| 3 Napier - treasuring its golden era The annual Napier Art Deco Festival draws visitors from New Zealand and around the world. Napier Art Deco Trust REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Jeremy Smith, Napier Art Deco Trust’s heritage manager says the organisation has helped drive a renaissance of interest in the city’s unique architectural history, culminating in a number of very popular events, enjoyed by thousands of visitors to the region annually. He’s been in his role for five years and says the origin of the Trust, which was constituted in 1985, stems back to a group of citizens, T T to page 4 concerned at the potential demolishing of many art-deco styled buildings that were constructed following Napier’s devastating earthquake of 1931. “For decades no-one really noticed these wonderful buildings,” Jeremy says. “Generations in the city had grown up with these forms and hardly noticed just how unique they were to a golden era in architecture, popular from the 1920’s to the 40’s,” he says. The Napier CBD has one of the most intact collections of art-deco buildings in the world and the Trust has worked hard to secure their future glory. Central to the Trust’s ongoing work is the Napier Art Deco Festival, which celebrates the town’s unique character. Held over 4-days in February each year, the festival now draws thousands of visitors from New Zealand and around the world. Heritage, History, Archaeology & Research Specialists • 1860’s Well • Kainga and Pā • Buried Pou Elizabeth Pishief PhD - Principal Consultant | Heritage & Museum Studies 021 140 8718 elizabeth.pishief@heritageservices.nz SUPPORTING Embracing vintage cars, fashion and sensibilities of the era, the festival and associated events, such as walking tours, are a source of pride for locals. One major focus of the Trust in recent years has been the restoration of the city’s Women’s Rest, a WW1 memorial, erected opposite the cenotaph, in Memorial Square, to commemorate the sacrifices made by those in the district who served in the war.
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