Bright future for Plunket building

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF THE PAST: Some of the crew helping restore the architectural gem are feeling confident about their plans. Historic places Tairawhiti member Sheridan Gundry, restorer Mike Eriksen, Historic Places Trust member and artist Jessie Blackwood, chairman of Historic Places Tairawhiti and chairman of Tairawhiti Heritage Trust James Blackburne. Pictures by Liam Clayton

THERE was a touch of serendipity to help speed restoration of the once-derelict Plunket Building in Palmerston Road.

Historic Places Tairawhiti (HPT) and Tairawhiti Heritage Trust have begun restoring the building after years of uncertainty about its future.

The trust owns the building and HPT will convert it into a heritage centre, a physical base for the organisation.

HPT planned to convert the building into the centre in 2013 but lack of funding halted progress.

HPT committee member Sheridan Gundry said the state of the building just kept deteriorating and was the object of vandalism.

“A meeting was set up in August to figure out what we were going to do with it and by chance, the night before, Jess Blackwood rang and said she was keen on helping to restore the building and using part of it as an art studio. It was all rather fortuitous.”

Blackwood, an artist and general practitioner, had admired the building for years.

“I love its historic nature, the aspect and its great natural light," she said.

"The building connects to people and I wanted to bring that to life again. Places like this are a great part of Gisborne’s story and I think it’s sad not to see them used.”

Blackwood is using one of the rooms to complete six artworks by the middle of next year.

Purpose-built for PlunketThe building, completed in 1934 from a design by Gisborne architect Fred Forge, was purpose-built for Plunket. The organisation moved from the premises in 1996 because of lack of space.

Thousands of Gisborne children would have visited the building at some stage during its time as Plunket, Ms Gundry said.

“Although the building has been vacant for 20 years, it holds much history and people are interested in it.

“A few months ago, it was boarded up, a derelict eyesore and an embarrassment to the committee."

In the space of a few months, Blackwood, Gundry, her husband Mike Eriksen, Historic Places committee members including Roger Bell and the public have transformed the building.

“We had no money, but we just cleaned, scraped, lifted carpet, cleaned again, fixed the broken windows and painted inside and out. We’re still working on the windows,” Ms Gundry said.

“We have made huge progress thanks to a lot of volunteer input and materials.

“But it’s not over yet. We will be looking to raise substantial funding to complete its transformation.”

Architectural drawings are being finalised to get a figure of how much it would cost the trust to restore it properly, which includes levelling the floor.

“What was an eyesore in the middle of the city will find a new pride of place and a new life,” Ms Gundry said.

“We want to gather stories and information about the Plunket Building itself and have an area within the building dedicated to its own history.

“We also want to have revolving exhibitions about the region’s heritage. There’s so much potential.”

Historic Places Tairawhiti chairman and architect James Blackburne said the future for the building is exciting.

“The long-term goal is to have the building as a heritage centre where people can come and find out about built heritage for the region," he said.

“We want it to be a place to start our tours, in a similar way to what Hawke’s Bay has done with their Art Deco Trust.

“We have an amazing assembly of architectural styles and history, and some really great stories that come with the architecture.

“There is a real passion to learn about and and see our heritage.”