DISTRICT PLAN – LISTED HERITAGE PLACE HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE HERITAGE ITEM NUMBER 752 FORMER POWER HOUSE AND SETTING – 1 RUE POMPALLIER, AKAROA PHOTOGRAPH : B. SMYTH, 23/12/14 HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE Historical and social values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular person, group, organisation, institution, event, phase or activity; the continuity and/or change of a phase or activity; social, historical, traditional, economic, political or other patterns. The former Power House at 1 Rue Pompallier has high historical and social significance as one of the South Island’s earliest town electricity generating plants. Electricity was introduced to New Zealand in the 1880s and from 1888 cities and some towns used electricity for street lighting and trams. Businesses, industrial enterprises and some farms set up their own generators. After Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru, Akaroa had the earliest local electricity supply authority in Canterbury when its town supply began on 11 September 1911. The electricity was generated in a small hydro-electric power station below L’Aube Hill. A penstock from a small reservoir above L’Aube Hill, supplied initially from the Balguerie Stream, fed water to a Pelton wheel which drove a dynamo to provide a direct current supply. The Pelton wheel, generator and a switchboard were housed in a small, square, brick building. A larger addition to the rear of the original powerhouse was built several years later to house a gas engine and workshop. The gas engine was needed because the flow of water was insufficient to generate an adequate supply in the summer months. In 1921 the Akaroa Borough plant was sold to the Banks Peninsula Power Board and in July 1923 a new 90hp generator was installed. Power from the Lake Coleridge power station in the Southern Alps reached Akaroa in June 1923, but the generating plant remained in supplementary use until the mid 1950s. The generating equipment was eventually sold to the Maruia Springs Hotel at the close of the Power House. In 2002 the Akaroa Hydro Generating Set Trust reinstalled the generating equipment on its original bolts in the Power House. On the 14th March 2011 the equipment was run again for the first time in 55 years in the building specially built for it. Sufficient electricity was generated to light the Power House. The presence of working generators provides a significant current-day link to the history of electrical power generation in Canterbury and the building is the town’s most important relic of improvements to its infrastructure in the early 20th century. The building also has social significance as the workshop of goldsmith Kobi Bosshard and a gallery run by Patricia Bosshard showing contemporary New Zealand art. It is now a small museum of technology, gallery and concert venue. CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE Cultural and spiritual values that demonstrate or are associated with the distinctive characteristics of a way of life, philosophy, tradition, religion, or other belief, including: the symbolic or commemorative value of the place; significance to Tangata Whenua; and/or associations with an identifiable group and esteemed by this group for its cultural values. The former Power House has cultural significance as a site connected to the changes that electrical supply brought to New Zealand society and culture, particularly enabling new ways of lighting evening entertainment and sporting events. The former Power House also has cultural significance to Akaroa as a site that promotes the arts. It became the workshop and gallery of Patricia and Kobi Bosshard in the late 1960s, where they also held concerts, and when they left Akaroa in 1974 a group of enthusiasts turned the building in a venue for concerts and an art gallery. An incorporated society ‘The Gallery Akaroa’ was formed in 1977 to promote the arts for Banks Peninsula. As noted above the building is now a museum, gallery and concert venue. ARCHITECTURAL AND AESTHETIC SIGNIFICANCE Architectural and aesthetic values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular style, period or designer, design values, form, scale, colour, texture and material of the place. The former Power House has architectural and aesthetic significance as an early twentieth century structure constructed for electricity generation. The original building from 1911 is a small square brick building with a terracotta tile ‘pagoda’ roof with broad eaves. A larger, one and a half storey extension to the rear was added in 1917. It is also of red brick construction with contrasting bands of textured brick but with an asbestos tile roof. The original building was retiled and a tool house was added at the same time. Both buildings have elliptical arched windows with curved brick architraves. Two existing lean-tos were rebuilt in the 1980s and again in 2004. Two internal walls were also removed in 2004. At this time the entrance doors were moved to the lean-to while the original generator was housed in its original position. Comprehensive but sympathetic repair and strengthening work has been undertaken on the building since the Canterbury earthquakes. This included the insertion of carbon fibre mesh into mortar joints, the insertion of vertical steel reinforcing and horizontal steel tie rods into the parapets and the introduction of steel bracing elements to the internal walls. The work was accompanied by a general renovation of the building and the generating equipment. TECHNOLOGICAL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP SIGNIFICANCE Technological and craftsmanship values that demonstrate or are associated with: the nature and use of materials, finishes and/or technological or constructional methods which were innovative, or of notable quality for the period. As an early 20th century brick building, the Power House has craftsmanship and technological significance for its ability to demonstrate brick construction techniques from that time. It has high technological significance as a working example of early electricity generation. The generator set was built for the 1908 Franco-British exhibition, in White City, London. The pelton wheel and governor were supplied by British hydraulic engineers Jens Orten Boving and Co. The wheel was the first that the firm had built; the governor was manufactured by Swedish firm Kvaerner. CONTEXTUAL SIGNIFICANCE Contextual values that demonstrate or are associated with: a relationship to the environment (constructed and natural), a landscape, setting, group, precinct or streetscape; a degree of consistency in terms of type, scale, form, materials, texture, colour, style and/or detail; recognised landmarks and landscape which are recognised and contribute to the unique identity of the environment. The Power House has contextual significance on its site, within its setting and in relation to its wider context. The setting is the immediate parcel. The building is located within a well- tended garden that contains several large trees and a decorative slate and concrete fountain. The site is in a small close at the rear of a group of heritage buildings that form part of the historic Rue Lavaud streetscape. The Power House and the other buildings in the vicinity presents a comprehensive collection of New Zealand architectural styles from the colonial period to mid-twentieth century which collectively play a large part in defining Akaroa’s character. St Patrick’s Catholic Church is an immediate neighbour; Trinity Presbyterian Church is nearby. The site also has contextual significance in that it sits directly in front of L’Aube hill reserve, on top of which was positioned the original reservoir that generated the power. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Archaeological or scientific values that demonstrate or are associated with: the potential to provide information through physical or scientific evidence an understanding about social historical, cultural, spiritual, technological or other values of past events, activities, structures or people. The former power house and its setting are of archaeological significance because they have the potential to provide archaeological evidence relating to past building construction methods and materials, and human activity on the site, including that which occurred prior to 1900. ASSESSMENT STATEMENT The former Power House at 1 Rue Pompallier is of high heritage significance to the Christchurch district, which includes Banks Peninsula. It has high historical and social significance as one of the South Island’s earliest town electricity generating plants and later as the workshop of goldsmith Kobi Bosshard and a gallery run by Patricia Bosshard showing contemporary New Zealand art. The former power house has cultural significance as a site connected to the changes that electrical supply brought to New Zealand society and culture and also has cultural significance to Akaroa as a site that promotes the arts. The former Power House has architectural and aesthetic significance as an early twentieth century structure constructed for electricity generation. As an early twentieth century brick building, the Power House has craftsmanship and technological significance for its ability to demonstrate brick construction techniques from that time. It has high technological significance as a working example of early electricity generation. The Power House has contextual significance on its site, within its setting and in relation to its wider context. The former power house and its setting are of archaeological significance because they have the potential to provide archaeological evidence relating to past building construction methods and materials, and human activity on the site, including that which occurred prior to 1900. REFERENCES: Baird, Rosemary, Background Information Listed Heritage Place, Orion Power House Gallery, 1 Rue Pompallier, Akaroa, 2014 REPORT DATED: 23/12/2014 PLEASE NOTE THIS ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF WRITING. DUE TO THE ONGOING NATURE OF HERITAGE RESEARCH, FUTURE REASSESSMENT OF THIS HERITAGE ITEM MAY BE NECESSARY TO REFLECT ANY CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF ITS HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE. PLEASE USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CCC HERITAGE FILES. .