Category 2 status for school gateway

Heritage New Zealand area manager Jonathan Howard inspects the former High Street School war...
Heritage New Zealand area manager Jonathan Howard inspects the former High Street School war memorial and gates, which have been listed as a category 2 historic place. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
The war memorial and gates on the site of the former High Street School in Mornington have received category 2 historic listing.

Completed in 1926, the memorial and gates bordering High and Alva Sts were found to have aesthetic, architectural, historical and social value, Heritage New Zealand heritage adviser Susan Irvine said.

''When it was built it was a daily reminder to students and the public alike of the sacrifice made by ex-teachers and ex-pupils of High Street School in World War 1.''

After World War 2, another tablet was added to the memorial to remember those who died in that war.

''Memorials such as this are effectively surrogate gravesites, as they were built to honour those who died and were buried overseas. As such, they hold tremendous value.''

While the listing gave the memorial recognition, a historic covenant had also been put in place to protect and manage it in the future, she said.

The memorial's potential significance was picked up during the Crown's disposal of the property after High Street School was closed in 2011.

The property was now owned by Urban Cohousing Otepoti Ltd, which proposed building 26 two-storey and three-storey residential units and had incorporated the gates and wrought-iron fence into its design.

Architect and Urban Cohousing Otepoti member Tim Ross said the memorial and gates were crucial aspects of the historic nature of the site.

''We were always keen to incorporate them into the scheme.''

rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz

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