15 December 2011

Britten-restored sundial on the move

A sundial and plinth believed to be over 100 years old, hand-restored by the famous late New Zealand motorcycle builder and engineer John Britten, is on the move from a Christchurch garden.

Ward Demolition Ltd, an Auckland-based specialist deconstruction company, working in the city on earthquake demolitions, has been given the task of carefully lifting the metre-high sundial and plinth from its site in the garden of the Heatherlea apartment complex on Deans Ave in Riccarton and transporting it to its new home in the Russley Village.

About two decades ago John Britten restored the sundial and plinth for his mother, Mrs Ruvae Britten who found it lying in the former Heatherlea garden in a state of disrepair.

Peter Ward, managing director of Ward Demolition said Britten had evidently hand cleaned the dial, repaired it and put it back in the garden where it has continued its purpose of indicating the time during sunlight hours by means of a stationary arm casting a shadow onto a surface marked in hours.

His company’s task, to lift it out and take it across town for storage in Roydvale Ave, required careful handling to ensure the stone device was not damaged, he said.

“This has been an interesting project for us, and a very nice link to one of the city’s most talented sons.”

When: Friday, 16 December at 7am
Where: Heatherlea Apartments, 10 Ayr St, Riccarton
In attendance: Ruvae Britten, mother of John Britten

ENDS