A three-metre tall testament to Thames’ “strong mining heritage” will be the latest sculpture installed along the Hauraki Rail Trail.
Designed by local artist John McKeowen, ‘Miners’ Gates’ has been constructed from old railway sleepers, and will be put in place alongside State Highway 25.
Consisting of 12 frames that stand more than 3m high and 2.5m wide, John told The Profile the work references the timber bracing put in mining tunnels to prevent collapse.
He hoped his piece would prompt the public to recognise the “contribution, hard work, and extreme risks” forebears undertook to build the community.
“I spent some time in Japan, and they have Torii Gates at the entrances to temples and sacred places. Miners’ Gates act as a gateway to Thames from the south and a gateway to Hauraki from the north. They also represent protection and security in a dangerous world,” he said.
In 2015, the Thames Public Art Trust held a competition in which artists submitted designs to be installed as part of the trust’s sculpture trail initiative.
John – who jointly won People’s Choice – said the initial brief was for kinetic or moving sculptures, but he wanted to “turn that around and have everything else moving around the artwork”.
“[Miners’ Gates will be] arranged a couple of metres apart in a S-pattern and you will ride through them,” he explained. “So, the cyclists and walkers will move, there will be a ‘swish swish’ sound as you pass them on a bike, and as the sun moves through the sky, the shadows will move around also.”
The 12 frames were made from creosoted oak railway sleepers imported from England, John said, as they were the only ones long enough. The steel boots and connections were made locally by Kōpū Engineering.
“[Fellow trustees] Paul Sylvester, Rob Johnston and I assembled the frames in Paul’s shed over three days in the weekends, and have stored them out in Kōpū waiting installation,” John said.
He also had to face some challenges during the construction, including scrounging a crane truck to pick up the sleepers, sparing time for initial assembly, and gaining “a seeming legion of consents and installation funding”.
He said installation started last week, kicking off with a re-alignment of the concrete path between the Thames Airfield and Thames Rugby and Sports Club.
“This has been helped by the generous donations from the estates of Jo and Tata Ru and Jimmy Baynton – this has been completely funded by them and the art trust,” John said.
“This has been a great privilege to be able to make our fantastic wee town a bit better for our future and enjoyment, and I am looking forward to many more fabulous and funky art pieces being brought to life in our area.”
BY KELLEY TANTAU
