Fate of Dannevirke windmill up in the air

The future of Dannevirke's iconic windmill is uncertain. Photo / File

A safety fence was erected around the Copenhagen Square windmill yesterday morning and work on emptying the craft shop that occupies has begun.

Rangitāne chairman Stephen Paewai said yesterday the building was to be red stickered on Friday and a decision would be made by the Te Tahu Trust, which administers the building, as to its fate.

"The trustees have been contacted and we will have a meeting to decide what will happen.

"We don't know yet whether it will be repaired or whether it will have to come down."

He said over time damage had been caused to the balcony by people climbing on it.

"People would camp behind the windmill at might and hide out behind it.

"We contacted Greatbatch Builders to take down a portion of the balcony and secure it.

"They had two workers available yesterday so they removed some of the exterior panels.

"I then had a phone call saying I'd better come and have a look at what they had uncovered. That was when I was alerted to the fact that there was more damage than we thought."

The wood beneath the panels was found to be rotten and Tararua District Council was contacted.

The windmill was built in 1990 following the Mother's Day earthquake.

Paewai said over the years the windmill had attracted a lot of attention.

"When the trees were cut down from the Domain Triangle some people wanted to move the windmill there. Another group of people in Woodville wanted it moved there but I said it would probably be more economic to build a new one rather than try and move it," Paewai said.

One person who didn't want to see the windmill moved was the late Keith Smith who owned the sports shop opposite.

"He said he had a lot of travellers call in who didn't know Dannevirke but they all knew the windmill."

So the windmill stayed in Copenhagen Square and has always been occupied by arts and crafts type shops.

Work on emptying the windmill craft shop began yesterday morning.

Current tenant Wiki Parkinson has been given until Friday to vacate the shop.

She has run her shop selling Māori crafts she has created and artworks for three and a half years.

"I'm really sad to be leaving the shop. I love it here. Copenhagen Square is the heart of the community. The older people always stop in and I'll make them a cup of coffee. If they have shopping bags I'll give them a lift home."

Paewai said the motor connected to the blades was switched off years ago.

"When they were on permanently people would grab hold of the sails and get spun around by them so we had to turn them off. Occasionally on a market day we would turn them on again."

He said it was a sad situation all around.

"I believe originally it was to be purely ornamental but a souvenir shop opened in it soon after it was built.

"It is probably the most photographed building in Dannevirke. I wouldn't call it iconic but I would say it is unusual."