Lyttelton – It's a Working Port – With a Lot of History but No Actual Museum
I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a while; I didn't dare put it in the book. Which is being launched today, woo-hoo!!!
Lyttelton, a historic working port, has been without a museum since the Canterbury earthquakes. The original museum, near the British Hotel*, housed a collection of local historical artefacts and memorabilia.
(*Home of The Commoners, where my book launch is at 5pm today, if you are reading this on Thursday 7th November)
The Original Museum Building
The old building met its demise in two stages: first closing after damage from the September 2010 earthquake, then sustaining critical damage from the February 2011 earthquake and aftershocks.
The Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade and Air Force Museum coordinated two salvage operations to rescue the collection. By September 2011, the building was demolished.
The New Museum Plan
Plans for a new museum, Te Ūaka, took shape when the Christchurch City Council gifted an empty site next to the Lyttelton library. The proposed design is extraordinary.
I love it, though many don’t. There is the design and then there is parking. The Lyttelton farmers' market already causes bees in a fair few bonnets. And it’s only for half a day each week. A striking, Guggenheim-esque museum would likely attract many more visitors and their cars.
It will also be expensive:
A total fundraising target of $9.9M has been set for the new Museum, which includes the cost of the build construction, museum fit-out, display design and installation, professional fees, and one year of operating costs. It is anticipated that it will take approximately four years to raise this sum, but construction could commence sooner, once 50% of the cost of the build has been raised.
Even if there was full community support, rising construction costs, stringent regulations, pandemic-related delays, and supply chain issues have made the project increasingly unlikely to proceed. As all the other empty lots in London Street show, it’s bloody hard to build something new.
The Woolstore
Meanwhile, ten minutes walk from the museum site, the Woolstore stands empty. This building, owned by the Lyttelton Port Company (majority-owned by the Christchurch Council, ie. us), was largely completed in 2018, but has only hosted temporary exhibitions and events. Despite its prime harbour-side location and ample parking, it struggles to secure long-term tenants.
If only we could find a solution to these two problems.
You can read more about what it's like to live in small-town New Zealand in my book, "A New Zealand Diary: Living in Lyttelton".
“Alex has captured the essence of Lyttelton.”
— Gary McCormick (who has read the book)
“It’s the best book I’ve read about Lyttelton”
— Conan O’Brien (who has not read any books about Lyttelton, but who is a good bloke)
The launch is today!!! 🚀 🚀🚀 See you at The Commoners if you can make it.
Thanks to the people who pre-ordered 40 of the limited edition (numbered 1 to 100), signed books.
The remaining books will be at the launch and cost $40 (RRP $45).
Book details, a sample chapter and launch info are at alexhallatt.com/nzd
I’ll be putting up details of the general release edition as soon as my head stops spinning.
Thank you for being one of the good humans.
Alex
P.S. Molly has had a sore paw. It was so bad on Sunday that she had a terrible limp and only left her bed for food. I booked the vet for Monday morning and she walked in with no limp at all. The vet said the paw was fine apart from some inflammation.
I took her to the beach afterwards to make up for the trauma and she ran after the ball like normal.
Her miraculous cure was gone by the afternoon so she’s been forced to take it easier the rest of this week and will not be at the launch. Probably for the best, as I’ll be too busy to watch for approaching border terriers/fluffy dogs/spaniels/playful Alsatians.
Congrats on your book! It’s really inspiring to see how you’re publishing it. Thanks for sharing that!
Congratulations!!!