Fresh Look for Historic Thames Street Buildings
Published on 27 May 2025
This article has been corrected to reflect that the Morcomm Systems Ltd building was built for John P. Cagney, not his son James Cagney. Thank you to the Cagney family for alerting Council to this error.
Scaffolding around three businesses along Thames Street may have caught your attention over the last few weeks – but it’s not about bird-proofing the buildings against our local seagull population.
This makeover is part of the Central Ōamaru Masterplan, which includes a series of five community-led projects aimed at revitalising the town centre.
The Façade Renovation project celebrates Ōamaru’s unique architecture, bringing vibrancy to the historic character of three adjacent buildings on the East side of Thames St – Soul, Surf & Skate, Spark and Morcomm Systems Ltd.
The initiative recognises that many of Ōamaru’s heritage buildings have lost some of their former shine and that restoring and maintaining them can be a daunting task for individual building owners. By targeting three side-by-side properties, the project team aimed to demonstrate what can be achieved through collaboration. For over a year, building owners have worked closely with a dedicated team of community members and Council staff to explore restoration opportunities.
Local contributors include Virginia Barlow (VBA Ltd), Kristina Lowe (McBrimar), Laura Byars (National Group), and Waitaki District Council officers David Campbell, Chloe Searle, and Melanie Jones. Among the buildings receiving attention is the Morcomm Systems Ltd building, originally was designed in 1879 by Thomas Forrester as a bookstore for John P. Cagney.
Its recently newly restored and freshly painted upper storey now proudly displays its elegant Victorian details, including pilasters decorated with bay-leaf garlands and a frieze of rosettes beneath the windows.
Shirley Morris, co-owner of the Morcomm building, says “We’ve wanted to restore our building for some time but there have always been other priorities. Working with the project team has been great. We were able to bounce ideas off each other and collaborate on things like shared scaffolding, which made the work easier and more cost effective for everyone”.
Funding for the work has come from a combination of contributions by building owners, the Waitaki Heritage Fund and Government Better Off Funding.
Phase one of the project is now complete, and the transformation is already turning heads. Each building has undergone careful restoration and received a fresh coat of paint — adding colour and energy to the street while remaining true to its historic roots. The next stage will include the repair and restoration of verandahs, along with the installation of new signage.
Melanie Jones, Community & Economic Development Manager said “It has been a pleasure working alongside community members and local businesses — and forming some great new connections in the process. We hope this project inspires other heritage building owners to consider façade renovations, and we’d be happy to share our learnings with anyone interested.”
This collaborative effort is a shining example of what’s possible when heritage, community, and creativity come together.
ENDS