Stories and memories at Grey Street walkthroughs

Published on 23 February 2026

The team leading deconstruction work at 125 Grey Street says one of the most rewarding parts of the project so far has been guiding groups through the building.

“It’s been cool hearing people’s stories and the experience has given our team a deeper appreciation of the site’s layered history,” ARC CEO Thomas Bishop says.

Among the stories were memories of a boxing ring once set up in the school hall adjacent to the chapel, with ropes strung around steel poles for practice. Another visitor, who had lived at the school, spoke about the distinctive creak of particular doors.

“She could tell who was coming just by the creak,” Bishop says. “Each door had its own sound.”

Whanganui District Council chief strategy officer Sarah O’Hagan says 265 people attended the public walkthroughs over three days.

“This site holds a lot of memories and we wanted to create an opportunity for people to see inside the building and share their stories before deconstruction starts,” O’Hagan says.

Deconstruction will involve removing roof tiles by hand, de-nailing and recovering timber, and salvaging bricks.

Around 90-95 percent of materials – currently estimated at 658 tonnes – will be removed from the building for reuse. Materials will be made available for sale to the public in May.

Bishop says visitors to the site were able to see firsthand the craftsmanship of the building and learn more about the careful deconstruction process which will soon get underway.

“Every room’s joinery was custom-built onsite. You see blind joins, finger jointing and hidden nails – real craftsmanship,” Bishop says.

“To take it apart properly, we have to work in the same careful way it was built. It’s an honour to see what those previous craftsmen did and to make sure we remove it in as good a condition as possible.”

O’Hagan says heritage management firm Geometria, which is responsible for the heritage recording of the site, has made a preliminary video of the interior which will soon be available.

“Keep an eye on the Whanganui District Council Facebook page for more.”

The 125 Grey Street site will be leased by Te Oranganui for a future hauora or wellbeing hub for the wider community.