Air Force Museum Receives Local Award

The award, presented by the Chairman of the Trust Mr Timothy Hogan recognised the Museum’s ‘Engineering environmental transport and other key infrastructure projects that enhance city functions in an efficient, cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly way’.

The citation reads: ‘Awarded for the skill and effort put into providing an impressively presented, publicly accessible display of a significant part of New Zealand history. It is housed in an appealing purpose-designed building and converted hangar and is located, appropriately, on land occupied by the original Wigram Air Force Base’.

The Civic Trust mission seeks to ‘promote the creation of a good environment in new places where people are to live and work; the revitalisation of areas that display clear signs of obsolescence; and the conservation of notable heritage assets. The geographical ambit of the Trust relates to areas within and in close proximity to the city’.

The Civic Trust has for many years also endeavoured to cultivate a wider public awareness of the importance of good planning, imaginative urban design and prudent heritage conservation.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs Thérèse Angelo, the Director of the Air Force Museum, thanked the Civic Trust for acknowledging the role the Museum has within the local community and recognising the historical significance of the work carried out by the RNZAF Museum Trust Board, staff and the many volunteers. She finished her acceptance speech by urging people to ‘watch this space’, alluding to the proposed internal structural changes and major redevelopment scheduled over the next five years.

The Christchurch Civic Trust is administered by a board of 12 members, all volunteers drawn from a wide range of backgrounds.