Mouldering historic Carkeek Observatory still awaits council action

History in the grass: Stephen Carkeek descendant Ra Higgott found these rails, wheels and guides from the observatory dome lying in the grass on site, restored them and handed them to SWDC for “safe keeping.”

By Ray Lilley 

“Firstly, my apologies for not communicating with you for a while and for the project moving slower than we had originally anticipated,” Carkeek Observatory’s council-appointed project manager James O’Connor wrote recently.

He also noted more delays ahead before preservation work begins on the site of the country’s oldest observatory _ four years after it was granted the country’s top heritage protection rating.

The Heritage 1-listed observatory was built in 1868 by amateur astronomer and local sheep farmer Stephen Carkeek. Located off Murphy’s Line Road in  South Featherston, the historic observatory was only re-discovered _ in rundown  state _ by a small group of astronomy buffs in the 1990s.

It faded from memories again till the then Martinborough Dark Sky Association (now Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve) helped resurface memories of the historic – but unvisited and unloved – landmark.  

It won HeritageNZ’s top protection level when listed four years ago, and its preservation and protection came under the aegis of South Wairarapa District Council. 

Category 1 Historic Place designation is a virtual directive from Heritage New Zealand:

“Properties on the (Heritage) List should be conserved for the future. Our recommendation for this property are: scheduling on the Wairarapa Combined District Plan and the preparation of a conservation plan to guide the conservation and stablisation (sic) of the Carkeek Observatory as a ruin and an archaeological site.” 

SWDC became the effective protector of the decaying building, while Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve saw itself as its kaitiaki (guardians). 

The observatory “ruin” – as the Heritage report described the then-152-(now 156)-year-old totara-clad observatory – needed urgent protection.

Plans hatched at a council-instigated meeting were for a protective “farm-type shed” to be placed round and over the collapsing observatory to protect it from the weather and allow preservation work to commence. The protective structure was due to be tendered in May 2024.

Six months later O’Connor has confirmed in a briefing note to the relevant parties that “back and forth” has delayed the shelter, but now “we’re looking to use a grain silo structure to shelter the observatory site.” 

He adds: “It’s still a reasonably basic structure that will allow protection from the elements and air flow. It also visually fits better with the original observatory shape along with the general farming landscape.”

More delays are ahead, his note confirms:

• “Resource consent application preparation is underway;
• “Archaeological authority preparation is underway;
• “Build of the structure can’t be confirmed yet but we’ll advise as the planning allows;”
• The council’s “Principal Advisor, Project Management” is now managing the project.

Plans to preserve and protect what remains of Carkeek’s old wooden observatory were put in hand post-Covid, with the council devoting cash and resource to the project. The observatory is widely regarded as the first amateur star-gazing structure erected in colonial New Zealand.

O’Connor signs off: “We’ll keep you updated as things progress.”