The Burkes Pass Heritage Trust

The Burkes Pass Heritage Trust
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InBrief..... (updated April 2010)	The beautiful old St Patricks church is available for weddings and other functions Click here for our weddings page. Contact: Ruth Waters +64 3 685 8527 fax: +64 3 6856020 or email: jbatch@clear.net.nz	Take a walk down the Heritage Trail to the cob cottages and take in some of the past. Brochures are free at the church (or print from the main web site)
Latest Newsletter March 2010	Stay informed...request to be on the Newsletter mailing list Contact Jane Batchelor +64 3 3481531 jbatch@clear.net.nz	Support the Trust by Becoming a member (joining form) Making a donation (donation form) Helping with a working bee. Contact Jane Batchelor +64 3 3481531 jbatch@clear.net.nz
Current Projects.....
	Highfield cottage (1875) is near the entrance to the Dobson Ski Field road. We started repairing the cob work and replacing one wall in 1997 and have fenced it done general maintenance to keep it water tight and tidy. Current projects are roof maintenance and improvement, painting and drainage. New: Read the Highfield Cottage Story .... with heaps of photos
Township Entrance Signs	The new entrance signs with the installation crew.
Musterer's Hut	The old bus shelter has been converted to a place for heritage information and displays using a musterer's hut theme. There has been lots of progress. It has been relocated , and a floor, fireplace, chimney and veranda , added. Max Willets (twomm@xtra.co.nz) is the project coordinator and he has done a great job. There is now a book of old local stories and a temporary display of photos on the wall. The old limestone trough has been moved under shelter in the lean to and a classic large picture of Tom Winter's Blacksmith's shop place above it. A road side wooden sign has also been erected with "open" when he hut is open - which is usually daily.
Cemetery History	The cemetery has a rich history as it is the burial site for much of the Mackenzie. A booklet is being written by Liz Angelo-Roxborough. She would be most please to receive any relevant information that you may have about the lives of people that he been laid to rest at Burkes Pass. Still in progress 03 685 6269 angelo2@ihug.co.nz
Anniss Cottage before.... ...as at april 2007	Phase one to protect the old cob walls with a roof has been completed and a fence has been built (by the Fairlie Lions) to keep out stock. Work was carried out at Easter 2007 on windows and front door along with some cob reconstruction. There is a lot of cob work to be done over the next few years.
Cabbage Tree Flat	About 300 trees were planted in 2005. Most of them have been planted in 3 fenced off areas. The very cold winter in 2006 knocked them around a bit but they are growing well now.
St Patricks's Church	It is the oldest union church in New Zealand. It looks great now that it is painted. It is open each day and there are a steady flow of people that visit and enter comments in the visitors book. There are information panels about the Church and old Burkes Pass just inside the door and also brochure on the Heritage Trail It is available for weddings, meetings and other occasions. Click here for our weddings page. Contact Ruth Waters +64 3 685 8527 fax: +64 3 6856020 or email: jbatch@clear.net.nz
Heritage Trail	The heritage trail is a marked grass track that extends from the cemetery to the cob cottages with boardwalks (built by the Tekapo Lions) over the wet parts. A brochure about what to see on the trails is available from the church. Work is being done now on placing information displays on the trail.