Hende's Gallery is the name given to a part cantilevered, part suspended balcony which forms a small section of the Robert Point Track at Franz Josef Glacier. The track was constructed in 1907 and was financed by the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts. Its purpose was to provide tourists with a good vantage point from which to view the glacier. Hende's Gallery was built by and named for Peter Hende. It was originally two distinct sections, designed to take tourists with some ease over difficult country, in this case sheer rock walls, and also to provide a close view of the glacier. The gallery was built by men suspended from above the wall on ropes or cages who drilled holes and erected the structure. The present gallery was the higher of the two. The lower section was swept away by a spectacular advance of the glacier just two years after it was completed. Photographs of the nearly completed gallery show the glacier just metres away from the valley wall. Later shots show the twisted wreckage of the lower gallery next to the glacier. The Roberts Point Track quickly became a popular walk. The gallery was an added attraction. From the point it was possible to drop onto the glacier and walk across to the other side, where, from 1913, Defiance Hut was located. In ensuing years the walk has maintained its popularity but the glacier has now receded some hundreds of metres into the valley floor. The gallery was just one of a number of structures and features that were part of the Robert Point Track. Financed by the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, these bridges, steps, drainage and tracks were maintained by the Graham brothers for many decades. The Graham brothers were well known in the area as hoteliers and mountain guides.
Location
List Entry Information
Overview
Detailed List Entry
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 1
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
7166
Date Entered
4th April 1994
Date of Effect
4th April 1994
City/District Council
Westland District
Region
West Coast Region
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