Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand on Kokako Street was designed by architect Oscar Albert (‘O.A’) Jorgensen and built in 1924 as part of improvements to the recreation grounds (now Memorial Park) in Taihape. The grandstand reflects the development of sports and recreation amenities in Aotearoa New Zealand during the late nineteenth – early twentieth centuries and is closely connected to the history of club rugby. The grandstand is architecturally significant as a well-preserved representative example of grandstand from this era and is of considerable social significance to the Taihape community. Taihape is located at the heart of the Mōkai Pātea rohe which was first settled by Ngāti Hotu. The tangata whenua of Mōkai Pātea are Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti and Ngāti Whitikaupeka, who all trace their whakakapapa back to sons of celebrated explorer Tamatea Pōkai Whenua of the Takitimu waka. The four iwi of Mōkai Pātea arrived over a period of seven generations, driving out Ngāti Hotu, and became closely related through intermarriage. In the late 1860s the first Pākehā arrived to settle in the northern part of the rohe, where they took up sheep runs after negotiating private leases on land such as the Ngāti Whitikaupeka-owned Oruamatua-Kaimanawa block. Taihape was established in September 1894 following the Crown acquisition and partitioning of the substantial Awarua Block at the heart of the Mōkai Pātea rohe, extending from Mangaweka to Moawhango. Sections on Awarua 4A1 (formerly part of the Ngāti Tamakōpiri block Awarua 4A) were made available for settlement under the Liberal Government’s Farm Improvement Settlement Scheme. When the first colonial settlers arrived from Christchurch and Wellington, Taihape (originally known as Hautapu, then Otaihape) was little more than a rough clearing in dense native bush, but by the end of 1897 extensive bush clearance had been undertaken and Taihape was developing into a fledgling township. It included a large recreation reserve which became more commonly known as the ‘Oval Domain’ following improvements in the early 20th century. A grandstand had long been proposed at the Oval Domain, and was even suggested as a fitting World War One memorial for the town, but it wasn’t erected until 1924 after the Taihape Borough Council sought plans and specifications as part of further ground improvements. The grandstand was designed by Palmerston North architect O.A. Jorgensen and built by Taihape builder Henry Hesketh on the south-western perimeter of the Oval Domain, facing onto the playing fields. Jorgensen’s 1923 architectural plan shows a large two-storey timber grandstand comprising 10 rows of tiered bench seating with amenities underneath – a central refreshment room with a ladies’ and men’s cloak room either end. The Rangitīkei Agricultural and Pastoral Association was reportedly the first ‘organised body’ to use the grandstand during their fourteenth annual show in January 1925, but many other groups and associations have made use of it over the years, and it has been the venue for numerous civic events. The grandstand is most closely connected with rugby and the local clubs - the Taihape Rugby and Sports Club and Utiku & Old Boys Rugby Football Club. Countless matches have been played at Memorial Park, with spectators filling the grandstand and players utilising the facilities underneath. There have been some changes to the grandstand over the years, most of which relate to the ground floor interior, but it largely retains its original exterior form. The future of the grandstand is currently (2022) being investigated; anticipated strengthening works and community support will help ensure its preservation for future generations to enjoy.
Location
List Entry Information
Overview
Detailed List Entry
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
9843
Date Entered
12th December 2022
Date of Effect
1st January 2023
City/District Council
Rangitīkei District
Region
Horizons (Manawatū-Whanganui) Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes part of the land described as Sec 1 Blk X Town of Taihape (NZ Gazette 1899, p.259), Wellington Land District and the building known as Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand thereon. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).
Legal description
Sec 1 Blk X Town of Taihape (NZ Gazette 1899, p.259), Wellington Land District
Location Description
E1840304 / N5604273 (NZTM) - taken from approximate centre of the grandstand in aerial view.
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
9843
Date Entered
12th December 2022
Date of Effect
1st January 2023
City/District Council
Rangitīkei District
Region
Horizons (Manawatū-Whanganui) Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes part of the land described as Sec 1 Blk X Town of Taihape (NZ Gazette 1899, p.259), Wellington Land District and the building known as Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand thereon. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).
Legal description
Sec 1 Blk X Town of Taihape (NZ Gazette 1899, p.259), Wellington Land District
Location Description
E1840304 / N5604273 (NZTM) - taken from approximate centre of the grandstand in aerial view.
Cultural Significance
Social Significance or Value Sport, particularly rugby, is a large part of social life in Taihape and fosters a sense of community. Memorial Park (formerly the recreation ground/Oval Domain) has been the focus of sporting life in Taihape since the late nineteenth century, and the erection of the grandstand in 1924 was a significant milestone in the development of park amenities. It provided a sheltered space from which to enjoy sport and the ground floor facilities were utilised by rugby teams, something which continues to this day. The grandstand has also played a key role in the annual A.& P. show at Memorial Park and various other civic events, and is regarded as an icon in the Taihape community as a place that has brought people together for close to 100 years. Recent discussions over the future of the grandstand have clearly demonstrated strong community support for its retention and restoration, as evidenced by the 648-signature petition presented to the Rangitīkei District Council and submissions on the Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan consultation document.
Historic Significance
Historical Significance or Value Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand has historical significance through its association with the development of sport and recreation facilities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Sport and recreation are key contributors to our national identity and the grandstand reflects the efforts of local authorities to provide suitable amenities to support people’s leisure activities during the late nineteenth – early twentieth centuries. The grandstand also has historical value through its enduring association with Taihape rugby as well as the annual A.& P show, a significant event in the community calendar since 1912. The grandstand’s inclusion within a wider commemorative landscape with the development of War Memorial Park in the early 1950s adds a further layer of historical value.
Physical Significance
Architectural Significance or Value Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand is architecturally significant as a strong representative example of late nineteenth – early twentieth century grandstand architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand. Grandstands from this period are becoming rarer, and of the remaining examples, the Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand has a high level of authenticity and intactness. Whilst there have been changes to the ground floor amenities, modifications to the grandstand’s exterior form have been minimal and it exhibits little change from the original 1923 architectural plan. It also retains a significant proportion of original fabric, notably the tiered timber bench seating and weatherboard cladding, and its structural system (involving in-situ concrete columns and exposed structural steel columns) adds to its architectural interest.
Detail Of Assessed Criteria
This place was assessed against the Section 66(3) criteria and found to qualify under the following criteria a, e, h, j and k. The assessment concludes that this place should be listed as a Category 2 historic place. (a) The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand is strongly connected to the history of sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand and retains a significant proportion of original fabric, with minimal change to its exterior form. It reflects the late nineteenth – early twentieth century development of sport and recreation facilities to enable people to come together for leisure, particularly within rural communities where such facilities often became a cornerstone of community life. The grandstand’s most significant and enduring association is with the local rugby clubs, and it reflects the importance of rugby within Aotearoa New Zealand where communities across the country continue to gather together every weekend over winter to enjoy our national game. (e) The community association with, or public esteem for the place The Taihape community hold the Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand in high esteem and regard it as a community ‘icon’ and one of the town’s most significant heritage places. Community consultation over recent years has demonstrated their strength of connection to the grandstand and their commitment to its preservation and restoration. In 2020 nearly half of the town’s population signed a petition presented to Rangitīkei District Council which favoured upgrading the grandstand’s ground floor amenities over construction of a new separate amenities block. Consultation on the Rangitīkei District Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan also revealed strong support for the grandstand. For many in Taihape, the grandstand is imbued with fond memories of time spent with family and friends, and it is still a place where people come together most weekends to enjoy rugby, other sports and community events such as the annual A.&P. show. (h) The symbolic or commemorative value of the place Whilst it was not originally built as a war memorial, the grandstand has taken on commemorative value through its inclusion within the clearly defined boundary of War Memorial Park. War Memorial Park was created as a Second World War memorial through the extension of the Oval Domain in the early 1950s and the grandstand is closely connected to the memorial gates and memorial garden, which are located to its immediate north-west. (j) The importance of identifying rare types of historic places Numerous grandstands were built across Aotearoa New Zealand during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but surviving examples are becoming increasingly rare, with the demolition of several grandstands from this period over the last decade. Late nineteenth – early twentieth century grandstands are significant for reflecting the early colonial history of sports and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand and the construction of suitable amenities to enable people to enjoy their leisure time. Of the remaining examples of grandstands from this period, the Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand is especially noteworthy as it is particularly intact, includes a significant proportion of original fabric, and largely retains its original exterior form. (k) The extent to which the place forms part of a wider historical and cultural area Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand is a key feature within the wider historic landscape of Memorial Park, which has its origins in the development of the Taihape recreation ground in the late nineteenth century and encompasses native bush, playing fields and a range of sport and recreation amenities. Of particular historical note are the memorial gate and memorial garden just to the north-west of the grandstand. The clubrooms of the Utiku & Old Boys Rugby and Football Club are also thematically linked to the grandstand, and are located just to its south-east. Summary of Significance or Values Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand clearly meets the threshold for entry on the List as a Category 2 historic place. It is associated with the history of sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand and reflects the provision of suitable facilities to support people’s leisure activities during the late nineteenth – early twentieth centuries. The grandstand has a significant and lengthy association with rugby in particular and is architecturally significant as a well-preserved representative example of an early 20th century grandstand. It has strong social value as a key focus of community life in Taihape for close to 100 years, where residents have enjoyed countless rugby matches and various other sporting and cultural events. The grandstand is held in high esteem by the Taihape community who want to see it restored for future generations to enjoy.
Construction Professional
Biography
Oscar Albert Jorgensen was born in Hillerod, Denmark in 1883 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1902, aged 19 years, with one of his four brothers. Jorgensen applied for naturalisation in 1905 and that same year the rest of his family arrived from Denmark. He initially worked as a cooper in Wellington and also established a building and contracting firm with his brother Valdemar and Carl Johann in Newtown, Wellington. There are references to ‘Jorgensen Bros. and Johann’ tendering for various Wellington building works from 1907 and they advertised themselves as builders, contractors and cabinetmakers as well as shop and office fitters and makers of air-tight show cases. The partnership dissolved in 1909, at which time Oscar Jorgensen carried on the business under the same name, though he soon became insolvent. In July 1910 Jorgensen applied for a patent for a casement window faster and in 1911 he had opened his own independent architectural practise in Palmerston North. He opened a second office in Dannevirke in August 1911. Later that year Jorgensen submitted a design for the Parliament Buildings architectural competition. He went on to design a number of buildings throughout the Manawatū-Whanganui region, including several in reinforced concrete, and he registered as an architect with the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) in 1914, becoming an Associate in 1915. Examples of Jorgensen’s early work included the grandstand and totaliser building at Dannevirke Showgrounds (1912-1913); a second grandstand at the Dannevirke Racecourse (1913-1914); Dustin’s Railway Refreshment Shop, New Plymouth (1913); a cheese factory for the Glen Oroua Co-operative Dairy Co., Rangiotu (1913); the Picture Palace, Palmerston North (1915); a butter factory, Makino (1916); the re-built King’s Theatre, Taihape (1916); additions to Dannevirke Hospital (1917) and Waipukurau Hospital (1919) and the Dannevirke Soldiers’ Institute (built 1919). He also designed a number of residential buildings throughout the Manawatū. Jorgensen entered into partnership with Ebenezer Hislop (‘E.H.’) Jamieson in September 1919 and the firm ‘Jorgensen and Jamieson’ designed buildings such as the Manakau Hotel (1920), children’s wards at Dannevirke Hospital (1921), and business premises for Hosking Engineering Co., Lombard Street, Palmerston North (1922). The partnership of Jorgensen and Jamieson dissolved in March 1923, after which both parties continued with separate businesses, despite Jorgensen subsequently going bankrupt in 1926. Examples of Jorgensen’s work during the 1920s include the Elgin Building, Cuba Street (1923); Methodist Church, Cuba Street (1923); a cordial factory for Messrs Dixons Ltd., Fitzherbert Street (1924) and a brewery building for Burton Brewery Co. Ltd, Ferguson Street (1929), all in Palmerston North. He also designed numerous residential buildings and had several commissions in Taihape, including the grandstand at the Oval Domain (1924) and abattoir (1925). By the late 1920s Jorgensen was also advertising his services as a structural engineer and in 1929 he was the architect for the Victoria Estate, Lower Hutt where he prepared plans ‘for residences and bungalows in the Old English, Elizabethan, Tudor, and Colonial designs’. By late 1930 Jorgensen had relocated to Lower Hutt and in 1931 he was suspended from the NZIA, potentially as a result of the various court cases he had been involved with over preceding months. There is evidence that he continued to practise as an architect though as in 1936 he designed a residential conversion in Hawkestone Crescent, Wellington and he also worked for the Housing Construction Branch, State Advances Corporation in the 1930s. Jorgensen was declared bankrupt again in 1939 - at which time his occupation was noted as ‘Engineer’ - and appears to have remained an undischarged bankrupt through until his later years. He died in Wellington in 1967.
Name
Oscar Albert Jorgensen (1883-1967)
Type
Architect
Biography
Henry Hesketh was born in Burscough, Lancashire, England on 24 May 1886. He appears to have emigrated to Sydney, Australia aboard the S.S. Ortona in August 1905, before travelling on to New Zealand a few months later, landing in Napier. Sources differ as to when and where Hesketh met fellow builder Herbert John Barrett but it’s understood that they both worked in Wellington as carpenters before Hesketh relocated to Taihape in 1908 and Barrett followed not long after. Hesketh and Barrett were responsible for alterations to the Taihape Post Office (1913) and construction of the Kakahi Post Office (1914). It seems that Barrett initially worked for Hesketh who advertised his services as a ‘Builder & Contractor’ in the Taihape Daily Times during the period 1914-1915, having taken over the workshop of A.L, Luke on Kaka Road, Taihape. In late 1919 Hesketh commenced work on ‘a ladies’ rest room and conveniences’ at the Oval Domain and in 1920 he was noted as the builder of a new brick mechanic garage for Mr V. Nicholls on Tui Street, described as ‘an example of skilful and conscientious workmanship’. In 1924 Hesketh constructed the new grandstand at the Taihape Oval Domain (now Taihape Memorial Park) and by the mid-1920s Hesketh and Barrett had entered into formal partnership as ‘Messrs Barrett and Co.’ Taihape buildings erected by Messrs Barrett and Co. included the British Imperial Oil Company Offices (1926) and a four-storey brew house at the Cascade Brewery site (1938). They also constructed numerous state houses in Taihape, including seven houses in Lark Street (1938) and four houses in Thrush Street, Taihape (1939). Barrett and Co. won the tender to construct a further 13 state houses in 1948, at a time when there was an acute demand for state housing in Taihape. Barrett and Hesketh died in September 1949 and June 1952 respectively and Barrett and Co. passed to Hesketh’s three sons, two of whom were also builders (Robert and Harry).
Name
Henry Hesketh (1886-1952)
Type
Builder
Construction Details
Description
Addition of sanitary facilities to men’s cloak room
Start Year
1925
Type
Modification
Description
Installation of ticket office at north-western end
Period
1930s
Type
Modification
Description
Enclosure of north-western end of grandstand
Start Year
1945
Type
Modification
Description
Partition of ladies’ cloak room at south-eastern end of the grandstand and creation of St John’s Ambulance room
Start Year
1950
Type
Modification
Description
Replacement of stairs either side of central staircase
Period
Post-1970
Type
Modification
Description
Storm Damage
Start Year
1980
Type
Damaged
Description
Reconfiguration of ground floor amenities; repairs and strengthening work following storm damage; roof replacement
Period
1980s
Type
Refurbishment/renovation
Description
Removal of original brick chimney from former public refreshment room on south-western elevation
Period
Post-2017
Type
Modification
Description
Addition of three rugby club murals above top tier of seating
Start Year
2019
Type
Modification
Start Year
1924
Type
Original Construction
Construction Materials
Timber (rimu, heart mataī, oregon), corrugated iron, steel (posts), reinforced concrete (columns), cast and wrought iron
Mōkai Pātea Mōkai Pātea in the central North Island extends from the Desert Road in the north to just south of Rātā near Marton, eastwards to the Ngaruroro River and the summit of the Ruahine ranges, and ends just west of State Highway 1 and Taihape. The four iwi of the Mōkai Pātea rohe are Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Whitikaupeka and Ngāti Tamakōpiri, and all descend from the common founding ancestor, celebrated explorer Tamatea Pōtai Whenua of the Takitimu waka. Tamakōpiri was the son of Tamatea Pōkai Whenua and his wife Taanewhare; Te Ohuake descended from Kahungunu, son of Tamatea Pōkai Whenua and his wife Iwipūpū; and Hauiti and Whitikaupeka were cousins and the great-grandsons of Punua who descended from Ruaehu, son of Tamatea Pōkai Whenua and his wife Kahukare. Tamatea Pōkai Whenua had journeyed into Mōkai Pātea where he named a number of places and left several mōkai (pets) as an indication of his mana and claiming of the land. The bestowing of names and leaving of mōkai provided a take (claim) under which his descendants could return and the people of Mōkai Pātea arrived over a period of seven generations, driving out the original Ngāti Hotu people, about whom little is known. The Arrival of Pākehā The people of Mōkai Pātea had certainly felt the impact of Pākehā by the mid-1860s, but there were essentially no Pākehā residing in their rohe at that time, and tangata whenua there ‘remained largely unknown to the outside world’. That soon changed following the arrangement of leases with private runholders in the late 1860s in the northern part of the rohe. In 1868 brothers Captain Azim and William John Birch were the first Pākehā to settle in Mōkai Pātea after negotiating with Ngāti Whitikaupeka to lease a sheep run on the Oruamatua-Kaimanawa block, northeast of Moawhango. Other early runholders followed but transportation of wool was an issue with no road or rail access. In 1883 the ‘Gentle Annie’ road from Napier finally connected to Moawhango, which went on to become the ‘business centre’ of inland Pātea, and access was also improving in the southern part of Mōkai Pātea. A bridle track was cut along the survey line of the Main Trunk Railway in the mid-1880s and by 1888 the railhead had reached Kaikarangi, just north of Hunterville. At this time the future site of Taihape was still dense native bush on the banks of the Hautapu River, reachable only by the rough bridle track which was described by one rider in 1889 as 30 inches (76 centimetres) deep in mud and impassable on foot. The area started to assume some importance as a key roading junction where the bridle track connected with Field’s Track to Mataroa to the west and Moawhango Track to the east, and it became a stopping point for the coaches heading north. The establishment of Taihape by Pākehā settlers was still several years off though – its site was within the substantial Awarua Block, on land that the Crown had not yet acquired. The Awarua Block: Title Investigation, Partitioning and Crown Acquisition The large Awarua Block (circa 256,000 acres) was at the heart of Mōkai Pātea and encompassed the land between Mangaweka and Moawhango. This land is of deep significance to the people of Mōkai Pātea, being where their settlement was concentrated, and the Awarua Block has been described as ‘rohe pōtae’. It was also of immense importance to the Crown as the proposed route of the Main Trunk Railway passed directly through the western part of the block. The Awarua block had ‘a turbulent and protracted history in the Native Land Court’ – the title was first investigated in 1886 and the block was vested in 437 Māori owners, descendants of Ohuake, Hinemanu, Hauiti, Whitikaupeka and Tamakōpiri. Partition hearings were undertaken during 1890-1891 and the Awarua block was partitioned into nine smaller blocks, with the Ngāti Tamakōpiri block Awarua 4A (Pukeanua) being of specific relevance to this report. The Crown’s interest in Awarua 4A was determined through a further partition hearing in 1894; Awarua 4A was divided into three blocks, with Awarua 4A1 and 4A2 awarded to the Crown. Later that year the first Pāhekā settlers would arrive and establish Taihape on Awarua 4A1, where they had been offered 12 sections of 12-15 acres. Arrival of the Collinsville Settlers in Taihape In September 1894, 12 colonial settlers and their families arrived in the Upper Rangitīkei to create a new cooperative settlement. They were members of the Collinsville Cooperative Settlement Association established in Christchurch and named after one of its sponsors William Whitehouse Collins, M.H.R. for the City of Christchurch. The association was founded at a time when employment was scarce, and the Liberal government had established the Farm Improvement Settlement Scheme which enabled settlers (individually or collectively) with little or no capital to take on smaller areas of land under lease. The settlement was never actually known as Collinsville as its name was changed to Hautapu (after the Hautapu River) after the House of Representatives advised they wanted Māori names to be retained. Its name changed again to Otaihape after the Otaihape Stream which skirted the settlement, before finally becoming known as Taihape after the ‘O’ was dropped. Taihape - From Muddy Frontier Settlement to ‘Progressive and Prosperous’ Township Conditions were extremely tough for the new settlers who were lacking ‘pioneering experience’, but by the end of the first year some had progressed from tents to slab whare and they had also cleared the native bush from 150 of their 200 acres of land. The land which would form the central part of the adjoining township went up for sale in January 1895, comprising 39 quarter-acre sections, and further surrounding land was being surveyed for farms and balloted for sale. By the end of 1897 the fledgling township of Taihape had a number of buildings of civic and commercial buildings with some settlers continuing in their trades whilst developing their small holdings. Others felled the bush and built roads, bridges and culverts. The establishment of a local saw-milling industry helped boost the growth of Taihape, as did the advancement of the Main Trunk Line which reached the ‘thriving bush township’ in 1904, helping to end its isolation. Taihape was gazetted as a borough in 1906, at which time there were 1269 residents within its boundary. It was finally shaking off its reputation as a muddy frontier settlement with ‘all the parasites of rough pioneering’ and transforming into a ‘prosperous and progressive township’. Development of Taihape Oval Domain/’The Rec’ The town plan for Taihape included a ten-acre recreation reserve on Block X to the east of the main street, off Kokako Street. A working bee comprising local residents and the ‘enthusiastic’ athletics club began felling the bush in 1898, and the land was formally declared a recreation reserve in February 1899. In 1906 work began on the first of several ‘proposed improvements’ at the Taihape Recreation Ground, which included the formation of a new large sports oval with running track and interior cricket pitch and football ground; erection of a band rotunda; access improvements such as new gated entrances; and a ‘commodious grandstand’. The grandstand was to have a number of ground floor rooms including refreshment rooms, a kitchen, secretary and stewards’ rooms and cloak rooms. It was ‘not intended to undertake the whole of these improvements at once’ though, and as it transpired, the grandstand wasn’t built for another 18 years. A Memorial Grandstand? It’s a commonly held understanding within the Taihape community today that the grandstand was built as a World War One memorial in a project initiated by rangatira Kingi Topia O.B.E. with strong tangata whenua support. In 1919 Kingi Topia, J.C. Whenuaroa and other tangata whenua residing in the Taihape area started a campaign to raise funds for a soldiers’ memorial in the town. An initial public meeting was held in the Taihape Town Hall on 3 November 1919 and though attendance was poor, there was considerable public discussion about the form that the memorial should take over the ensuing months. One leading suggestion was the erection of a memorial grandstand at the recreation ground – ‘a spot where the boys had spent the earliest years of their boyhood and manhood in recreation’. This was likely to be an expensive proposal though and others supported a purely commemorative memorial such as a cairn, with the Triangle (a small land parcel on the corner of Hautapu and Huia Streets) suggested as an appropriate location. In the end, not many were in favour of a utilitarian memorial; returned soldiers and tangata whenua had both expressed their preference for ‘a memorial of a monumental nature’ and at a public meeting on 2 July 1920 ‘there was not a single advocate for a memorial of a utilitarian kind’. Consequently, the Taihape community agreed to erect a purely commemorative memorial, its exact form and location to be determined, and a committee was set up to see the project to completion. Taihape still got its much-needed grandstand though a few years later. Construction of the Grandstand In May 1922, the Taihape Borough Council recommended that the Taihape Oval Domain Committee obtain an estimate for ground improvements and the erection of a grandstand at the Oval Domain. The works were greatly needed to accommodate the large numbers of people using the Oval Domain for different sports throughout the year - the grounds were in use nearly every Saturday for athletics, rugby, hockey and cricket. The Committee consequently recommended that the Town Clerk approach local builders seeking plans and estimates for a grandstand capable of seating 750 people with various rooms underneath including a luncheon room, dressing room, secretary’s office and ladies’ cloak room. Seven local builders appear to have approached in July 1922, but plans may not have been forthcoming as in October 1923 the Oval Domain Committee subsequently approached Wanganui architect Mr James and Wellington architects L.A. Anderson and Clere and Clere for a preliminary plan and estimate for a grandstand which could seat ‘750 to 1000 persons’. The grandstand was to be erected ‘on the original site being on the west side of ground with back to Kokako St’. It's unclear how Palmerston North architect Oscar Albert (‘O.A’) Jorgensen became involved with the grandstand project, but in December 1923 the Oval Domain Committee recommended the adoption of Jorgensen’s grandstand ‘sketch plan’. Jorgensen was responsible for a number of commercial, civic and residential buildings throughout the Manawatū including the re-built King’s Theatre in Taihape 1916, and had previously designed grandstands built at the Dannevirke Showgrounds and Dannevirke Racecourse in 1913-1914. Jorgensen’s subsequent plan of 15 December 1923 shows a two-storied timber grandstand with 10 tiers of bench seating accessed via a central set of stairs and landing, with single set of stairs towards both ends. The ground floor had a large central refreshment room with cooking facilities and a ladies’ and men’s cloak room at either end. Access to the ground floor was via a set of doors under the central stairs, with separate entrances into the two cloak rooms and two doors to the rear of the grandstand into the refreshment room. The building’s structural system involved reinforced concrete columns. Tenders were called in mid-December 1923, and the successful tenderer was local builder Henry Hesketh, with the lowest price of £1973. Construction had begun by late January 1924, by which time the wider ground improvements were well underway. A ‘big working bee’ had undertaken initial preparation work at the Oval Domain in early 1923 and contractors Messrs MacKenzie and Snow were subsequently awarded the tender to excavate and level the grounds which would have two playing fields, a hockey ground and seven tennis courts when completed. The ground improvements and grandstand were funded by way of a £4000 loan authorised under legislation and approved by a poll of Taihape ratepayers. The grandstand was erected by November 1924 though some of the rooms underneath were still being fitted out. There are references to the room at the south end being ‘converted into a ladies’ rest room’ in December 1924 and a fence was also added around the perimeter of the grandstand. In total, the grandstand cost £2018 to build (including the ladies’ rest room) and had a seating capacity of 800. In 1925 sanitary facilities (shower room, toilet and urinal) were installed in the men’s cloak room. The new grandstand appears to have had an impact on other organisations as in 1926 the Hamilton Rugby Union inspected the grandstand and were ‘so much impressed’ that they requested the original plans. Similarly, the Dannevirke Borough Council asked for ‘the particulars’ of the grandstand in 1928. Use of the Grandstand -Taihape and Districts A.&P. Show The inaugural Rangitīkei Agricultural and Pastoral Association show was held at the Oval Domain in 1912 and the association was the first ‘organised body in the district to have use of the new recreation ground and grandstand’, during their fourteenth annual show on 14-15 January 1925. An account of the show’s opening day noted that the new grandstand provided a ‘long-felt want’ and was well utilised in the afternoon. The association continues to hold their annual show at Taihape Memorial Park (formerly the Oval Domain). It remains a landmark event in the local calendar, and has incorporated the equally popular Gumboot Day since 2020. - Rugby As with many rural towns across New Zealand, rugby is ‘big in Taihape’ and the grandstand’s most enduring and significant association is with rugby. Rugby teams have utilised the ground floor facilities and spectators have filled the stands above for close to 100 years. It appears that the relationship between the Taihape Rugby Union and Taihape Borough Council was not always ‘smooth sailing’ though in the initial years after the grandstand’s construction. For example, in 1930 there was a much-publicised dispute about the percentage of takings that the Taihape Rugby Union and other bodies using the grandstand would be given. The grandstand is most closely connected with the Taihape Rugby and Sports Club and Utiku & Old Boys Rugby Football Club, which both have their origins in the early years of Taihape rugby. The Taihape Rugby and Sports Club (previously known as the Taihape Rugby Club) was formed in 1999 when the Huia Rugby and Sports Club and Taihape Pirates Rugby Club amalgamated and their clubrooms are nearby on Kuku Street. Huia was formed in 1897 in Moawhango (though rugby had been played there even earlier) and was principally a Māori rugby club. The original organisers were Hiraka Te Rongo, Hakoha Te Ahunga and Pine Tuakau and the first captain was Punch Pine. Taihape Pirates Rugby Club was founded in 1909 and traditionally included workers from around the town, including the railways ‘fraternity’. Utiku & Old Boys is also a merger club and has a mostly rural membership – it was formed in 1949 when the Utiku Rugby Club (1922) combined with the Old Boys Club (1921) and erected club rooms just to the south-east of the grandstand. The grandstand has born witness to countless matches over the years, including one memorable game in 1936 when Huia was about to commence play against Mangaweka. One of the Huia players was missing their jersey and as the team was about to file out on the field, an aeroplane was heard overhead, and it swooped down and dropped a brown paper parcel in front of the grandstand. There were roars of laughter from the spectators as a ‘ubiquitous small boy retrieved and unwrapped the missing jersey’! -Other Uses The grandstand has also been used by many other groups and clubs over the years, and for a range of different activities from sports matches and event days to civic functions, Christmas celebrations and even political meetings and events. On 4 April 1930 for example, the Right Hon. J.G. Coates and Mrs Coates visited Taihape and were entertained at a garden party at the Oval Domain organised by the Reform League. The ‘grandstand, enclosure and basement were tastefully decorated for the occasion and the tables were attractively set out’. Other groups paid to specifically use the ground floor space of the grandstand for storage and other activities such as band practice. In 1940 during the Second World War, troops on leave in Taihape were granted use of the Town Hall and rooms underneath the grandstand for entertainment purposes on Saturday and Sunday nights. The grandstand is still used today for purposes other than rugby matches and the annual A. & P. show. The local Fire Brigade use the staircases for training for example and Mōkai Pātea Services also use the grandstand and other facilities at the park when running iwi-led projects and initiatives. Subsequent Changes to the Grandstand (1930s-2019) There have been several changes to the grandstand since it was constructed, most of which relate to the ground floor interior layout. A ticket office was installed towards the north-western end of the grandstand and in the mid-1930s a door was added in the north-western elevation to provide direct access to the office. In 1945 the north-western end of the grandstand was enclosed to provide shelter and safety and in 1950 a St John’s Ambulance room was added to the south-eastern end by partitioning off part of the ladies’ cloak room and adding a separate external door. The grandstand was also incorporated into a wider commemorative landscape in the early 1950s with the creation of the Taihape and Districts War Memorial Park (‘Memorial Park’) through an extension of the Oval Domain. A memorial garden and memorial plaque were added inside the main entrance gate to the park (‘memorial gate’) on Kokako Street in 1953, just to the north-west of the grandstand, and it’s presumed that the arched iron ‘Memorial Park’ sign was added to the top of memorial gate at this time. The interior layout of the grandstand was reconfigured around 1980 to provide multiple changing rooms along the north-eastern elevation and showers on the south-western side, and a mezzanine floor was added at the south-eastern end. On 16 August 1980 the grandstand was in use during a football match when a sudden and strong gust of wind lifted the roof and the grandstand was consequently evacuated and closed off. Repairs and strengthening work were undertaken and it’s understood that the roof was subsequently replaced. The original chimney associated with the former public refreshment room was recently (post-2017) removed from the south-western elevation and in 2019 three local rugby club murals were affixed along the back wall at the top of the grandstand – they were painted by Year 9 art students at Taihape Area School, under the supervision of teacher Timoti Pekamu depicting the Taihape Rugby Club, Utiku & Old Boys Rugby and Football Club (1949) and Huia Rugby Club (1897). A Community Icon in Need of Restoration The condition of the grandstand and its future viability have been the subject of discussion within the Taihape community for several years. The poor condition of the ground floor amenities was of particular concern (especially for the rugby union), as were the power connectivity issues, and structural issues had been identified. In February 2020 the Rangitīkei District Council voted in favour of building a new amenities block at the southern end of the rugby field, giving rise to community concerns that the grandstand would be left ‘to flounder’. In July 2020, the Taihape Heritage Trust presented a 648-signature petition (48% of the town’s population over 15 years of age) to the Council which requested that they retain and upgrade the amenities under the grandstand. The Council subsequently delayed their decision to proceed with a new amenities block and undertook further community consultation and specialist investigations. After considering the further information, the Council voted to proceed with the new $2.1 million amenities block in December 2020, and ground works began in March 2022. The Ngā Awa Block is due for completion at the southern end of the rugby field in January 2023. Meanwhile, the Council has set aside $1,000,000 in their 2021-2031 Long Term Plan for the strengthening of the grandstand which was identified in July 2021 as having a New Building Standard (NBS) rating of 17% when in use. Community consultation on the Long Term Plan revealed ‘strong support’ for the grandstand. The Council is currently awaiting a report (due spring 2022) that will detail the full strengthening costs for the grandstand and is anticipating the need for additional fundraising to ensure the long-term preservation of one of Taihape’s key heritage buildings.
Setting Memorial Park is located one block east of State Highway 1 as it passes north through the Taihape town centre. Access is off Kokako Street which forms the south-western border of the park (from the corner of Tui Street to Weka Street), with Taihape Area School to the north-west and native bush and the Hautapu River to the north-east and east. The grandstand is on the south-western side of the park, backing onto Kokako Street and facing over playing fields 1 and 2 which are bordered by a low fence. The grandstand is accessed via memorial gate just to the north-west along Kokako Street. This northern area of the park is also home to the memorial garden, children’s playground and skate park, public toilets and a large Redwood. The clubrooms of the Utiku & Old Boys Rugby Football Club are directly south-east of the grandstand along with an old store building and the southern end of the park also encompasses the squash clubrooms along with various playing courts and the new amenities block (Ngā Awa Block) currently under construction at the time of writing. Grandstand - Exterior The grandstand is a large timber building (30.9 metres by 10.5 metres) and comprises ramped seating with ground floor amenities underneath. The ramped seating is original – it’s supported by a rimu beam and consists of 10 rows of plank benches (possibly tōtara), divided into three sections by stairs which run up from the main staircases. A bituminous ‘malthoid’ flooring was used to waterproof the native timber flooring beneath the bench seating and is showing considerable deterioration. There is a low balustrade of vertical timber cladding in front of the bottom tier of seating which provides safety to spectators and three rugby club murals are affixed to the wall above the top tier of seating. The central staircase features two sets of open tread stairs with timber handrails on the north-eastern edge – these converge on a central landing leading up to the seating. The timber handrails have replaced the original solid timber balustrade. There is a single set of open tread stairs either side of the central stairs – these are replacements added at an unknown date (possibly post-1970s) and have metal handrails on each side. Double doors beneath the central stairs lead into the ground floor amenities – these appear to have been modified as the original architectural plan shows two pane half lite doors. There is a single timber framed window either side of the central stairs at ground floor level and four other sets of double windows along this north-eastern elevation, some of which have been covered over. The grandstand has a dutch gabled roof running north-west to south-east with an additional dormer gable on the front (north-eastern elevation) with ‘1924’ on its facade. The roof also overhangs over along the front elevation, providing partial shelter over the stairs. All three gables have a flagpole, though the flagpole on the south-eastern gable end is broken. The roof is clad in overlapping sheets of short sheet roofing iron and the roof trusses are exposed to the seating underneath and have been covered with a light netting as a bird control measure. Four steel columns support the roof along the front elevation – decorative ironwork (cast and wrought iron) is attached to the top of the north-western and south-eastern circular columns which gives the appearance of capitals (the central two columns are steel square hollow section replacements). A small wooden sign is affixed to the two central columns which reads ‘ANY PERSON DESTROYING THE PROPERTY OF THE TAIHAPE BOROUGH COUNCIL Will Be Prosecuted’. A steel beam also runs along the length of this elevation, helping to support the timber trussed roof. The north-western end of the grandstand is almost completely enclosed by horizontal weatherboards (added during the mid-1940s), and other changes to this elevation include an additional door (since closed over) and a small ‘ticket window’ type opening on the ground floor, which appear to be associated with the ticket office added during the 1930s. Open steel mesh has been fitted to the south-eastern end of the grandstand which retains all three original steel columns topped by decorative ironwork. At ground level, modifications have occurred as a result of the addition of the St John’s Ambulance room in 1950. The original St John’s sign is still in place about the entrance doors which are covered by a canopy roof. One of the windows on this elevation appears to have been extended then closed in, and there is also a door towards the eastern end which isn’t shown on the original plan by Jorgensen. The rear (south-western) elevation of the grandstand is largely original, with the exception of the three small, louvred windows added for the St John’s Ambulance room and the original chimney associated with the former public refreshment room which was removed post-2017. Grandstand – Ground Floor Amenities The ground floor amenities are accessed via the door in the north-western elevation, with rugby teams running out onto the field by way of the double doors in the north-eastern elevation. As previously noted, there has been a considerable amount of change to the ground floor of the grandstand – a central ‘corridor’ space leads to five changing rooms on the north-eastern side, with communal showers, toilets and urinal (the latter potentially dating to 1925) on the south-western side. The changing rooms have very basic facilities such as narrow bench seating around the perimeter (mostly affixed to the walls with some free-standing benches in use). The former St John’s Ambulance Room is located at the south-eastern end of the ground floor, along with a room used for general storage with mezzanine floor added above. The original 1924 walls dividing the cloak rooms at either end from the central ‘public refreshment room’ are still extant, as are the five reinforced concrete columns which run along the centre of the ground floor amenities to support a 390 by 150-millimetre timber beam. The column at each end is incorporated into the timber-framed wall. Comparative Analysis Grandstands were built across Aotearoa New Zealand from small rural settlements to large cities - they were generally constructed as part of racecourse and/or showground complexes, though some were built specifically for sporting venues and town domains. Whilst there has been no definitive survey of heritage grandstands in Aotearoa New Zealand, initial comparative work has been undertaken which indicates that grandstands from the late nineteenth – early twentieth centuries are become increasingly rare. A number of examples have been demolished over the past decade, such as those at Sanson’s town domain (demolished 2013), Foxton Racecourse (demolished 2013 after arson attacks in 2011), Waverley Racecourse (demolished 2016), Blenheim A. & P. Showgrounds (demolished 2020) and Mangatainoka Domain (destroyed by arson in 2020). Other remaining examples have an uncertain future, such as the ornate reinforced concrete grandstand at Waikouiaiti (built in 1930) and the Grand National Grandstand at Riccarton Racecourse. There are currently (August 2022) ten grandstands entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero (‘the List’) – nine as Category 2 historic places and one as a Category 1 historic place. The Category 1 grandstand is the Kensington Park Grandstand in Whangārei which is architecturally significant for its barrel-vaulted roof. There are also two grandstands entered on the List as part of a wider historic area – the 1910 grandstand at Solway A. & P. Showgrounds Historic Area, Masterton and the 1930 Jubilee Pavilion within the Marton Park Historic Area. The twelve grandstands on the List range in date from 1879 to 1930 and most are of timber construction, the exceptions being Waimea Grandstand at Richmond Park, the Logan Park Grandstand, Dunedin and Basin Reserve Pavilion, Wellington. Four of the grandstands on the List were built for A. & P. showgrounds; three for racecourses; and five as part of town domains/recreation grounds. Some of the grandstands were replacements for earlier structures at the same time –the Cricket Ground Pavilion at Auckland Domain, Waimea Grandstand, Richmond Park, Basin Reserve Pavilion and Jubilee Pavilion, Marton are all replacement structures. There are also several other grandstands from the late nineteenth - early twentieth centuries which aren’t entered on the List; these include the timber Golden Bay Grandstand, Tākaka (built in 1899); the timber grandstand at Elizabeth Park, Masterton (built in 1895); the reinforced concrete public grandstand at Trentham Racecourse, Upper Hutt (built 1924); the timber grandstand at the Waimarino A.& P. Showgrounds, Raetihi (built 1924); the brick grandstand at Dannevirke Domain (built in 1930); and the aforementioned reinforced concrete grandstand at Waikouaiti (1930). In comparing the Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand against these other examples, it is notable among the timber grandstands for its high level of authenticity and intactness. Other examples have undergone significant change and two have been relocated (the grandstand at Claudelands Showgrounds, Hamilton and Kensington Park Grandstand in Whangārei). The Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand remains at its original location, was the first grandstand to be built there, and retains a high proportion of original fabric. Whilst its internal ground floor amenities have been much altered, this is common across the extant examples as facilities have evolved to meet user needs, and the grandstand’s external form and character remain largely unchanged. The Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand is probably most comparable to the 1913 grandstand at Eketāhuna; the Eketāhuna grandstand is smaller than the Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand but also retains its basic form and character, and was similarly erected on a recreation reserve, in a small rural town where rugby remains a prominent feature of community life. It’s also similar in design and construction to the grandstand at the Waimarino A.&P. Showgrounds, Raetihi which was built the same year, and its roofline and front elevation are comparable to those of the grandstand at Claudelands Showgrounds, Hamilton.
Completion Date
10th October 2022
Report Written By
Joanna Barnes-Wylie
Information Sources
Robertson, 1995
D. Robertson, 1894-199 ...give me Taihape on a Saturday night, Waikanae, 1995
Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand Feasibility Report’, 2020
Copeland Associate Architects, ‘Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand Feasibility Report’, 2020, report prepared for the Rangitīkei District Council.
Dickson, 2021
Bruce Dickson, ‘Conservation Report – Taihape Memorial Park Grandstand’, unpublished report for Rangitīkei District Council, 2021.
Report Written By
Disclaimer Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions. Archaeological sites are protected by the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, regardless of whether they are entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero or not. Archaeological sites include ‘places associated with pre-1900 human activity, where there may be evidence relating to the history of New Zealand’. This List entry report should not be read as a statement on whether or not the archaeological provisions of the Act apply to the property (s) concerned. Please contact your local Heritage New Zealand office for archaeological advice.
Current Usages
Uses: Civic Facilities
Specific Usage: Grandstand
Former Usages
General Usage:: Health
Specific Usage: Health Services - other