Part of Ponsonby’s soul is our rich
heritage that weaves its way proudly into the tapestry of our Strip.
One of our key historical sites is at the
Northern entrance of Ponsonby where College Hill & Jervois Road turn into
Ponsonby Road and we were thrilled that in July last year, thanks to the work
of a small group of very dedicated
people and the Waitemata Local Board, a magnificent replica of the Three Lamps
was erected near where the original used to stand in 1873 .
In the late 1800s, the Three Lamps site was the centre of Ponsonby. It was the
starting point for horse-drawn buses going from Ponsonby into Auckland city.
People would sit on the lights' stone base, and politicians would use it
as a platform for their often 'fiery' speeches. Michael Joseph Savage, in the
early 20th Century , would speak from there and thousands of people would come to hear him. It was Auckland' s Hyde Park
Corner.
People were very proud of the lamps and it
is this pride that drove generations of people to get them back. The Cossar
family, Philip Jones, Councillors Bruce Hucker and Penny Sefuiva, Graeme Easte and Board members Bruce Kilmister and Leigh
Kennaway were all tireless campaigners to get the lamps reinstated. The
Waitemata Local Board took up the challenge in 2010 to complete the project.
What makes the return of these lamps even
more interesting is the wonderful family connection to them. David Gilbert's company 'Wrought Iron Products Ltd’ who
made the pole and its decorations has very close connections to the
original gas lights of 1873. Cyril Callanan,
great-grandfather of David Gilbert's
wife, used to light many of the gas street lamps in Ponsonby and will have lit the original Three Lamps on his evening
rounds.
The replica lamps were made by Spunlight
Poles and Windsor Heritage Ltd of Christchurch and every component was made by
hand under the direction of Philip Jones, the architect, staying true to the
era they were made in, rather than laser-cutting any of the components. The
post has been hand painted rather than spray painted to avoid it looking too
glossy and paint drips were intentionally allowed to dry to give it more
authenticity. Basalt stones, saved from the original base, were used as the new
foundation. Two plaques explain the lamps' significance.
Waitemata Local Board's Heritage spokesman,
Tricia Reade, says residents wanted to bring back a sense of history into
Ponsonby In her speech on opening night,
she ended by saying “Personally, we are loving having the three lamps back and
can't wait to see what new memories they create!”
Three Lamps' timeline
1873 Lamp erected at junction of Ponsonby,
College Hill, Jervois and St Marys Roads
1890 City Council decides to cut costs and
light only one lamp
1892 Gas Company gives concessions and
lights all three
1902 Lamps replaced by electrical lights
1924 Lamp shades removed
1934 Lamp standard was removed from
intersection
1935 A new standard was erected on the
corner of College Hill and Ponsonby Roads outside the Ponsonby Club Hotel that
was later known as The Gluepot
1937 Hotel is demolished and a new one
constructed. The head of the lamp standard is incorporated in the verandah
where they remain today.
Source: Historical Assessment by the
Historical Places Trust.
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