A sad commentary

This morning, at the behest of S, I changed one of my regular running routes to take me along Dryden Street in Grey Lynn rather than through the park, which is just beyond this once grand old building. She had seen that demolition had begun yesterday, and thought I should record the building's passing.

Known as Bethany House, or Bethany Home for Girls, this large two story kauri villa style building was finished in 1913, and for almost 100 years it was run by the Salvation Army for unmarried women who were pregnant. They were able to spend the third trimester here and up to three weeks after delivery. Until at least the 1970s most of the babies born in this home were adopted shortly after birth, and the young women who had "gone up North for a while" went home to get on with their lives without the child they had so little to do with. Those who chose to mother their own child were helped to learn how to before they went home.

Changing patterns in society since then made the service increasingly redundant. Better contraception, less social stigma to having a child "out of wedlock", and greater social (financial) support of solo mothers, all led to fewer women wanting to stay at Bethany. Eventually, the Salvation Army closed the service; in November 2011. They were no longer able to keep up with the cost of maintaining the old building.

The building was not heritage listed, and over the next few months investigations took place, and it was reported that the cost of repairs were as much as, or more than, the cost of a replacement building. The building remained unlisted. It was sold at auction in May 2012, and in June 2012, the new owner (a developer) announced his intention to demolish the building and replace it with five individual houses; the site is large for this part of the city.

Then there was an announcement that there was a plan to remove the building, and relocate it elsewhere. After some weeks of uncertainty, the news came that the Auckland Council would not approve the relocation, and yesterday demolition began.

As can be seen, it is being done with some care so that the old timber, windows and doors can be reused. Still, it is distressing to many of us that a solid building which until a year ago was able to be lived in is now surplus to requirements. The size of the building would have lent itself to many uses, some of a service nature, and some of a more commercial nature (my daughters suggested a boutique tourist hotel).

While there are good aspects of the reduced need for it, there remain other needs which this building could have helped to serve, but like maternity care for unmarried women, there is no money to be made so it doesn't happen.