New Lynn trench station

The new trench station at New Lynn opened yesterday (but I was detoured into Waikumete Cemetery ...) .So, here's some images from Day Two.

From the Clark Street entrance. The station is still open to the sky, apart from road bridges. The rest, I expect, will be covered in soon enough.

 

  

Can't be that many train stations in New Zealand where signage bears the name of a past premier of the country -- Richard "King Dick" Seddon was known as Hetana to the Maori. The nearby Hetana Hamlet workmen's settlement was thus named after him, and then Hetana Street was named after the settlement. And now, we have the Hetana Exit from the New Lynn Train Station.

Part of Louise Purvis' artwork at the new station. More at the Auckland Trains blog.

New Lynn mural fading

This used to be a brilliant mural, visible as the trains pulled in to the second station site at New Lynn (the last above-ground one). Sad to say, when it was in its hey-day, I wasn't taking photos as much as I do now. The tagging is engulfing it -- here's just about the last two pieces left that are still visible.

A real New Lynn heritage artwork, it showed the story of the township. Here's hoping something comes along in its stead that's just as good, if not better. More heritage artwork, please!

Old sign, Chapel of Faith in the Oaks

Walking along (and ducking into the Waikumete Cemetery part of the way due to lack of footpath on the west side of Glenview Road) to get to the power control box mural today, I spotted this sign, which is probably on the endangered list. Thought I'd take a shot now, before it goes at some stage.

Sandy's cemetery photos

Sandy, one of Timespanner's frequent commenters (thanks, Sandy) put up a link to her photos of Waikumete Cemetery in a comment to the Chapel of Faith in the Oaks post. They are wonderful -- I thoroughly recommend a visit. Aussie readers will see some of the graves have Trans Tasman connections.

A couple of things: you'll see a photo there of the Powley-Scott grave. This has been recently cleaned up since Sandy's shot, by a group including Trevor Pollard of WAHS, who took me round the Chapel.

Sandy has also included a photo of the mass burials site of the 1918-1919 influenza victims.

Other collections in her cemeteries series are here.

Avondale Train Station update

I saw the start of the shelters going up yesterday. It's starting to look more like a train station, now.

Glen Eden on a box

Back in July last year, Phil Hanson sent me a clipping from the Western Leader about a mural completed by artist Mark Whyte, on a power control box outside Waikumete Cemetery. Well, Phil -- if you're still out there, I've finally gotten round to taking shots of that box. The first side shows Glen Eden Station, then Waikumete Cemetery, a train, graves, and finally the Chapel of Faith in the Oaks.

I reckon this is one of the finest pieces of control box art I've seen so far.

Another letter to the Western Leader

Yes, I wrote to the Western Leader because Matthew Gray keeps insisting on calling the George Maxwell Memorial Cemetery, "Orchard Street Cemetery".  Good that it's been published (today), but -- will Mr. Gray take notice, or is he just trying to shorthand the name for space and convenience?

I've discussed some of his research earlier, here and here.

Preserving heritage at Waikumete Cemetery

From a bus tour booklet I've been putting together for the West Auckland Historical Society:

In 1876, 100 acres of the present site was reserved by the Crown as a cemetery. A further 188 acres was gazetted in 1881, and in 1883 Auckland City Council applied to have all 288 acres vested to them as a cemetery. Development began in 1884, and the cemetery formally established in 1886. The first official and documented burials took place 17 April that year. Some parts of the cemetery have been transferred for other purposes over the years. In 1989, control was transferred to Waitakere City Council. Historic structures include the Mortuary Chapel “Faith in the Oaks” (1886), Sexton’s House (1886), second crematorium and chapel complex (1949-1956).

 

WAHS (my next-to-home society, after Avondale, seeing as I'm on their committee at the moment) have been campaigning to not only encourage the awareness and preservation of the Chapel of Faith in the Oaks as a heritage building, but also to have the local Waitakere City Council create an extended heritage precinct area encompassing not just the chapel, but also the Sexton's Cottage, presently a private residence.

  

Today, the Sexton's Cottage looks like it's in good nick.

  

  

But the chapel is still receiving some care, and is under restoration. Here are some photos -- I was very fortunate that Trevor Pollard, president of WAHS and a good friend, took me out there to the cemetery yesterday.

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

The good news is -- yes, the chapel is being looked after and restored. The bricks, by the way, originally came from the Hunt brickworks in Avondale. So, this is as much a part of our history on the east side of the Whau River, as it is part of the West.

Two non-heritage photos

 

While walking through a small park off Hurstmere Road in Takapuna, on Saturday 20th February, I was taken by the way the sun gave these seed pods a light green glow.

And today, I saw a flounder swimming in the Opanuku Stream in Henderson, close to the Henderson Mill Bridge on Sel Peacock Drive.

Good sign of the health of the stream, I thought.

J J Boyd's Royal Oak Zoo

I've just uploaded Part 3 of The Zoo War to Scribd -- J J Boyd's Royal Oak Zoo, and his war with the Onehunga Borough Council.

Other parts and segments already uploaded:
The Devonport "Bear Gardens"
Auckland Domain Acclimatisation Gardens
Wellington's Newtown Zoo
The Aramoho Zoo

Avondale Train Station taking shape

It's starting to look like a train station now, beside Layard Street. Spotted the crane yesterday at work on the fittings.

While they'll be rolling trains through the new trench at New Lynn from tomorrow, there's still a lot of work yet. The photo above shows we still have that single track which (they say) will be sorted by June/July or so. Even the new New Lynn Station under Clark Street is just temporary, until they finish shifting things around in terms of the adjacent bus station. 

It'll be interesting when the Avondale Station does open. For a while, until developers go nuts, we should get a bit of a view of the Waitakeres, something we value here.

Kereru by Kitchener Street

Spotted this sculpture while in the city yesterday, at the corner of Wellesley and Kitchener Streets. I can't find any details about it yet online (if anyone knows something, let me know and I'll do an update).

Update 21 October 2010: There you go. Eventually, something crops up.
Phoebe Falconer's column for the NZ Herald included info about this sculpture today. "The name of the sculpture is Woodpigeon on a Circle, it's made of cast bronze, and stands almost 2.5m high. The artist is Paul Dibble, and more of his work is on display at the Gow Langsford Gallery in Lorne St until October 30. The gallery put the woodpigeon on the corner to advertise the exhibition."

Well, maybe not completely correct. My original post was dated in February this year, whiile his "Bird's Eye View" exhibition due to end October 30 began on the 6 October. A hang of a long time to advertise an exhibition, I'd have thought. But at least yes, the wood pigeon is by Paul Dibble.

More on cattle vs. trains

At least the cow at Papakura hit by a train in March 1882 had a fairly quick demise. Not so the cattle belonging to Mr. William Bishop, at Mt Albert later that year. This from the Auckland Star, 14 December 1882.

A serious accident occurred yesterday afternoon to cattle belonging to Mr William Bishop, a settler at Titirangi. The cattle, consisting of two fine bullocks and a heifer, were being driven along the road towards Mount Albert pound by a settler, Wm. Pugh, or his man, with the view of impounding the cattle for trespass, when, in crossing the railway line, they were run over by the 2 p.m. train. One bullock was knocked over, and found to be badly bruised and some of its ribs broken; the other bullock and heifer had their hind legs completely cut off, and, strange to say, the driver finding they could not move, drove the remaining bullock to the pound, and left the maimed animals by the line all night to welter in their blood and suffer the most excruitiating agony. The brutality of the driver, and his utter beastliness, have caused considerable disgust in the district. Mr Bishop states his fees at about £20. A constable has gone to Mount Albert to ascertain the facts of the case, and we understand proceedings will at once be taken against the offenders.