Grey Lynn has always had a wide and diverse history. This is reflected in the historic buildings which remain part of the unique character of this wonderful suburb and the diverse populations it is home to. Celebratin g 80 years at the heart of the community!
In 2004, Grey Lynn Community Library turned 80. The Grey Lynn branch library was opened by mayor Gunson on Saturday, 13 December 1924. It was opened on a Saturday afternoon so the local workers could attend the opening without having to take time off work. It was the first time since the opening of Grafton Library (now Galbraith's Alehouse at the top of Mt Eden Road), that service would be offered from a building designed at the outset as a library. The Georgian style building was designed by W.H. Gummer, who was also the architect of the Remuera Community Library, which opened in 1926. The Grey Lynn Library cost £8,534 to build - the equivalent today would be around $600,000. It had a lending department, reading room, children's department, lecture hall and committee room.
The 2004 birthday celebration was attended by members of the Western Bays Community Board, John Gummer, son of the building's architect, Laura Boswell, the community librarian at Grey Lynn in the 1940s and early 1950s, children from the neighbouring schools, special invitees and members of the public. The children from St Joseph's School and Grey Lynn Primary charmed all those present with their melodious voices and cultural perfomances. The Grey Lynn Primary School presented the library with murals depicting Grey Lynn in four stages of develpment. The murals have since been mounted on the library walls and add a splash of delightful colour to the children's section. 
Mural of when the Māori came to live in Grey Lynn - presented by Grey Lynn Primary School 
Mural of Grey Lynn in the future - presented by Grey Lynn Primary School Library murals
The colourful murals which adorn the walls at Grey Lynn Library were painted by local artist Murray Grimsdale, as part of a PEP scheme in 1981-1982. The main murals were painted from photographs taken by social anthropologist Noel McGrevy in Samoa and depict various Samoan scenes, reflecting the Pacific heritage of many Grey Lynn residents.
The large freestanding canvas in the fiction section shows various images of 1980s Grey Lynn and was painted from Grimsdale's own photos of people and buildings in the area. The library exterior was repainted in 2001 with the original colours used when it was first built. Also, reflecting the heritage nature of the building, a section of the original wooden shelving has been retained in the children's area. Local history collection At Grey Lynn Community Library, we are proud to house an extensive local history collection of articles, reference materials and photographs. The collection has been built up over many years and is housed in a purpose built cabinet, funded by the Western Bays Community Trust. The collection is available to the public for browsing. Areas covered in the collection include Auckland Zoo, Grey Lynn Park, Meola Reef, local politics, local personalities, heritage buildings, and histories of churches and schools in the area. Contributions to the local history collection are always welcome, whether it is your old school photo, anecdotes of Grey Lynn, or original newspaper clippings. |
