New Zealand Odyssey: Bellass Boxing Gym & Courthouse Door, Lawrence, Central Otago.

'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.

Because it benefited greatly from gold winning in the nineteenth century, Lawrence, in Central Otago, has some pretty interesting buildings. The mustard yellow one above was a Catholic Hall and turned into a boxing gymnasium. I liked its rambling clapboard and those ecclesiastical windows which feature in many buildings where it was so impossible to do a gothic curve that they took the easy way out and did a triangle! This was how it was in 1988; I'm willing to bet that it's neither this colour nor a boxing gymn in 2011.

I also liked the panelled door on the long, low Lawrence courthouse. It has an innate authority that instils respect into both plaintiff and defendant.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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New Zealand Odyssey: 'Clairinch', Taieri Plain, Dunedin

'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 is another of those gracious old houses on the Taieri Plain south of Dunedin. 'Clairinch' was built in 1878 and embodies those qualities that typify most buildings whose form comes from function rather than 'design'. 

I didn't go inside when I drew the house in 1988 but suspect that the stairs to the dormer storeys are narrow and possibly have a rope rather than a wooden banister rail.

Somebody still loved 'Clairinch' a quarter of a century ago. I hope it's still cherished today.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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New Zealand Odyssey: Waimate Railway Station

'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 glorious building was raised in 1900 and had been designed by Gordon Troup who certainly knew how to design a great railway station (see Dunedin's finest). If this building had been in any of the major cities of New Zealand - Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington Christchurch, Dunedin -it would have been demolished by now but because it's in Waimate nobody felt the rush of modernization and I hope nobody ever does!

My drawing does not do it justice. It requires a visit - but in this day and age don't go by train, use the car, it runs more frequently. The age of passenger rail transport is dead.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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New Zealand Odyssey: 1878 Harbour Light, Timaru, South Canterbury

'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 harbour light was built in 1878 to guide shipping into Timaru Harbour but by the time I painted it in 1987 it had been moved to Benvenue Street, Maori Park where it stood merely as a piece of history. Typical of design that comes from function its form is pleasing and sculptural giving off an air of solid reliability. I particularly liked the red cupola - a legitimate opportunity to use a primary colour without apology!

I think it's been, or is being, moved yet again in 2011.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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New Zealand Odyssey: The Old Shipping Office, Akaroa

'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 a hasty scribble in my sketch book, I had intended to make a more formal rendering later but never did. Despite its looseness I think it conveys the essence of this old shipping office in Church Street, Akaroa. It was built in 1895.

The fascinating thing about this building is that it's entirely made of wood but that the architect found it necessary to make it look like stone. Why was that? Did it lend some pomposity and bank-like authority? Funny people, the Victorians.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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New Zealand Odyssey: The Dolls House, Nelson

'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 wooden house in Nelson was so pink and fresh after a rain shower that it looked as if it had just come out of a hot bath! It was the ideal place to set up 'The Doll Centre of New Zealand' being perfectly twee with its Italianate window boxes; even the electrical box at the front corner had been painted pink!

I liked the quoins at the corners. They're usually a feature of stone buildings, quite unnecessary here but I guess they look impressive.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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NewZealand Odyssey: Wanganui Rowing Club.

'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.

I liked this stately old wooden building beside the Whanganui River. I'm not sure of its vintage but I'd put it around 1880 - Victorian without a doubt. One imagines mustachioed worthies in rowing suits, horizontally hooped and stretching to above the knee, sweating their Saturday way (without underarm deodorants) on their historic river, always ready to throw their diminutive cox into the river after any victory.

My drawing was done in 1987; the building looks the same today except for a different paint job and something posh they've done to the front entrance.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz

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New Zealand Odyssey: Greytown Borough Council building 1878. Wairarapa

'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 handsome building of 1878 stands in the main street of Greytown and houses the borough council offices. It's another of those New Zealand wooden buildings that really ought to be of masonry. But it works very well, is finely proportioned and shows great dignity. In the pediment over the door is carved a cameo of a woman's head; I wonder who she was?

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz