Hospital chapel

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 20

Hospital chapel

Sir,—So, angry Canterbury Area Health Board members feel their views were not adequately canvassed when the Historic

Places Trust considered the reclassification of the Christchurch Hospital Nurses’ Memorial Chapel. Yet the board supplied a lengthy and detailed submission to the trust. In addition, the trust’s director, Geoffrey Whitehead, travelled to Christchurch especially to discuss the chapel with local board members. The trust’s architect also visited Christchurch to have further discussions with the board’s architects. Local health board members should now take a serious look at the two-chapel proposal. They cannot afford to use scarce funds defending a flawed compromise involving the demolition of a unique memorial. Instead, members should heed their Minister, Helen Clark, who last month urged the board to continue dialogue (with the trust) “with the view to retaining this heritage building if at all possible.” It is possible. — Yours, etc.,

J. M. HAMILTON.

July 27, 1989. Sir,—l am appalled to hear of the plan to demolish the hospital memorial chapel. As a greatniece of one of the nurses commemorated in this chapel I find the proposal quite unacceptable. It seems to be the thing these days in this country to destroy anything that' appears to be in the way of so-called progress. I have not seen the alternative proposal, but I cannot understand why the building cannot be left where it is and the traffic directed around it. The chapel is a “very young building,” but if this desire to destroy continues, New Zealand will have no heritage. In other countries people appear to go to no end of trouble to preserve their heritage; this is obvious when driving round European cities. There are buildings and ruins that sit in the middle of the road and traffic just goes around, either as a roundabout, or to either side. One such building that comes to mind is the Bargate in Southampton. I trust that the Area Health Board will think again and work out some alternative that will not bring sorrow to the relatives of these brave women who are commemorated in the chapel. — Yours, etc., (Mrs) CYNTHIA M. C. BARKER. Petone, July 25, 1989.