Gallery Development - work begins

The development project seems to be moving along really quickly at the moment. Odd to see the staff room and below that the office that I occupied for six years being removed

Experienced Hawkins staff tell me that this part of a project - setting up for construction, clearing the site, putting up the hoardings and generally getting established is part of the busiest time from the public's point of view. So much seems to be changing each day. Looking at today's photos it seems hard to believe that it was only last week that we attended the plaque unveiling ceremony to mark the commencement of the project!

Rt Hon, Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand and His Worship, John Banks QSO Mayor of Auckland City at the plaque unveiling ceremony on 2 October 2008

It is good to see that some trees have already been planted along the boundary of the site on the Albert Park side. Watching trees be removed from the site by crane was one of the more dramatic sights to date!

Once the Edmiston wing, that is currently being demolished has been cleared, we will all be able to understand much more clearly the layout of the heritage buildings along Wellesley and Kitchener Street, and exactly where the new building will be constructed.