Devonport Library
History
Windsor Reserve has always been the location of the libraries in Devonport, but in the 1800's, before there was a library, the reserve was a landing point for naval vessels. It was named Naval Reserve for this reason.
The first library in Devonport was constructed in 1878. This first library was a section of the Devonport Borough Council's Council Chambers, designed by Edward Bartley. It was designed as a memorial building commemorating Queen Victoria's Jubilee. Known as the Devonport Free Public Reading Room and located inside the Chambers, the library was free to use and open to the community. This room was used until 31 March 1897, when it was closed and all of the books were disposed of.
On 16 April 1930 the library re-opened as a subscription library run by local volunteers. Then in 1954, after the demolition of old Borough Council Chambers, a new library and a Plunket building were built on the site. Devonport Borough Council resumed ownership of the library on 26 February 1954, and all subsequent iterations of local government has held jurisdiction since. Rosetta Sadie Chapman was its first librarian. Since then, the library has been renovated at least twice in very different style iterations.
Features
First World War Memorial
Devonport's First World War memorial stands at the corner of Victoria Road and King Edward Parade, facing south towards the ferry building. It is a category II Heritage site. It is surrounded by a semicircular stone wall and a bench. The statue depicts a young soldier in the service uniform that would have been worn by soldiers at Gallipoli. He is 2.1 metres tall, standing on a Coromandel and Bluff granite base, with a rocky and irregular appearance. He is described as the 'untidy soldier', with scruffy clothing, his hat in his hand and his shoelaces undone. Also unique about the statue is the soldier's very life-like, classically 'New Zealand' face, as many other war memorials at the time were mass produced from Italian firms and therefore 'lacked type and character'. There are plaques on each side listing the Devonport residents lost at war from both World Wars and the Second Boer War.
The statue was commissioned by Devonport residents in 1922, after lengthy discussions of what type of memorial would be suitable for the town. There was consideration for a library, a gymnasium, a Corinthian column and an astronomical observatory at the top of Mount Victoria. There was a public competition for the design, which was won by Frank Lynch. He was paid £570 for his artwork through public subscriptions. The statue was cast by A. B. Burton of Thames Ditton foundry, London. Both men's signatures are on the artwork, with Lynch's on the soldier's left shoe and Burton's on the right. The memorial was unveiled in 1924 by Lord Jellicoe to a crowd of more than 4000 people. To this day, this statue is used for commemorations for the Devonport area, especially Anzac day.
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Plaque for fallen soldiers from WWI from Devonport
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Plaque for fallen soldiers from WWI from Devonport
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Plaque for fallen soldiers from WWI from Devonport - additional
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Plaque for fallen soldiers from WWII from Devonport
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Plaque for fallen soldiers from Korea, Malaya, Borneo and South Vietnam from Devonport
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Plaque for anniversary of the first deployment
Benjamin the Library Cat Statue
Benjamin was a friendly cat that lived at the library in the 2000's and 2010's. He could often be found walking on the streets of Devonport and in shops, but had a special love of the library. In 2002, the library became the cat's owner when his original owners could not keep the cat contained on their property. He was such an essential part of the library that a cat flap was installed in the 2015 library renovation. He was featured in a picture book, Benjamin's Book of Library Fun by author Authur Whelan. In 2016, he survived being hit by a car which broke his sternum , but finally met his end on 27 January 2017 when he was hit by a car when he was sleeping in a street gutter. The community of Devonport raised public funds for a bronze statue of him to be made. The statue was sculpted by librarian Fiona Startup and depicts the cat upon a stack of books with a plinth and an inscription below. The bronze casting was completed by Richard Wells of the Artworks foundry for the subsidised price of $9,000, rather than the expected $25,000 price point. The statue is often dressed up by local residents for various public holidays.
References
- ^ Rennie, Jon; Strachan, Nick. "Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Hau Kapua Devonport Library | Athfield Architects". Athfield Architects. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Devonport Takapuna Local Board Heritage Review (PDF). Auckland Council.
- ^ Bollard, Richard (5 November 2008). Devonport Library Redevelopment Heritage Advice (PDF). Salmond Reed Architects Ltd.
- ^ Litterick, Paul (6 July 2015). "Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Hau Kapua: Devonport Library". Architecture Now. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Verran, David (2010). The North Shore: An Illustrated History. Glenfield, New Zealand: Random House. p. 142. ISBN 978 1 86979 312 8.
- ^ Musgrove, Sydney, ed. (1986). The Hundred of Devonport: A Centennial History (First ed.). Devonport47: Devonport Borough Council. p. 47. ISBN 0908704062.
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: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "First World War Memorial". Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Phillips, Jock; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Devonport soldier". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Tiki Traveller (9 July 2024). "Benjamin the Library Cat". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Benjamin, Devonport Library's celebrity cat, uses up nine lives". www.stuff.co.nz. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Dillane, Tom (20 April 2017). "Beloved Auckland library cat inspires $25,000 bronze statue". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Team Flagstaff (11 July 2024). "Metal moggy has fan from afar". The Devonport Flagstaff. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
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