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The Star continues our Local Legends award this week in honour of the people in the community who work hard behind the scenes. This week’s legends are Regent Theatre 24 Hour Book Sale stalwarts Kath and Keith Wallace, whose extraordinary efforts over many years deserve to be celebrated.
Volunteering for the Regent Theatre 24 Hour Book Sale is a labour of love for retired Dunedin couple Kath and Keith Wallace.
They have given their support to the Regent for the past 28 years, since they retired from farm work to live in the city, firstly as book sale helpers and now leading the dedicated group of volunteers.
Mrs Wallace (81) is both book sale co-ordinator and a member of the Otago Theatre Trust board, while Mr Wallace (84) organises, hauls and stacks hundreds of banana boxes filled with books.
The seemingly indefatigable couple are hard at work for up to seven mornings a week at the book sale sorting facility in Kaikorai Valley.
Their efforts are supported by the dedicated book sorting “family” of 30-40 volunteers, who spend their Sunday mornings sorting, pricing and packing books for the sale.
Book sorting work goes on for about nine months of the year (apart from the depths of winter), as the volunteers prepare more than 70,000 books, plus bric-a-brac and other items for the sale.
“We really are like a family — we look out for each other and we definitely have a lot of fun on Sundays,” Mrs Wallace said.
“And we get to meet a lot of nice people when we go out in the van to pick up big lots of books being donated as well,” she said.
Fortunately, given the monumental task of managing the book sale, Mr and Mrs Wallace are no strangers to hard work.
They spent their working lives on big stations around the South Island, with Mr Wallace working as a musterer and Mrs Wallace cooking meals for up to 25 farm hands.
Along the way they raised five children — two girls and three boys, and are now proud grandparents to 10 grandchildren. Most live in the North Island.
Over their 28 years of being involved in the Regent Theatre and the 24 Hour Book Sale, Mr and Mrs Wallace have seen many changes.
Back in the early days, when the sale was run by Doug Lovell, it was held entirely within the Regent Theatre.
However, during the 13-year tenure of previous book sale co-ordinator and former Otago Theatre Trust chairwoman Alison Cunningham, it became so large that it eventually outgrew the space.
So, the decision was made to move the book sale to the Edgar Centre, and to hold a separate music sale in the theatre. It was at this time that Mrs Wallace took over as co-ordinator.
“The book sale has been very successful at the Edgar Centre and the format of two 12 hours days is popular with our volunteers and the public,” Mrs Wallace said.
The Regent 24 Hour Book Sale remains an important part of the theatre’s fundraising efforts, bringing in about $100,000 each year.
- The Regent Theatre 24 Hour Book Sale Collection Day is coming up on Sunday, November 1.
Volunteers will be out across the city to pick up books, small bric-a-brac and other items for the 2027 book sale from 9am-3pm.
Drop-off locations include: Woolworths Anderson’s Bay (9am); Richardson St, St Clair (10am); Main Rd, Green Island (11am); Vetlife Mornington (noon); opposite Wakari Hospital entrance, Taieri Rd (1pm), Fresh Choice Roslyn (2pm); Port Chalmers Motors (2.30pm); the Valley Project (3pm).
Who would you like to nominate to be a Local Legends recipient?
Email your nomination to legends@thestar.co.nz today.
Include their name and a brief explanation of how they contribute.