Opportunity to sign name on the Southland Times heritage facade

SOURCE
Stuff.co.nz/Southland Times
By Louisa Steyl
22 November 2021

Read in full here Signing off on the old Southland Times building, one last time | Stuff.co.nz

The old Southland Times building held more than just news stories.

With hundreds of staff through its doors in the 107 years the premises was used as a publishing house, the building has become interwoven with the lives of many Southlanders.

Whether it be the reporter who visited as a baby when her mum was a receptionist and then later met her husband in the same office, or guests at The Kelvin Hotel who struggled to sleep over the sound of the printing press – there are heaps of stories about the grand old dame.

To honour this legacy, Invercargill Central and Invercargill City Council are inviting current and ex-staff of the Times to sign the building’s facade, before it is plastered to become an entrance at the new inner-city development.

Former Times reporter Sarah McCarthy, who is working with the council on its City Streets project, pitched the idea and Invercargill Central public relations manager Amy Hibbs – also a former staffer – ran with it.

The facade of the old Southland Times building – which was constructed in 1909 and housed newspaper staff until 2016 – was one of three that were retained for their heritage status when 43 buildings were demolished to make way for the new CBD development.

“A lot of people have a deep connection to the building and the work that happened in it,” Hibbs said.

That was certainly the case for McCarthy, who said: “It informed the rest of my career and my life.”

She considered sneaking onto the building site to leave her mark and is thrilled the sentimental idea is becoming a reality.

McCarthy recalls the magic of watching the words she helped craft get pressed onto print, and the way the whole building came alive when the editorial team were working on a big story.

But it wasn’t just reporters who made the property home, she said, referring to the sales team, the printing team and receptionists.

“It would be great if the whānau could come down and sign. The old girl deserves to know we all remember her,” she said.

Southland Times journalist Michael Fallow worked in the office for 35 years and said “if these walls could talk they'd probably be gossipy as all hell.

“So it's probably for the best that most of them are torn down. The surviving ones are worth signing by the survivors, I'd say.”

Former employees are invited to sign the back of the facade on Sunday, December 5 at 10am; before heading down to the pub to reminisce.

They are asked to confirm their attendance by emailing amy@invercargillcentral.nz before November 30, so Covid-19 safety protocols can be maintained.

Those who can not make it to Invercargill can send a high resolution photo of their signature, using the same email address, to be added to the wall.