Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand
On January 5th and 6th, Tirau held its 2nd annual Art in the Garden display. Many people looked at the lovely gardens and art work on display and a good number of paintings were sold.
Possibly the best-known building in the southern half of New Zealand’s South Island, Dunedin Railway Station is a jewel in the country’s architectural crown.Designed by George Troup, the station is the fourth building to have served as Dunedin’s railway station. It earned its architect the nickname of “Gingerbread George”.
In Flemish Renaissance style, the station is constructed from local dark basalt rock capped with lighter Oamaru stone, giving it the distinctive light and dark pattern common in many of the more stately buildings of both Dunedin and Christchurch. The booking hall features a mosaic floor of almost 750,000 tiles of Royal Doulton porcelain. Its main platform is the country’s longest, being one kilometre in length.
It was opened in 1906 by Prime Minister Joseph Ward. A thorough refurbishment of the exterior took place in the late 1990s, accompanied by the landscaping of the gardens outside the entrance, in Anzac Square.
Title: Mainstreet Seat and Table
Artist: Kennedy, Karen
Location: Onehunga Town Centre
Description: The seat is made of hand painted ceramic tiles illustrating Onehunga’s heritage buildings. The accompanying anthropomorphic table features a chess board with its own audience.
Significance: Installed in 1999 as the inaugural work of the
‘Onehunga Mainstreet Urban Renewal Through the Arts’
programme. Secret messages and inscriptions are underneath
the chess table for those who take the time to look.
Material: Ceramic Tiles
For more information: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz
Once upon a time I was a student in this garden city. Vicki Buck was the mayor then and she was very innovative and encouraged the city to develop its tourist potential especially in the heart of the city. And the heart of the city is definitely Cathedral Square.
The view from the top of the Cathedral is well worth the climb. The building on the corner there is the old Post Office and it got saved from demolition back in the early 90s. These days I hear it is a Starbucks.
There is lots of artwork all around the Square…
And if you have time to kill, why not a game of chess?
Or listen to the Wizard. A National Treasure who is the Wizard of New Zealand and a Living work of Art.
It’s worth a look inside the Cathedral too.
And what is a cathedral without a mosaic or three? Looking up…
and looking down…
But there is other artwork too…
My parents retired to Waimate which is a nice little town in South Canterbury. I used to walk past St Augustine’s when I used to go up the street.
So if you ever have the opportunity to visit New Zealand, don’t forget to visit the Garden City. It’s a charming place.