THINK ABOUT A POINT OF DIFFERENCE
Case Study 7.2 Oamaru
Like Napier, the small South Island town of Oamaru has focused on a relatively traditional architectural legacy to define its point of difference. However, more recently the town’s identity has evolved and an unexpected identity has emerged as a quirky movement has defined an alternative, but complementary, character for the town. For many years the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust has worked to secure, restore and reuse the limestone buildings of the town’s original commercial and business district. Since responding to threats to the buildings’ survival in the 1980s, the trust has come to own 16 of the buildings in the historic Oamaru Victorian Precinct. The trust markets the precinct, which includes former grain and seed warehouses, stores, offices, shops and hotel buildings, as New Zealand’s most complete streetscape of Victorian commercial buildings. Under the ‘Victorian Town at Work’ theme, it has encouraged a range of compatible uses in the area. Its events, including the annual Victorian Heritage Celebrations and the Victorian Fete, and the fostering of historic crafts and pastimes in the area also serve to reinforce the Victorian theme.
provide an interesting backdrop for regular steampunk gatherings and events and the town attracts steampunk enthusiasts from around the world. In fact, in 2016 Oamaru entered the Guinness World Records for the largest gathering of steampunks in the world. What started as a small group of enthusiasts has become a more broadly embraced movement. It has drawn interest not only from artists and creatives, but also from unexpected quarters like the region’s farmers, who have helped repurpose former industrial and agricultural equipment for participants’ props and a growing number of sculptures and installations. Steampunk imagery is now commonly seen alongside the town’s more traditional heritage identity. Although not appreciated by all heritage traditionalists in the town, its unexpected, quirky character has put Oamaru on the map and helped to differentiate it from other small heritage towns. Its emergence in a more organic, almost accidental manner, rather than being ‘manufactured’ or part of a planned marketing strategy, is also worth noting, demonstrating that a resonant and unique idea can be just as effective as an orchestrated professional campaign.
More recently, Oamaru has become well known as a hub for New Zealand’s steampunk movement. One of the largest historic industrial buildings in the Victorian Precinct has become home to ‘Steampunk HQ’, a large steampunk visitor attraction. The Victorian buildings
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SAVING THE TOWN
