New entrance for Durie Hill Elevator

The proposed entrance to Durie Hill Elevator. Picture / Supplied

Last year, The Durie Hill Elevator celebrated its centenary. The Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust wished to celebrate this milestone with a new entranceway on Anzac Pde to replace the tired entrance built in 1976.

With an initial grant from council, which owns the site, the trust undertook to design and fundraise for a replacement. The trust has raised about $245,000 and construction will begin this year.

Trustee Bruce Falk led the project, along with trustees Mary-Ann Ewing and Ann McNamara but sadly Bruce died at the end of 2019.

Bruce Dickson took over leading the project and Dennis McGowan joined the working group.

The designer of the new entranceway is graduate architect Henry Dickson, grandson of trustee and architect Bruce Dickson.

His design was selected by the trust, following public consultation at their Home Show Heritage stand and a low-key competitive process. Materials of the new entranceway are low-maintenance with a metal alloy pergola.

The elevator, tunnel and tower are unique to Whanganui. The elevator is New Zealand's only public underground elevator. It is one of only two elevators in the world which service a hill suburb in a town (the other is the Santa Justa Elevator in Lisbon, Portugal). A unique facility and part of the history of Whanganui.

The Durie Hill Elevator is ranked by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 Historic Place.

The elevator and tunnel are by far the most visited tourist attraction in Whanganui, with an average of 3129 visitors per month (March 2017-February 2018). During this period, this tourist facility attracted a total of 37, 547 visitors.)

New interpretative boards explaining the significance of the elevator and tower and their history will be placed on the walls of the entrance.

In due course it is hoped a bike rack will be positioned nearby so those arriving here via the National Bike Trail will have a safe place to leave their bicycles while visiting this tourist attraction.

The location of several secure storage lockers for use by joggers, cyclists, walkers and runners would also be desirable subject to funding.

Iwi have been consulted on the removal of the original carvings by Austin Brassel, which have been removed with proper ceremony. A new pou, represented in the draft drawings, will be carved in due course, subject to funding.

Council has now stepped in to control the demolition and construction of the new entranceway. Delays have been experienced due to the impact of Covid-19 and we hope by the end of 2020 the project will be completed.

The trust would like to thank John Maihi, council staff, Step-up Durie Hill and local iwi for their support for this project. The NZ Lottery Grants Board contributed $140,000, Four Regions Trust $50,000, Whanganui District Council $50,000 and a raising dinner hosted and supported by the Red Lion Inn raised $3500.