Auckland Heritage Festival 2009 on Queens Wharf

The Auckland Heritage Festival, delivered by Auckland City Council, ran from 19 September to 4 October 2009. The two-week festival, comprising more than 100 events encompassing art, architecture, fashion, music, ecology and sociology, was a chance for Aucklanders to embrace and discover everything that is unique about their city. The year’s theme was living heritage – the customs, stories and traditions we keep alive today....

The opening of the festival was held on Queens Wharf - while it was still owned by Ports of Auckland.

A few characters brought Shed 10 back to life, as it was...

Welcomed the honourable guests...

Who came for the music and festivities...

...speeches about heritage, culture, Auckland, and the meaning of it all... (That's Shadbolt in the background waiting his turn at the Microphone.) ...and outside the sliding doors modern Auckland looks on....

...as the music wound up...

...and other acts and music unfolded for those there in Shed 1o to celebrate Auckland's Heritage....

...over a few wines...

The news item ran: "A special opening event on Friday, 18 September – the anniversary of Auckland’s founding – kicks off this year’s Auckland Heritage Festival 2009. From 6.30pm, the public can head to Quay Street’s red fence and view a dramatic display of historical Auckland maritime footage projected onto the front of Shed 10, Queens Wharf...." Didn't find a picture of what they projected onto Shed 10. Sounds fun!

It's a big space inside Shed 10 - easily accommodates a classic event like this...

Auckland City Council's Planning Manager John Duthie explains - as evening falls outside...

Shadbolt gets his chance at last, and outside, waiting to take people for a heritage ride is the Daldy.

As POAL's media release at the time reads: "Ports of Auckland is inviting Aucklanders to experience a ‘living’ part of the city’s maritime history through a series of free heritage tours during the upcoming Auckland Heritage Festival. This year, for the first time, the tours will be hosted on board the historic steam tugboat, the William C Daldy.“We are very excited to offer the Auckland public a chance to experience a part of their city’s history firsthand,” said Managing Director Jens Madsen.Built in 1935, the William C Daldy was one of the Auckland port’s first tug boats, and worked welcoming and departing ships on the Waitemata Harbour for more than 40 years.The hour-long, family-friendly tours will cruise through the commercial wharves, providing a close-up view of port operations. The trip will also include a special stop at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, where the William C Daldy proved its might salvaging a runaway piece of the bridge during its construction in 1958.