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Original Letters Make a Come Back

Friday 16 May 2008, 1:36PM

By Franklin District Council

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�Borough Building� � the original letters were used to spell out �Pukekohe Borough Municipal Chambers� as shown in this photo from the Pukekohe 75 years celebration booklet.
Borough Building  the original letters were used to spell out Pukekohe Borough Municipal Chambers as shown in this photo from the Pukekohe 75 years celebration booklet. Credit: Franklin District Council
�Plunket Building� � the letters being given new life.
Plunket Building  the letters being given new life. Credit: Franklin District Council

PUKEKOHE

Anyone who senses something familiar when they look at the new Plunket sign in Pukekohe are right – they are looking at almost 50 years of history. Franklin District Council has restored the original letters that once spelt out “Pukekohe Borough Municipal Chambers” on that very building.


“It is a way Franklin District Council can support heritage in Franklin and look first to reuse what we have before using new resources,” says Franklin District Council’s Special Project Co-ordinator David Manton.


“And of course they are great looking letters!”


When Council decided to reuse the letters for the new sign there was only one problem – amongst the many letters there was no “T”. Fortunately the original metal casters, Millar Paterson Metals, still have the design and were able to create a matching “T”.


The building was originally built in 1960 as the Pukekohe Borough Council Building and remained so until local government amalgamation in 1989. As far as Council are aware the letters originated from this time and are almost 50 years old.