The Ministry of Education has taken over the ownership of the Waitaki Boys’ High School Hall of Memories in Oamaru.
Rated New Zealand’s second-most-important war memorial, the Hall of Memories will now get urgent repair work but remain available to the school to use.
Ministry of Education head of property Sam Fowler said the repair and maintenance costs for the category-A historic building were significant.
"[The] ministry have worked together on a solution that reduces the financial pressure on the board of trustees and community, while making sure the Hall of Memories is preserved for future generations," he said.
The Hall of Memories, designed by Oamaru architect John Megget Forrester and opened in 1927, has been owned by the Waitaki Boys’ High School but has been in urgent need of maintenance.
Former governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae called the World War 1 memorial the "most significant war memorial in the country, second only to the Auckland War Memorial Museum".
Under the new arrangement, the ministry will assume responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the historically significant building’s exterior.
Waitaki Boys’ rector Darryl Paterson said the school first approached the ministry in 2021 with concerns about the hall’s weather-tightness and the board of trustees’ lack of funds for the renovations.
At the end of May, the ministry agreed ownership would be transferred to the ministry and it would fund urgent work and ensure the school retained the right to use the building.
"It is worth noting that support for this change of ownership has been unanimous," he said.
"I speak on behalf of the school community in saying we are extremely grateful to the ministry for securing the future of our beloved hall which is the heart of our school."
The interior of the hall — including its collection of memorabilia, with flags, trophies and plaques emphasising the school’s associations — is nationally significant.
Some of the furniture is made from teak salvaged from World War 1 battle-cruisers New Zealand and Powerful.
While the ministry would take ownership of the external repairs and renovations, internal repairs would remain the school’s responsibility.
"The school board retains ownership of the hall’s organ, and they will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and restoration costs," Mr Fowler said.
The school plans to fundraise for the maintenance of the pipe organ and interior cleaning of the walls and floor.
In 2015, New Zealand photographer Laurence Aberhart took a photo of the Hall of Memories while visiting with his close friend Tim Gerrard, an old boy of Waitaki Boys’ High School.
The state of the hall prompted Mr Gerrard to organise an exhibition to highlight the national significance of the hall.
That exhibition, "The Hall of Memories", featuring Mr Aberhart’s photograph, is on at the Forrester Gallery until October 29.
