Ravenscar House: A Biography

Ravenscar House is a remarkable new building in Christchurch, designed by renowned architects Patterson Associates and filled with a wide range of works by leading New Zealand artists. It is the realization of a long-held dream and the expression of a heart-warming act of public philanthropy by Jim and Susan Wakefield.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2022
Publisher: Canterbury University Press

Ravenscar House, a remarkable building that has emerged from the rubble of post-earthquake Christchurch, stands out among the many exciting new structures in the city's heritage precinct. This unique, purpose-built house museum is the realization of a long-held dream and a heart-warming act of public philanthropy. In her book, Ravenscar House: A Biography, Christchurch journalist and writer Sally Blundell delves into the compelling story of Jim and Susan Wakefield, whose vision was to share with their community the eclectic and impressive collection of art and artefacts that they had endowed to the charitable Ravenscar Trust.

After their house on Scarborough Hill was demolished following the Canterbury earthquakes, the couple was determined to commission a new house museum filled with a wide range of works by leading New Zealand artists such as Frances Hodgkins, Colin McCahon, and Bill Sutton, among many others. The Wakefields' bold but elegant addition to the city was opened in 2021. Sally Blundell's engaging and well-informed text is enhanced by family photographs and stunning images of Ravenscar House itself, the garden it enfolds, and the works within its walls.

This is a unique story of resilience, architectural ingenuity, and extraordinary generosity. Sally Blundell, a journalist and writer with a PhD in English literature from the University of Canterbury, has held various editorial positions, including books and culture editor for the New Zealand Listener and fiction judge for the 2018 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Her essay contributions include Not Listening: Changing Conversations in the Wake of the Mosque Shootings ( Public Knowledge , ed. Emma Johnson, 2019), and Amending the Ma.

Dimension: 250 x 190 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781988503226