Tram legacy for Whanganui down to Auckland's David Harre, a tireless heritage enthusiast

(From left) Georgina Beyer, Rob Vinsen, David Harre and Jill Pettis were photographed with the restored No 12 tram in 2006. Photo / Stuart Munro

Aucklander David Harre - the man right, left, front and centre in the story of Whanganui's tram project - has died.

He found the former Whanganui No 12 tram rotting in a shed in Auckland in 2000 and dreamed of getting it and others operating on the streets of Whanganui again.

Harre was a heritage enthusiast, and a former Auckland Historic Places Trust chairman. He has several other heritage projects to his credit.

During the late 1980s he was involved in the work scheme where 10 young people restored Rewi Alley's cottage in the remote Moeawatea Valley, inland from Waverley.

He had a lot of fun pursuing the things he loved, current Tramways Whanganui Trust chairman Kritzo Venter said.

He and friends spent many hours and raised many thousands of dollars to restore the body of the No 12 tram. In 2005 he gave it back to Whanganui and said older people wept to see it return.

His gift came with the condition that the tram must be maintained in good working order, under shelter and be operated as a working tram.

Inaugural chairman of the trust Rob Vinsen worked with Harre for two years, to get the tram back to Whanganui. He was proud to say, in Harre's memory, that his deed of gift has been honoured.

In 2005 the DIC building in Victoria Ave was being demolished, and Harre noticed that its clerestory roof piece would make an ideal tram shed.

He became a trustee of the trust that took the project forward.

More dollars were raised and more volunteer work was done. Harre was back in 2010 when the body of the tram was lowered onto its new undercarriage and motor.

He was there to cut the ribbon in 2012 when the tram rolled out of its shed onto new tracks, and he was back last summer for a ride in it.

It was his great desire and "crazy dream" that No 12 and others should run again on Whanganui streets. He was always positive, Venter said.

"He never saw any obstacles. He always saw ways people could work together and get things done."

Harre made things happen, and, because of him, Whanganui is the only provincial city in New Zealand with its own tram running on a track, Venter said.

"His gift has really set us up for a point of difference. I look forward to building on that."