North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Excavation reveals historic works
Scattered bricks emerging at the base of an archaeological dig start to take the shape of historic brickworks with interpretation from an archaeologist.
Between 200 and 250 residents of the seaside suburb Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore had just such guidance at an October 22 open day to view the excavation of the historic Duder Brickworks.
The round shape of a ‘‘honeypot’’ kiln, surrounded by a charred brick floor were revealed at the east end of the site, along with a road leading to Lake Rd dating back to the late 1800s. From the kiln, remains of a flue can be seen leading along the ground to where archaeologists, Clough & Associates still hope to find remnants of a huge chimney.
The archaeological excavation was a condition of Ryman Healthcare’s resource consent to build a massive retirement village on the Ngataringa Bay site.
Thomas Duder settled in Devonport in the 19th century and was a signalman on Flagstaff Hill, now Mt Victoria, Devonport Heritage chairperson Trish Deans said.
Twin sons Robert and Richard Duder ran the brickworks from 1890 to 1936, as well as a general store on King Edward Parade.
After a great fire in 1888 destroyed most of the wooden buildings in Victoria St, the council decreed all buildings in Devonport be built in brick. The brickworks expanded and became one of the larger operations of the eight along the North Shore coastline up to Takapuna at the time, Deans said.
‘‘It was the first major industrial activity on the North Shore. Devonport was built off the brickworks,’’ John Duder, great nephew of Robert and Richard, said.
‘‘Ryman have realised what that history means to the community,’’ Devonport Peninsula Precinct Society chairperson Iain Rea said. The society negotiated with Ryman on behalf of the community.
Ryman will include interpretive panels about the brickworks in its retirement complex, but, with the dig ongoing and an archaeological report due in a month, is yet to make firm plans about what to do with the remnants.
‘‘It’s hard to say yet as we can’t really tell how many useable pieces we will get. Personally, I hope we can get enough good bricks to create something significant that can be included in our landscaping,’’ Ryman Healthcare project manager Matthew Hutchinson, said.