Become a Heritage Ninja. Revive the Cranes

Join the crowd keeping NZ’s History Alive. Help revive and preserve the Greymouth Wharf Cranes.

There are some awesome NZ Heritage recovery projects out there and this is one of them. As a financial supporter of these massive Historic Cranes you’ll have “Supporters Privileges” - you’ll get to go close…real close, on, up and inside these beasts…..while your mates look on from a distance!

Whilst mining and global warming philosophies don’t go together, the story of mining is a major part of the history of New Zealand. We ignore our past at the peril of our future – and we need evidence of our past to attract the upcoming economy, the diversification to tourism.

Dependent on contributions level, benefits include:

• Invitation to include your family’s heritage story

• A signed copy of a water colour print of the cranes by well-known architect and artist, Gary Hopkinson

• Your name on the Public Supporters register at the Cranes Information Centre

• Free Entry into the Cranes on Guided Tours – get to sit in the driver’s seat of one of these beasts

• Satisfaction you’re one of those amazing people with the foresight to keep your history alive.

$100 – All the above benefits

$75 – A chance to have your family history portrayed; a copy of the Hopkinson print; your name on the Public Supporters register

$50 – Your name on the Public Supporters register

Up to $50 – the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting the retention of a key part of New Zealand’s heritage.

Read more about how you are helping the wellbeing of our communities……..

Research says that a sense of heritage (preservation of historical buildings, old industrial artefacts and well told stories around them) is important to individual and community wellbeing. Visitors stop, stay and spend money in communities if there is a positive environment, striking points of interest and well told, powerful heritage stories. (Including yours!). Being a Heritage Ninja will help this happen.

This particular “Community Growth through Heritage” Project involves bringing back to life two massive wharf cranes in Greymouth on the West Coast. It’s being managed by the Greymouth Heritage Trust and every dollar you contribute is likely to be matched by two more dollars from, say, Lotto, so you really are helping a lot!

These Cowans and Sheldon cranes have historic importance locally and internationally. These giants were especially built in Carlyle UK to handle the unique requirements of dealing with the shipment of coal from New Zealand’s (at the time) biggest coal port - Greymouth. For decades they have been one of the most recognisable features of this town’s skyline and they represent New Zealand’s growth through industry.

Once restoration is completed the cranes will form one of the important anchors for the West Coast tourist trail.

With your support we’d love to weave your story into this amazing history beginning with the West Coast Maori and ranging through the histories of coal, pounamu, gold, and new settlers throughout New Zealand and the world. Hardship, glory and social revolution. These Giants are a centre piece around which to record and display these stories.

The cranes have been taken down in sections from their old position on the Greymouth wharf. Restoration is now taking place. Once down and in parts, it was found the cranes need more restoration than previously able to be identified.

The Greymouth Heritage Trust now requires a further $345,000 to complete restoration and re-erect the cranes at their new site, just 100 metres upstream of their old position to be a focus of your stories, your history and some fun activities with the Cranes.

Whatever you can give helps makes happen. Your donation will help in two ways: it will show wider community engagement with the project; and will help raise the seed money that some funding organisations require the Trust to produce before they donate their one-for-one or two-for-one contribution.

More information about the Greymouth Wharf Cranes project can be found in the commissioning documents - the initial conservation study and a project feasibility report. Let us know if you'd like to sight these (ghtcranes@gmail.com.)