As part of the Auckland Council Heritage Festival for 2017 Civic Trust organised a debate on the subject “There is adequate protection for heritage”. Under MC Hamish Keith, Civic Trust’s patron, seven speakers spoke eloquently mainly on the negative. The conclusion was that, although some positive things are happening in...
At short notice, Civic Trust held a third Winter Lecture at Huntly House in Grafton last Sunday, 27 August, 2017. Huntly House, Category B listed with Auckland Council, was built in 1875 for Captain James Stone, and is a magnificent example of the era of early concrete houses. Simon Dowd,...
Civic Trust’s second Winter Lecture was held in brilliant winter sunshine at the modernist Donner House in Titirangi, on Sunday 30 July 2017. Owner Paul Jenkins, an architect, has spent the best part of the last 20 years restoring and maintaining the 1940’s house that noted City Architect Tibor Donner...
The magnificent dark wooden interior of the Selwyn Library, built in 1861, with its great diagonal bracing running from ceiling to floor makes a powerful impression. The group of around 30 was treated to a lecture by Dr Warren Limbrick on Bishop Selwyn and Frederick Thatcher, and how Bishopscourt came...
Civic Trust’s 2016 AGM was held on Sunday 20 November at the Old Folk’s Assocciation Hall in Newton. An attentive audience enjoyed the presentation by local historian Edward Bennett on modernist buildings in the Karangahape Rd area. Edward also presented copies of his recently published book commemorating 100 years of...
Once again our Open Day at Scott Homestead, Scott’s Landing, in the Mahurangi Regional Park, was a great success, with over 70 visitors braving the brisk westerly winds to walk along the beachfront. The beautiful homestead, dating from 1877, was almost derelict when bought by the former Auckland Regional Council...
The “castle” hosted 30 people for a comprehensive talk by Geoff Richards, the architect of the restoration and renovation works, full of interesting details about not just the recent building project but historical details about the site. Then attendees had the privilege of wandering at their leisure through the entire house and garden, hindered a...
Our first Winter Lecture was held at the delightful home of Mary Barry and Tom Curham in Bradford St, Parnell, on Sunday 10 July. This cottage from the late 1800s has been lovingly restored by Mary and Tom, and they and one of their children, Kieren, shared their memories of...
At the Grey Lynn Festival on Saturday 28 November, Civic Trust Auckland’s stall presented information on heritage at risk in Auckland, especially the King’s School Hanna Block, and St David’s Church in Khyber Pass. We also explained the tortuous Unitary Plan process in basic terms and what the risks are...
Our AGM, held at the Leys Institute, the Ponsonby Library, on Sunday 22 November was very well attended. After the formalities were over, we were treated to a tour of the 1905 library building, including the basement, containing over a century of library heritage paraphernalia, as well as a heritage...