13 May, 2025

Packed crowd hears quickfire talks on local area

Big picture… Artist and former Devonport Borough councillor Tina Frantzen during her presentation

A 60-minute ‘Our Devonport’ programme of short talks and slide shows proved so popular the doors at the RSA in Victoria Rd had to be locked half an hour before the event’s start time as the venue was full to capacity.
Just on 150 people packed in for seven presentations by Dave Veart, Trish Deans and Margot McRae, Tina Frantzen, Helen Pollock, Colin McRae, Lynn Lawton and Linda Blincko and Julie Stout and Ken Davis. Devonport Library Associates booked the RSA instead of the library for the event because of expected numbers.
Archeologist Veart, who spoke on pre-colonial history, said he was overwhelmed by the response.
“I thought there would be about 12 people.”
With only 20 slides and six minutes 40seconds of speaking time allowed for each presentation, they were full of juicy nuggets of local interest.
Veart showed evidence of moa bones and hangi found along the Devonport waterfront, indicating human habitation dating back to around 1350. Other finds showed settlement along the waterfront, a sheltered spot before the eruption of Rangitoto, which gave weather protection to the wider harbour.
Margot McRae and Trish Deans detailed the fight by Devonport Heritage to protect the historic homes of the suburb. Some battles had been lost (such as the Masonic Hotel, which was turned into apartments) and some won (including the Victoria Theatre, which was bought by the North Shore City Council and restored for future generations).
Government-advocated intensification in all central city suburbs was a major threat to heritage, they said.
Tina Frantzen, an artist and former Devonport Borough councillor, created an original work for the event: The Ley Lines of Home, a personal soliloquy outlining her 55 years living in the area.
Helen Pollock, a world recognised sculptor, told the audience how her works were created in her Devonport workshop and kiln. Many had been installed for a time in Devonport landscapes including Fort Takapuna and Cheltenham Beach.
Colin McRae gave an update on a Devonport documentary he is making which aims to capture the area’s “rich history and rich contemporary life”.
Former Depot stalwart and current Satellite2 gallery owner Lynn Lawton detailed the creative life of 1980s Devonport in a From the Mountain to the Sea snapshot. He recalled when potters and glassblowers worked in a large studio on the corner of Church St and King Edward Pde. Across the road, bands played at the Masonic, as they did at the Esplanade Hotel.
He referred to a 1989 article in Metro magazine which captured the changing nature of the suburb: “Devonport: a Paradise Lost”.
Architect Julie Stout posed some questions on the Future of Devonport, which she believed could become a modern village while retaining its heritage buildings.
Much of the current village was “sub-optimal” and car-dominant, she said. Great potential existed to create laneways, more public spaces and incorporate nature into future designs. Only 100 people currently lived in the village, which to thrive needed more residents to give life to restaurants and other activities.
The session was such a success organisers are contemplating another.

• The event raised $1100 for the Victoria Theatre Trust, which is fundraising for new seats.