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Funds are urgently needed to save New Zealand's oldest courthouse from further deterioration, a custodian says.
Howick Historical Village general manager Brian Mossman told NZPA today the Howick Court House in Auckland was undergoing urgent repairs but there was no money in the budget to cover unexpected costs.
Shingles on the court roof had been "cascading off" and the repair bill was almost $14,000.
Mr Mossman said the building was worthy of being preserved and was one which could "tell many tales".
Opened in 1848 to house a Court of Petty Sessions, including drunkenness in the streets and theft of firewood, the court was saved from demolition in 1969.
The courthouse was moved by the Howick and Districts Historical Society to the village 10 years later, with financial help from the New Zealand Law Society.
The village attracted about 22,000 paying visitors a year plus historical society members and educational trips for students, taking the number to about 30,000, he said.
Mr Mossman said Manukau City Council gave an annual grant and the entrance fee had increased last year by one dollar to $13 per adult.
- NZPA
