Memorial Park Alliance community relations manager Brian Aspin said each stage of the three phase move required weeks of preparation including strengthening and removal of fragile heritage components, including wall linings, floors and the back veranda before being moved using hydraulic rams and jacks. View footage

The process, which will be carried out over the next couple of days, is the first in a three-stage relocation that will relocate the creche to its new home 15 metres west of its current resting place and 3.2 metres higher. Continue reading

The category-1 heritage listed building at 18 Buckle St will be rolled to the back of its site and then lifted to a new position on a higher level.

The creche, on the northern corner of the Basin Reserve, is the last remnant of the Catholic precinct that used to be in the area and included St Anthony's Soup Kitchen, St Joseph's Home for Incurables, St Joseph's Church and St Patrick's College.

The building is presently all boarded up and is being strengthened in preparation for the move which will take place from May to June

Memorial Park Alliance community relations manager Brian Aspin said the creche was a significant building in the area."It's a physical reminder of the life and beliefs of the nun Mother Suzanne Aubert," he said.

"Her pioneering social work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries made her an important figure in New Zealand history."

The building was the first of its kind in New Zealand, because it was built specifically to care for children while their low-income mothers were at work.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: New Zealand History online