The Kororupe - The carved door lintel

Mystery surrounds the origin of this carving. It was uncovered (or rescued from an old shed) in the gully that ran from the bottom of Summer Street to Cox's Bay when fill was being brought from the Harbour Bridge construction site. The stream, which originally ran down Summer Street to the sea, was diverted into very large culverts and the fill put on top to flatten and extend the playing fields. The bridge was opened in 1959 after 4 years of construction.

Both Waikato University and Auckland University have examined the carving and the conclusion was that it is a piece that was being worked on at the time of its discovery.

The lintel is carved of totara and is 900mm long. It was repaired and repainted in 2020 and now hangs above the Trophies Cabinet in the main entrance to the new block.

Helen Newall – Archives