Popping up around Mid Canterbury at our most historically significant buildings and sites are distinctive cast iron oval blue plaques.
They feature a brief description of the history of the structure. The latest to receive one is the former Plunket rooms in Victoria St.
The Historic Places Aotearoa (HPA) Blue Plaque project is the initiative of HPA Mid Canterbury member Nigel Gilkison.
‘‘There are hundreds of locations around New Zealand still to have plaques added, subject to time and funding,’’ Gilkison said.
The plaques cost $1850 and are generally funded 50/50 in partnership with the owner of the building.
Gilkison said he initiated the idea in 2017. The first was installed on the Ashburton railway footbridge.
Following the success of the project in the district, it was expanded around New Zealand. There are 50 structures around the country featuring the plaques, 18 in the North Island and 32 in the South Island.
Alongside the footbridge, the other places in Mid Canterbury include St Mark’s Church Rakaia, which received a plaque earlier this year, and Pioneer Hall, Church of the Holy Name, Mill House (Ashfords), the Federated Farmers building, Hakatere Station stone cottage, Ashburton Courthouse, Ashburton cemetery sexton building, Mt Hutt Road Board office, the former Bank of NSW/former Speight’s Ale House, Brown Pub in Methven and the Mt Somers Memorial Hall.
The long list will be added to shortly, as the historic Menorlue building at Ashburton College is next in line to receive one.
The former Plunket rooms are Category A heritage listed, and ‘‘a significant piece of our local heritage’’, Gilkison said.
The rooms were built in 1932 at a cost of £919, 1s, 3d.
They were formally opened in 1932 by Sir Truby King, founder of the Plunket Society. It was later extended in 1998.
The rooms were designed by Ashburton architect Ernest Mitchell Gabites. He designed a variety of buildings including the former parish hall for St Stephen’s Anglican Church in 1937.
The building is now home to Berry Beauty Co, and owned by Justin Skilling, who has renovated it.
The plaque on the former Plunket rooms was fully funded by Historic Places Mid Canterbury.
‘‘The committee decided to fully fund this plaque as recognition of the excellent work that Justin Skilling has done in not only restoring this particular building, but also for the great work that he has done in restoring many of the buildings that he owns around the Triangle precinct,’’ Gilkison said.
‘‘We applaud Justin’s drive and his vision for regeneration by way of restoring and adaptively reusing existing buildings, rather than pulling them down and replacing them,’’ he said.
Some of the earlier plaques in Mid Canterbury have been part-funded by local charitable organisations, including from the district council’s Community Heritage Grants.
– More information on each structure with a blue plaque can be found on the Historic Places Aotearoa website – blueplaques.nz
