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Save Our Heritage
c/o Tony Ramsay
3 Meek St
Oamaru
Phone contacts:
Judy Charlten & John Mitchell: 4341439
Tony Ramsay: 4348950 (w); 4348171 (a.h.)
Graeme Clark: 025.373922 (w); 4345634 (a.h.)
Kahren Thompson & Michael O’Brien: 4349277 (w); 4346210 (a.h.)
Bill Blair: 4395781
PRESS RELEASE 20 JANUARY 1998
On behalf of the recently formed Save Our Heritage group, Tony Ramsay has written to the Mayor and councillors, the General Manager and the Property Manager of the Waitaki District Council. Following is the text of his statement:
"A group of concerned people has formed to work towards the preservation of the historic Middle School. It is called Save Our Heritage and represents a wide cross section of people. The initial impetus was to recruit sufficient people able to spend time working to repair the building.
"At our launch on 12 January, 1998 our list of working volunteers stood at 35 one week later it has risen to 56 and is still growing. It includes 7 builders, 3 joiners, 2 electricians, 2 engineers, 2 glaziers, 2 stone masons, 2 draughtsmen, 1 plumber/drainlayer, 1 architect and a roofing contractor. All of these people are keen to contribute their time, labour and skills to working to preserve what they consider to be an important and valuable building.
"We understand that Council are in the process of applying for resource consents to demolish the building and that possible uses mooted to date for the cleared site include a car park, a swimming pool and a medical centre. However there is no guarantee that demolition consents will be granted given the building’s Historic Places Act category II classification, the Waitaki District Council’s District Plan provisions to preserve historic buildings, and the number of groups and ratepayers that will oppose the destruction of the building.
"The Middle School is inherently valuable from historic, cultural and architectural perspectives. It is also a valuable asset economically and important in the progress of Waitaki District as a heritage area which will see more and more of its economy benefiting from the development of tourism. Oamaru is unique in Australasia in its townscape and the collection of 19th century civic and religious buildings in the town. It would be a regressive step to try to restrict the redevelopment of historic buildings to one small area. Middle School as described by the Conservation Report commissioned by the Historic Places Trust in July 1997 is, despite recent deterioration through neglect and vandalism, in excellent repair and virtually original condition. It would be relatively inexpensive to restore and it occupies an important site on Severn Street, State Highway 1, that has potential for creating a valuable link to draw people into the main street as well as the Historic Precinct.
"The Waitaki District Council, the present owner, has carried out insufficient maintenance for some time, which has allowed weather damage through the roof and windows and considerable vandalism. This contrasts with the extensive work carried out or supported by the Council in recent years to restore buildings such as the present Council chambers, the Information Centre building, etc which has shown its ability to be progressive and far sighted in the promotion of historic Oamaru. We feel the importance of Middle School in this overall development is significant and it is unacceptable to see such a valuable building deteriorating when there are numerous people and groups with ideas for using the building.
"Many of the people in Save Our Heritage have donated tens and sometimes hundreds of hours of labour as well as skills and materials to the preservation and promotion of historic Oamaru. Much of this is unheralded but it is due to these people as well as groups such as the Historic Places Trust, The Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, the Victorian Town At Work Group and the Waitaki District Council that Oamaru is becoming famous as a place worth visiting and spending money in. Most recently, volunteers have restored a blacksmiths forge in the harbour. We would be pleased if Council would cooperate with our group to utilise the proffered volunteer labour to carry out basic repairs: these should include, reglazing, roof and gutter repair where water damage is occurring, stone work cleaning, vegetation and rubbish removal, electrical repair and better security arrangements to prevent further deterioration.
"We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible to discuss our proposal to organise working bees on the building."
22 January 1998. Postcript: Letters incorporating the above text and asking for input and/or support for the campaign to save Middle School have been sent to:
- The Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust
- The North Otago Branch of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
- The Waitaki Development Board.
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