KEY POINTS:
A side-effect of the debate on a suitable memorial for Sir Edmund Hillary was a reminder that nothing had been done to commemorate the life of one of this country's other great adventurers, Sir Peter Blake. Children born at the time of his murder on the Amazon in 2001 were well into primary school yet still there was only planning and proposal. It had become a disgrace. Thankfully, that situation has now been resolved with the announcement of approval for an $8.9 million tribute to be housed in the National Maritime Museum, at the northern end of Auckland's Hobson Wharf.
It has been almost two years since this project emerged from a more extravagant memorial that would have encased Black Magic, the America's Cup-winning yacht given to Te Papa by Sir Peter, in a glass building next to the museum. This $10 million concept failed to win popular backing. Many Aucklanders believed that buying and renaming Kaikoura Island in the Hauraki Gulf would be a more fitting tribute to the champion yachtsman and environmentalist. The glass case plan did, however, gain the approval of Lady Pippa Blake and her family, albeit with a caveat about the cost. That paved the way for a more modest project centred on Black Magic. The boat will be suspended in the museum's Hall of Yachting and surrounded on three levels by an exhibition detailing Sir Peter's life and exploits, and the broader story of New Zealand yachting.
The shameful delay might be explicable if a wide array of proposals had had to be studied and time taken to find the most suitable. But the ship-in-a-bottle concept was unveiled as long ago as 2003. At no stage did the development of a cheaper alternative seem to be being treated with any sense of urgency. When the cheaper option was finally unveiled, the Government pledged initial core funding of $2.5 million, alongside $2 million from the Auckland City Council. The past two years have been spent raising the balance from private and charitable donors. It is here that the previous plodding progress may have hurt.
The public euphoria that greeted the Sir Peter-orchestrated victory in the America's Cup regatta off San Diego in 1995 now seems a distant memory. So too, arguably, is the even more impressive feat of defending the trophy against the Italian challenger, Prada, on the waters of the Waitemata. Even more distant is the excitement aroused by Sir Peter's participation in Whitbread round-the-world races, especially as the fleet was nearing Auckland. Sponsorship is hard to come by at the best of times. As the memory dims, so may the inclination to donate money to a memorial.
Indeed, there is also time for the forming of questions about whether this is an apt destination for local and central government funding. That is unfortunate. Sir Peter's contribution to this country warrants a memorial that honours his many deeds and achievements over a 20-year period, while inspiring youngsters to follow in his footsteps. It would have been far better if those overseeing the memorial had demonstrated the same drive and determination that he brought to projects in which he was involved.
Tenders for "Blue Water Black Magic - A Tribute to Sir Peter Blake" are due to be called this month, and work is expected to begin around July. Resource consents have been obtained. The saga appears to be nearing its end. Happily, the final plans look good. There will continue to be quibbles, as there always are in matters of design. But the overwhelming sentiment is surely that this tribute must be completed without further delay. The memory of a great New Zealander has already been poorly served for far too long.
