Dialogue: Fighting to keep hold of our military past

If historic buildings are removed from North Head, an important piece of Devonport's past will be lost, say TRISH DEANS and SUSAN YOFFE*.

The High Court's decision that the Department of Conservation is illegally residing in the historic buildings of North Head is unfortunate. If pursued, it will lead to the decay of an important historic site in Devonport.

The site is of national historical significance. It contains numerous gun emplacements, buildings and tunnels, some dating from the 1870s, as well as evidence of Maori occupation. The examples of camp buildings from the First and Second World Wars are a reminder of, and memorial to, the generations of servicemen and women who passed through the site. The history is well established and researched.

After the departure of the Navy in 1996, the barracks on North Head became ugly and dilapidated. The incidents of vandalism, graffiti and misuse caused neighbouring residents concern and distress.

When DoC assumed control of North Head, a management and conservation plan was developed after widespread community consultation.

Developing the recreational character of open space and park ambience underpinned the community's vision. Retaining and protecting the historic buildings was central to the discussion. The commercial use of the buildings or any part of the reserve was decried.

However, to maintain any building a viable use must be found. The DoC offices in two of the buildings are an ideal solution. The buildings are maintained and the department's presence provides on-site interpretation and care of the reserve.

The department has upgraded the buildings but intentionally made little change to the exterior character. It is significant that these buildings have not been tarted up but stand as utilitarian buildings as they were built - an important element in the historic interpretation of the site. This type of reuse of historic buildings is low key, and the unobtrusive activity is compatible with other activity on North Head.

The conservation of old buildings and important sites repeatedly confronts Devonport's community. The decision that DoC is illegally occupying the military buildings, with the implication that they should be removed, is another challenge to the integrity of the area's legacy.

Comments such as "rag-tag bunch of ugly buildings" demonstrate a failure to understand the historic importance of the North Head military site.

The significance of forts, tunnels and gun emplacements is easily recognised, but we must also preserve and record the history of lesser utilitarian buildings which housed the ordinary foot soldier or naval rating.

The fabric of New Zealand's social history lies in its people, their activities and structures, as well as the larger edifices. It is essential that these remnants of more than a century of military use be preserved.

The Second World War buildings are already 60 years old. When today's primary schoolchildren are the age of Kevin Ireland (one of the litigants who wants North Head stripped of all but a few of its old buildings), they will be 100. Serious consideration must be given to the wisdom of depriving future generations of their historical past.

Public interest is overwhelmingly evident and DoC has advertised tours of the tunnels and buildings for Anzac Day. The tours have been oversubscribed and had a waiting list within two hours of being publicised. Aucklanders, and others, are ready to clamber through these yet to be fully restored tunnels and buildings, eager to hear the story of the past.

North Head is easily accessible to most people, locals and tourists alike. It is the only volcanic cone to have such a historic record and one of the few sites that tells the full story of our fort and military history.

The group significance of the 11 buildings on North Head is important, and the balance between the assembly of buildings and the significance of individual buildings must be retained. Every time a building is removed, the overall impact of the military presence is reduced, as is the complete story of the fort and military occupation.

A reasonable outcome for North Head's buildings must be negotiated. The buildings occupied by DoC are historic. They are representative of military camps built in preparation for the Second World War. These buildings should never be removed.

Hopefully, talks between Sandra Lee, the Minister of Conservation, the Devonport Community Board, North Shore City Council, Historic Places Trust and local groups will find light at the end of the tunnel.

* Trish Deans and Susan Yoffe are members of Devonport Heritage Incorporated, a community group seeking to restore and preserve the area's historic character.