Initial demolition work set to begin
Demolition of Wyndham museum will start next week. PHOTO: ODT FILES
Demolition of the Wyndham museum building is set to start next week.
Initial work starting next Monday will involve the establishment of site facilities, fencing, traffic control in front of the building and protection of the overhead power lines before scaffolding is put up, the Southland District Council said in a statement last Thursday.
Demolition of the building will start from June 3 and involve a combination of mechanical and manual deconstruction, using both long-reach excavators with specialist attachments and, where required, hand tools primarily on boundary walls close to existing buildings.
Total demolition and site reinstatement is expected to be completed by June 27.
Southland firm Ryal Bush Transport successfully tendered for the project.
Home to the Wyndham and District Historical Museum, the building was closed in 2017 after it was deemed earthquake prone.
The museum boasted an extensive collection relating to the wider Wyndham area, including family genealogy, sheep and dairy farming, dairy factories, horse racing, household items and histories of local clubs and societies.
Following the building's closure, the collection was digitised with the assistance of Project Ark, a collaboration between the Invercargill City Council and the Southland and Gore district councils to catalogue every item in the region's 12 museums which started in 2018.
Items are available to view online at www.ehive.com.
Dedicated volunteers continue to actively fundraise with the aim of establishing a new museum on the site in the future.
— APL
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
15 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Chook Tree a finalist in national competition
The Chook Tree in Waianakarua in North Otago is a finalist in the Tree of the Year competition. Photo: ODT files Three trees from the North Island will go up against three from the South Island, including a tree from North Otago, in a national competition. The Chook Tree in Waianakarua, north of Palmerston, has been named as a finalist in the Tree of the Year competition. The competition was launched this week and the public was invited to vote for their favourite from a shortlist of six trees across the country. In a statement, the NZ Notable Trees Trust, which runs the competition, said the Tree of the Year was a celebration of the iconic trees that shaped the country's landscapes, memories and communities. The competition shared stories of trees that held cultural, historical, and personal significance — drawing inspiration from the long-running European Tree of the Year competition. Last month, New Zealanders were encouraged to nominate a single tree that held special meaning — not a whole species, but one tree with a unique story. The aim was to highlight the deep-rooted connections we share with these living treasures. NZ Notable Trees Trust trustee Brad Cadwallader said the heart of the competition lay in community engagement. "These trees are part of our shared story — they hold our memories, mark our histories and shape our landscapes." Voting has opened and will close at midnight on June 30. This year's winner will be announced on July 5. Last year the award was given to a northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta) nicknamed ''The Walking Tree''. The distinctive tree is near Karamea Cemetery on the West Coast. Tree finalists The Fairy Tree, Auckland Domain St Luke's Gum, Greytown Rangiora Borough School Redwood Te Herenga Ora, Burnside High School, Christchurch The Phantom Rātā, Lake Ōkataina The Chook Tree, Waianakarua, Otago — APL
Otago Daily Times
17 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Voluntary roles proving hard to fill
PHOTO: ODT FILES Queenstowners seem less willing to put their hands up for voluntary roles than before, a community arts stalwart says. Queenstown Arts Society chairwoman Tracy Porteous says the organisation has been looking for a treasurer for nearly six months, and the situation's "getting urgent". It's also getting difficult to fill its committee roles, something she's aware other local non-profits are also struggling with. Porteous says she's noticed a "sea change" in people's willingness to volunteer, and thinks the Covid pandemic and ensuing economic shock may be partly to blame. "I think the new economic realities of life are slowing people down in terms of giving service to the community." A fine arts photographer who has been the arts society's chair for the past 18 months, she says incorporated societies are required by law to fill the roles in their constitutions. Those requirements are set to become more stringent next year when new legislation comes into effect. When a lack of volunteers puts too onerous a burden on committee members, there's a risk of people walking away. She's urging locals to think about how they can contribute, because in her experience "you receive a lot in return". "You feel more connected, and you see the value of the effort you make, which feels good."
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Fundraising to start as St John station consented
The Waitaki District Council headquarters in Oamaru's Thames St. Photo: ODT files Fundraising for Oamaru's new ambulance station starts next week. The Waitaki District Council has granted resource consent for the long-awaited project. The new Hato Hone St John station will be built on an area of land that will be subdivided off the northwest corner of 4 Weston Rd. The charitable organisation hopes that construction of the new station for Oamaru will start in the 2026 financial year. Otago Southland district operations manager David Milne said the new station would also have a public training facility. "The team is very excited about getting a new station as once it is complete, it will future-proof our operations. "Having a new station will have an incredibly positive impact on Hato Hone St John's people and services in Oamaru and will ensure the organisation can support the town and its surrounding rural district for years to come." "Once it is finished, the new station will also ensure our team can continue operating through any disruption or natural disaster. "We still need to fundraise for this project, though, so really do appreciate the continued support of the North Otago community," Mr Milne said. The Oamaru project will form part of St John's annual national fundraising campaign. This month, the organisation hopes to raise $4.5 million for the building and urgent repair and rebuild of 13 ambulance stations around New Zealand. Chief executive Peter Bradley said this year's appeal was about more than just raising money for bricks and mortar. "This is about future-proofing our stations, the home base for our emergency crews, so that no matter what tomorrow brings, our teams will always be there for communities when they need us most," Mr Bradley said. "For our ambulance officers, they [stations] are also a home away from home and a place to reset, recharge and connect with each other after attending a callout." Ambulance stations were also often a vital community hub for volunteers including those delivering first-aid training and running St John Youth programmes. Hato Hone St John staff and volunteers will be out on the streets of Oamaru with collection buckets on June 14 and June 15. Schools and businesses will be supporting them with local fundraising activities. • To donate online, visit the Light the Way Annual Appeal website at
