TBHS upgrades historic library
Timaru Boy’s High School’s 97-year-old Memorial Library is being earthquake strengthened and given a spruce-up outside.
Rector David Thorp said work began when the school shut down for the Christmas holidays.
‘‘Currently we’re doing some maintenance work outside, with painting and tidying up.
‘‘It’s a building that costs a lot to maintain but it’s important that we do it, not just for the school but for Timaru as well I think.’’
‘‘The cost of earthquake strengthening is quite a lot but we don’t want to give a number,’’ Thorp said.
‘‘It has been subsidised by an old boy and Heritage New Zealand has also given $200,000 for years of ongoing restoration.
The Memorial Library, which has had a category 1 listing from Heritage New Zealand since 2001, is the only original building left in the school’s grounds since it relocated to its North St site in 1913.
The library opened in 1924 having been built as a memorial to commemorate 52 old boys who sacrificed their lives in World War I. In 1955 a memorial window was erected in memory of 133 past students who died in World War II.
The library also housed many photographs with a feature being a large collection of medals that one of the school’s most notable old boys, Jack Lovelock, won during his athletics career which were bequeathed by his widow. Lovelock won the 1500m gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
‘‘The outside maintenance should finish by the end of January and hopefully we’ll have it ready to go for our Anzac Day ceremony but the restoration process taking place inside could go on for several years,’’ Thorp added.