The BurkesPass Heritage Trust Newsletter

August 03

Working Bee and Meeting
A working bee will be held on Sunday the 28th September to plant the Rowan tree avenue as on the village plan and also extend the threshold plantings started last year.
A brief meeting for all to be held 9-10 am with work starting 10 am sharp. Bring anything useful to dig with like shovel, spade, bar or weeding tools /

A Good Hat
There is a saying that cob cottages need‘a good hat and a stout pair of shoes’, in other words something to keep the water out, top and bottom. The Anniss cottage was constructed a tailor made ‘hat’ over a period of 8 days in Easter week this year and doesn’t she look a picture now. A cunning idea evolved to build the roof supported on temporary poles with the aim of one day building up the walls to meet the roof! The Hemmingsen and Batchelor families with Tony Scott andMaurie Angelo put in marathon effort to complete the job. Thanks also toIvan Eason for loan of equipment and D Taylor, G Harris, G and A Hurst for contribution of materials.

Left: The new roof

Right: 3 generations of Anniss’s inspecting progress
Left to right; Brigid and Sally Feely and Noreen Liddy.

Thank you to….

  • The Southern Trust who have made a generous grant for fencing materials,
  • The Mid and South Canterbury Community Trust who have made possible the purchase of 3 year old Rowan trees to create the entrance avenue to the township and a contribution to costs of painting the church
  • The Mackenzie District Council for making a further contribution to planning costs.
  • Stephanie Cordes for auditing our annual accounts.
  • The Munro family who have given permission to plant one side of the Rowan avenue on their property.

Heritage Covenant
The Trust is very pleased to have the agreement of the New Zealand HistoricPlaces Trust in signing off a Heritage Covenant. This is now in the processof being registered on the title of St Patricks Church. This document givesthe building the highest degree of protection available to a building in NewZealand and gives the Burkes Pass Heritage Trust a valuable supporter to enableus to look after it on its original site.

Fishing among the Foundations
An expedition armed with trowel, spade and rake to explore the hidden depthsand great unknown under the floorboards at St Patricks church revealedsome intriguing finds. Sparked by a question of what did the originalwindows look like I was determined to find a shard of glass or evidence ofthem. Putting my best forensic training to work, there rapidly emerged anodd mitten, many fragments of plain opaque window glass, offcuts of joineryand lumps of clay, some with whitewash traces on them. I was soon joined in the hunt by Helen and John Harry. John being afisherman byprofession soon brought forth some real treasure from under theporch; a coal shovel and ash rake, newspaper dated Feb 11th 1954 and piecesof wooden roofing shingles. Later, gold was struck in the form of aleadlight window nearly complete and almostburied under clods ofclay. All plain opaque, colourless glass, it was likely to be a side window but aprecious artifact none the less.Some thoughts

1) Was the church building in its infancy lined with clay plastered and whitewashed wallsand later matchlined?A record in the old church minutes 1882 suggests that it was.

2) Did the porch roof have wooden shingles on it originally?

3) A photo of the windows suggests a coloured border to the front windows. Who might remember what it was? We do know the leadlights were replaced with plain glass about 1959.Can anyone help?

Best Wishes to Jan McCarthy

It was with regret that the Trust received the resignation of Trustee JanMcCarthy at our last meeting . She has moved to Auckland with an excitingand challenging change in career path. While we are sad and pleased she hashad this opportunity she assures us it will not be the last we will see ofher and that her roots will bring her back at some stage.

Website address change

Yes the last web address was a curly one to use. The new one is much moreuser friendly while still being inexpensive.

Annual Subscriptions

A $5 donation will help the Trust to preserve and promote our history for the benefit of all. It will enable us to raise considerably larger sums from community funding organisations by demonstrating we have YOUR support. Please help us to do by returning the subscription slip enclosed.

Many thanks

Jane 03 3481531