It might not be a thing of undisputed beauty, but there is strong support for the return of Kaitaia's Space Age town clock. Photo / Peter Jackson
It was with some relief that I read the excellent article regarding our historic town clock (February 2). That it has not been lost and forgotten. Thank you to Bill Morris for the care and effort he has put into maintaining it over the years.
The only thing I cannot
agree with in the article is that it "now looks strange, inappropriate and rather ugly." It was from a flamboyant era, when we were all excited about space exploration, during the now called Retro Era.
Remember when our elders and ancestors considered Victorian and Art Deco architecture strange, inappropriate and rather ugly? Now it is seen as a period of beauty and outstanding design. Our town clock is from that new Retro Space Age era, and should be preserved for what it is.
It shouldn't be rebuilt from scratch, as mentioned, but should be restored and modified structurally, with quality permanent materials, but maintain the original exterior cladding, dials and hands (so it's a restoration and not a copy). But replace the worn, tired master and slave movements, that have been problematic over the years, with appropriate quality, modern movements.
No one is in town these days needing to see the time, so place it outside, on the corner of Te Ahu, surrounded with our other history, as a feature for future generations to enjoy, with the old movements displayed inside Te Ahu.
