Turua Street Spanish Mission Houses Destroyed

 

8, 10 and 12 Turua Street. Photo: Save Turua Street

We took a field trip to St Heliers, where protests had been heating up over the heritage value of three Spanish Mission style 1930s houses on Turua Street.  These houses, and two Victorian cottages on the same side of the street, are owned by developers Ancona Group, who intend to raze the block to build office, retail and apartment space.  

There is excellent documentation of the fight to keep these buildings on the Save Turua Street Facebook page, outlining the argument for preservation, links to reportage and photographs. 

Since our first visit in mid-January, we've been back to Turua Street three times. 

This is what we saw.

SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 2011

Detailing on number 8

The Little Field Tripper down the driveway between 10 and 12

The Little Field Tripper's favourite detail:  the four plaster dots

We admired this doorway and lead light window detailing

WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY 2011

Save Our St Heliers group signs

The Save Our St Heliers group protesters pegged their signs to the hurricane fencing, sat on make-shift chairs, waved signs at passing cars and talked with any willing passerby.  Well done those people!

THURSDAY 20 JANUARY 2011

After the demolition of the back of number 10

"Deconstruction Artists"

Fencing erected along length of Turua Street. As of today there is an Environment Court hearing pending on the houses, so no further demolition can take place.  The order is in place until Wednesday 26 January

Damage to the back of number 10 Turua Street

 
"The bulldozers will be moving in to destroy another unique piece of Auckland’s heritage after the Environment Court decided today that an enforcement order would not be granted to Save Our St Heliers Society to prevent demolition of the heritage houses in Turua Street."
(Press release, Save Turua Street, 27 January 2011)


 The houses were demolished on Friday 28 January, 2011.

SATURDAY 29 JANUARY 2011