Great loss as heritage building burns

On the evening of Saturday 20th July, Thain’s building at 1 Victoria Avenue, Whanganui – a hundred-year-old class B heritage-listed building that we had recently rescued from demolition and were busy renovating – went up in smoke and flames.

The loss of this grand old building saddens us, but it is greatly overshadowed by the material losses of people who worked in the building, many of whom are practising artists, and the disruption of their livelihoods. We want to raise money to contribute to the tenants listed below, and to Trevor Gudsell who was our on-site builder in the restoration project, as they work to replace their losses and re-establish their livelihoods.

Ten tenants leased this property, which was already showing signs of rejuvenation, especially in the refurbished street frontage of Tim Hocquard’s L J Hooker Real Estate office; other occupants were artists Glen Hutchins, Kit Lawrence and Johanna Pegler; the retail craft collective MINZ and felt-maker Tina Schurhammer; Patent Attorney and; photographer Tania Warbrick; Robert Puklowski’s Home Trust Mortgage office; and most recently Cindy Munn whose Health and Well-being practice was due to open this week.