End of Whale's Dairy

Back in 2001 when I was putting together Heart of the Whau, I took a photo of the 1920s dairy on St Georges Road here in Avondale. (I'm still looking for the colour original photo -- it was taken with a Kodak instamatic, my first ever camera.) The dairy's been through a number of name changes. From the book:

Originally built 1926-27 as the Whales Dairy, it became the Grosvenor c.1954 when the cinema also changed its name.It was known as O‘Brien‘s for a period during the 1980s and is now the Eftpos Dairy, after the “electronic-fund-transfer-at-point-of-sale” system of direct bankcard payment in the late 20th century to present.

Actually, it was known as both the Eftpos Dairy and Grosvenor Dairy (both names on the signs) right up until now. Now, of course, it no longer exists. These photos are from today.

Glad my mum isn't alive anymore. Her first job here in this country, arriving here as a woman looking after her mum and two sons on her own, was in that dairy in 1958. Then again, mum might just have put it down to changing times. That's what I'm doing. At the moment, I don't know what they're putting up in its place.

Overdoing the Square Edge, Palmerston North

Kiwi Nomad gave me the heads up on the repainting of Palmerston North's Square Edge building in her comment to my post on Repainting the Old -- with reference to Devonport's Victoria Theatre.

Take a look at the before ...

... and the now.

Kiwi Nomad wrote:

"We have a building here in Palmerston North -Square Edge- where a repainting job has maybe gone too far to the opposite extreme: it is very bright- all the facade details stand out- but there is no sense of context with surrounding buildings."

You're not kidding about the lack of sense of context, KN. That's just ... just ... words fail me, here. It's like a blue-and-red visual scream to me.

The illusive atmosphere of the Civic

Image from Wikipedia.

Another building with NZHPT Category 1 registration. Some history at the link.

Built in 1929, it's referred to as an "atmospheric" cinema. In America, these are called picture palaces. Whatever name you apply -- this is a building constructed with the intent of illusion.

Last Friday, I got the opportunity to join a tour led by George Farrant, Auckland City Council Heritage Manager, through three storeys of the interior of the building.

Behind the concrete lacework, George told us there were originally neon lights. They've had to be removed over time, and now the darkness seen through the lace isn't a cavity anymore, but a purple-painted backing.

The verandahs will shortly be in for a refit, due to ponding.

Anyway -- in we went.

Fragile elephant tusks.

Discrete disc-shaped sprinklers in the ceilings.

There's 54 horses, so George told us, and he made the original model once the restoration team realised the original horses had completed gone. So now, there's some of George's artwork in the place. He based them on draught horses.

Elephant-and-crocodile lamp.

Another reminder of George Farrant in this picture: the worried man at the edge in blue.

We were apparently quite lucky that this curtain was down during our tour. It isn't commonly seen, except for special screening performances.

One of the two lions. These days, their eyes are blue lights, occasionally twinkling. But I'm sure, when I used to see movies here, they were flashing red. Ah well ...

Each bit of the flamingo curtain, every leaf, had to be sewn individually. It shows much much went into it from the rear.

Behind the curtains ...

... and far, far above the stage.

This is part of the Civic's sky.

The control area for the sky.

Above, a view from the sky down to the stage. George wisely cautioned that we keep a firm hold on the cameras!

A stage light so finely balanced, it can be moved just with fingers.

The restored seating in the auditorioum.

Art Deco Landmark

 

Overshadowed by modernity on either side, the 1930 former Auckland Electric Power Board Building, now known as Landmark House, still manages to hold its own. This is a quick photo taken last Friday from inside a briefly paused bus up Queen Street. It has Category 1 registration with NZ Historic Places Trust, which have more info on it here.

More views here and here.