I am sure we are all looking forward to the warmer months ahead and I do hope we shall see more of you all at our summer events. This newsletter covers our event at the end of July, as well as our Annual General Meeting earlier this month.
In the coming months we will be part of the Auckland Heritage Festival and the Parnell Rose Festival, and we are planning a summer event to celebrate our Society’s 20th Birthday!
Remember, if you would like to take a more active role in Parnell Heritage and join our friendly Executive team, or to help in any way, please contact Sue (who looks after our administration) on andreassensue@gmail.com / 022 647 5155.
With best wishes,
Beth O’Loughlin Chair of Parnell Heritage Inc.
THE Quarterly NEWS from
Past Events
An Evening at the Parnell Library
Over sixty people attended our event at the Parnell Library on 31st July, and we are very grateful to the staff at the Library who were most helpful, both in setting up and during the event. We provided drinks and nibbles and our Chair, Beth O’Loughlin, welcomed everyone and introduced the speaker, Mr Allan Matson. Allan is a heritage architect and consultant and a member of the Waitematā Local Board.
As a young child in England, he remembers finding a Victorian florin, and this started his lifelong collection of coins, especially those dating to George III’s reign, as this covered such a long time.
In addition, Allan refers back six generations of his family when in 1835 Henry Matson was 1st Officer on the George III, a British ship that was wrecked off Tasmania while transporting convicts to Australia. The Matsons went on to be stock and station agents in Australia and New Zealand. Allan chose a different career in banking, and then architecture.
He has become dismayed by the lack of respect shown to heritage, and showed a photo of the 1854 Fitzroy Hotel, a Category I listed building, that was constructed on the fringes of the colonial settlement at a timewhen Wakefield Street formed the main direct thoroughfare from the commercial centre to the interior of the Tamaki isthmus. It formed the last refreshment stop on the way from town and was later used by Lion Breweries. Its licence was revoked in 1909, when it was used as a boarding house during the early twentieth century, and later as a private hotel. Then it became the home of Wakefield Press. Allan showed a picture of some recent plans to place a tall modern block on top of the building – but fortunately this is not going ahead. However, its example underlines the lack of respect for heritage by city planners.
Referring to the Unitary Plan, Allan said many buildings are not recognized. Of the 88,000 Special Character Areas (SPAs) in Auckland, only 21,000 are recognized. He acknowledged the considerable work done by Parnell Heritage and other groups that made submissions for protection under the Plan, but that work has come to nothing. Many buildings are not properly assessed and end up in disrepair.
Allan showed many interesting photographs throughout his presentation and answered several questions from the floor. The very enjoyable evening ended around 8pm.
THE Quarterly NEWS from
2025 Annual General Meeting
Held again at The Parnell Sports Community Clubrooms, on 4th September we enjoyed our twentieth Annual General Meeting. Around thirty people enjoyed a complimentary drink before the meeting began at 7.30pm. The Minutes, Chair’s Report and Annual Report have already been circulated.
Following the meeting, Bev Parslow, Director Northern of Heritage New Zealand, gave an excellent presentation. Bev’s professional background is in Archaeology. She has been with HeritageNewZealandPouhereTaongasince2002, asRegionalArchaeologist, thenaoneyear stint in Policy as Senior Archaeologist, and from 2017 as the Mid-Northern Area Manager. Bev was appointed in August 2023 to the role of Director Northern, leading teams across the Northern Region to manage and care for heritage properties, undertaking outreach and engagement to identify and promote heritage places within our diverse communities, and providing heritage advice and services to property owners, manawhenua, and local and central government agencies.
Covering an area from Taupo to the top of the North Island, Bev gave details of many sites in her area where Heritage NZ has been instrumental in identifying and preserving the cultural heritage of our country. She showed us plenty of fascinating photographs of a wide range of buildings and sites.
Future Events
Auckland Heritage Festival
Running from Saturday 20th Septemberto Sunday 5th October with the theme, ”Auckland at Play”, Parnell Heritage is involved with two events.
At 12.30pm on Sunday 28th September, in conjunction with the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Dr Philip Smith will give an organ recital in St Mary’s-in-Holy Trinity. ThenDr Ian Lochheadwillgiveapresentation on the legacy of architect Benjamin Mountford, who designed St Mary’s. Afterwards refreshments will be servedinthe BishopMonteith Visitors’Centre. Entry is by koha.
The second event, in conjunction with Parnell Business Association, will be held at 10.00am on Thursday 2nd October at Twofold Brewery and Restaurant to celebrate the upgrade of Heard Park on Parnell Rise. The link to purchase tickets for $5 (which includes breakfast) follows: -
We will have a stall at the Parnell Rose Festival again this year, which takes place on Sunday 9th November from 1100am to 4.00pm. Our journals and other publications will be on sale, and we look forward to catching up with those of you who attend this delightful event.
Parnell Heritage’s 20th Birthday Celebration
This event is being planned for late November in the Pavilion. We will send out full details as soon as possible so that you can all enter it into your diaries!
New Walkway in Dove Myer Robinson Park
This boardwalk has just been opened – come and have a look!
Treasures of Parnell Library
For those of you who frequent the library, this book has been recommended – it not only gives some lovely recipes but also it contains fascinating details about the history of Parnell.
