New Zealand Odyssey: Thames-Coromandel District Council Office, Coromandel

'New Zealand Odyssey', published in 1989 by Heinemann, was authored by me, Don Donovan (who did the text and illustrations) and Euan Sarginson, who did the photography and design. In this series of blog posts, I will publish some of my drawings.

This was (and is, I hope) one of the handsomest buildings on the Coromandel Peninsula; it stands in Coromandel township itself. I just painted the central part of it, leaving out wings on either side. As with so many New Zealand public offices it has its war memorial. In this case a well-crafted soldier in traditional uniform complete with his lemon-squeezer hat.


'Honour' stands out proudly over too long a list of names of men who died fighting Britain's wars. But those wars were in times when white New Zealanders still called Britain 'home'. Never again.


© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz