Locke's cottage to be destroyed

DAVID HALLETT/The Press

MEMORIAL: A plaque in the footpath at 392 Oxford Tce marks the cottage in which Elsie Locke lived.

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The demolition of the Christchurch home of author, feminist and social activist Elsie Locke is due to begin today.

Locke and her husband, Jack, moved into the Oxford Tce house in 1944 and lived there for the rest of their lives. Locke died in 2001.

Her daughter, Alison Locke, said material from the cottage would be used in a new house on the site, which would be a replica of the cottage.

The plan was to use as much of the original material as possible, but, unfortunately, a lot of the wood was riddled with borer.

A plaque on the footpath outside the cottage bore incorrect dates and information, so it would be good to see it replaced, she said.

"Our family's strong belief is that her legacy doesn't reside in the house she lived in; it resides in her body of work."

However, some residents were upset by the Locke family's decision to demolish the house.

Englefield Residents Association member Irinka Britnell said she was disappointed to see the home of the "River Queen" torn down.

There were not many New Zealand female heroes, and Locke had done a lot for Christchurch, including pioneering recycling and cleaning up the riverbanks.

The decision continued the trend of destroying Christchurch's historic buildings, she said.

New Zealand Historic Places Trust Canterbury heritage adviser Dave Margetts said the house was not listed on the trust's register but its loss was regrettable.

It was encouraging the new building would retain the character of the street, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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