether Tohu Whenua sites are owned publicly or by private individuals, iwi or trusts, as long as they meet all of the following conditions:

WORDS: Caroline Toplis and Claudia Babirat IMAGES: Supplied by Tohu Whenua

• significant to Aotearoa New Zealand’s story (and Canterbury’s story), with good storytelling potential

And finally, all new Tohu Whenua sites get the stamp of approval from the programme’s Governance Group before we celebrate their inclusion with a launch event.

Tune in to the Tohu Whenua website and social media for updates on our progress.

Website: tohuwhenua.nz

Facebook: @TohuWhenua

Meet Nigel Harris

Meet Tohu Whenua’s newest team member – Nigel Harris (Ngāi Tahu) whose whakapapa is to Tuahiwi marae located north of Ōtautahi Christchurch.

In his role as Pou Whakahaere Kaupapa Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha/Project Manager Canterbury, Nigel will be managing iwi and community engagement, leading the site selection process and coordinating storytelling material and launch events, all with the support of the local team. Before joining Tohu Whenua Nigel was the Pouārahi Māori Heritage Advisor Te Tai Tonga for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Southern Region. He has also worked for Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation, and in a range of other roles throughout Te Waipounamu connected with history, heritage and conservation.

What’s in a name?

As you know here at Tohu Whenua we like sharing a good story – stories are at the heart of our heritage and deepen our understanding and appreciation of it. The Māori name by which the Canterbury Plains is known, Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha, is no exception. And like every good story, there are different versions.

For some, Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha refers to the pakahi, a water-carrying vessel that was important for the trails from the Waimakariri to the Ashburton Rivers. Pākihi is also an area where no trees grow and ‘whakatekateka’ is an old term meaning ‘to create pride or to exhibit pleasure’. Another view is that whakatekateka has a different meaning of ‘seedbed’ which offers the translation ‘The treeless seedbed of Waitaha’ referring to the region where the tribe first settled and multiplied.

• supported by iwi and communities that want to share stories that matter

• high-quality visitor experiences where people of all ages can learn about the history that happened here

• publicly accessible sites presented well in partnership with willing owners and kaitiaki.

“At the heart of how we bring a new Tohu Whenua region to life is engagement.”

Visit Tohu Whenua in Te Tai Tokerau Northland, Te Tai Poutini West Coast and Otago, and soon in Kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha Canterbury

Iconic Dominion Building dome restoration

WORDS: David Watt  IMAGES: Howard Tong

Built in 1928, and now undergoing a significant restoration, the Dominion Building in Mercer Street is one of the capital city’s most respected historic buildings.

When first constructed, it featured as one of the tallest buildings in Wellington and its dramatic architectural composition and distinctive roofline, soon to be restored to glory, was designed to be seen widely around the city.

A broadsheet metropolitan morning daily newspaper published in Wellington, The Dominion was first published on 26 September 1907, the day Aotearoa New Zealand achieved Dominion status.

For its first 20 years the newspaper office was located on land adjoining Plimmer Steps – previously occupied by a wharf, a slaughter yard and a foundry. Following years of early success, The Dominion's ambitious new headquarters building in Mercer Street was completed in 1928.

The Category 2 heritage-listed Dominion Building is an excellent example of a Stripped Classical commercial building designed in a Chicago-inspired architectural style. It is notable for the quality of its design, materials and workmanship, particularly the Caen stone external cladding (now over-painted), marble clad interiors, pressed metal spandrel panels and steel windows.

The central tower element, capped by a dome and lantern, is a major architectural feature of the original building.

In 1972, the ownership of The Dominion merged with its afternoon rival The Evening Post to improve the efficiency of the two operations. The use of the Dominion Building for the paper was no

longer required and the headquarters moved to Press House in nearby Willis Street.

The Dominion and The Evening Post would later merge, with the first issue of The Dominion Post, a morning publication, published in July 2002.

The Dominion Building’s story continues beyond its life as a newspaper headquarters, with a new contemporary steel-framed top floor added in 1986 as a commercial space. Around the same time, the first four floors of the building were stripped for use as offices.

Reuben Daube, heritage architect at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Fletcher HartleySmith, a Spark site manager.

Planning to convert the top three floors of the building into apartments began in 1994. Designs were prepared by Athfield Architects and work was completed within two years.

Howard Tong, who lives in the Dominion Building with his wife Jenny, says a major body corporate-funded re-roofing and cladding project was commenced in 2019.

“This expensive work is now nearing completion. The special dome is seen as an integral part of the roof.”

An initial non-invasive survey was completed with a drone to assess the condition of the feature and its copper cladding, and the windows that form the lantern structure that in turn supports the distinctive cupola or ‘spike.’

Tong and fellow body corporate members are grateful for guidance and funding support for the dome conservation project from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

“We consulted them on our options and are especially pleased to have received funding support through the National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund,

initially for a condition report on the dome and action steps needed for the extensive work that we have been required to take,” he says.

The project team have brought several consultants into the project, “We have had support from Proffitt in caption above, a certified weathertightness surveyor, Russell Murray, a heritage conservation architect, and Hartmut Reichelt, a metal cladding specialist.”

Tong has appreciated ongoing funding support from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, “Going to our second

stage, we were delighted to get a further $40,000 in a second grant from the Incentive Fund and some funding support also from the Wellington City Council Built Heritage Incentive Fund to help restore the dome.”

The entire project, including the remediation of several top floor apartments affected by roofing water ingress issues, and the dome works is expected to amount to approximately $6.5m.

In the current building configuration, the dome sits above one apartment and forms part of its roof. Work on the dome commenced early in 2023, when scaffolding was erected to allow the dome to be covered, so the severely aged copper could be removed. These sheets have been used as templates for new copper sheeting which has been obtained overseas.

“With the completion of the dome restoration, a big job, the Dominion Building will proudly support a full restored, gleaming copper dome which will be a feature of the Wellington landscape for many years to come,” says Tong. n

Front view of the Dominion Building from Victoria Street.

Mark Beetham, Ash Sparks, Murray Proffitt and Russell Murray discuss progress.

Waka Tarai Wānanga

WORDS: Niki Partsch

Over a long weekend, a mighty wānanga promoting mātauranga waka was held at Tūnohopū Marae, Ōhinemutu located on the shores of Te Ruapeka Bay, Lake Rotorua.

interest in going back to traditional tools and methods. This project encourages the tuakana-teina (elder-younger) relationship, to work alongside each other as equals, while empowering the mana pūkenga (expertise) of each person to lead certain aspects of the project.”

Late Spring brings early morning light to Te Ruapeka Bay. Geothermal activity deep below the whenua causes drifts of sulphur-laden steam to float gently across the waters of the lake. At Tūnohopū Marae, preparations are well underway for the big weekend wānanga which will bring together locally-based pūkenga (experts) who have a special interest in revitalising mātauranga waka (knowledge of waka) within the Te Arawa region.

Focus areas for the weekend include celestial navigation, tārai waka (traditional waka) and maramataka (knowledge of the Māori lunar calendar). Led and facilitated by tohunga tārai waka (expert canoe carver/sculptor) Haimona Brown, the knowledge shared here at ‘Te Hahau Waka o Te Arawa Wānanga’ will boost the waka building skills and expertise of Te Arawa groups.

Haimona (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūhourangi/ Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Te Aupōuri) considers himself privileged to have learned much of what he knows from renowned tohunga tārai waka, the

late Sir Hekenukumai (Hector) Busby. Haimona has over 15 years’ experience himself in waka navigation, tārai waka and maramataka. He regularly facilitates wānanga-based projects designed to enhance skills and leadership expertise within communities.

Matene Simon, former Pou Whaihanga

Māori Built Heritage at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, attended the wānanga. He says, “There is a lot of

Forty adults were in attendance over the course of this inspiring three-day wānanga which encompassed traditional philosophies and engineering practice. Participants were introduced to the whole cycle from tree felling to the knowledge of building all classes of waka. Guest speakers shared their knowledge of navigation, sailing and tikanga (customs), and kawa (protocols) related practices. There were hands-on demonstrations of techniques like lashing supported by visual aids related to construction. All were grateful for the rare opportunity to attend this introductory wānanga about tarai waka and to learn from experienced practitioners about the building of waka.

Funding for Te Hahau Waka o Te Arawa wānanga came from the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Pou Arataki Wānanga programme to revitalise Māori built heritage. n

Haimona Brown led and facilitated the three-day wānanga. Photo: Harata Brown

Carved waka created using traditional tools and methods. Photo: Jade Hallamore