New mural for Claphams' National Clock Museum

Claphams’ National Clock Museum, New Zealand’s premier collection of clocks, will receive a much needed facelift during the next month.

​The outside of the purpose built home for the collection originally featured a mural by local artist Steve Pike.

During a tidy up several years ago it was covered by a sleek coat of white paint, to the dismay of many who had a strong nostalgic attachment to a number of murals Steve had completed, including those on the former A & P showrooms, demolished during the Dent Quay Street realignment.

“Steve let us know that he would be more than willing to replace the mural when it was time to carry out more maintenance on the building, so we are glad to take him up on his offer,” said WDC Economic Development Manager Peter Gleeson.

“In recent years the white paint has started to peel and there has been damage to the wall surface caused by youngsters bouncing their bikes off the curving surface.

To fix it we needed to remove all the paint right down to the surface which will give Steve a good foundation to work with. We will also be branding the museum with its name and silhouettes of the inner workings of clocks on four of its six sides to promote it to people heading towards it from several directions.”

Mr Gleeson said he found the new design really appealing and was sure members of the public would like it.

“It promotes our beautiful harbour, featuring the view from Parua Bay across to Motokiore and out past Mt Manaia to the Hen and Chicken Islands.

With giant time pieces and cogs and wheels in the air and emerging from the water it reminded me of a Pink Floyd record cover, and the song ‘Time’.

“It seemed really apt – I think Steve has nailed it and we’re really looking forward to the finished product.”

Mr Gleeson said work on the mural was dependent on the weather, but the aim was to have it completed by labour weekend.