The Lebanese Society of New Zealand (Incorporated) is sorry to report that a fire broke out at the society's premises at 128 Abel Smith Street in Wellington on Tuesday evening, 25 August. The Wellington based Chairperson and Committee are currently working with emergency services to assist in their investigation of the incident.

Stephen Wakem, Secretary of the Wellington-based society, said, “Many of our members are children or grand-children of the original 1946 membership in Wellington, and we’re sad to lose a piece of our local legacy. In those early days, the building was a hub for bringing together Lebanese in shared identity, which is something we have been trying to achieve since we reinstated the society’s membership a couple of years ago.”

The premises was bought in 1959 by the society which became a reliable source of accommodation for recently arrived Lebanese to Wellington, as well as a popular social hub for the Wellington Lebanese community. By the early 2000s, society membership had substantially reduced, and the premises no longer had the same use and function as it once enjoyed. A community group, The 128 Collective, subsequently used and cared for the premises. In 2017, Wellington’s Lebanese community restored the society to its former membership and eventually, in 2019, recovered the premises. The Committee has since been working closely with society members to decide on the building’s future.

If you’d like more information please contact the committee at the following email address: thelebanesesocietyofnewzealand@gmail.com

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