Knitted Controversy

The destruction of Taranaki's built heritage made for a striking woollen protest from the needles of an accomplished knitter.

This jersey, which features a famous image of New Plymouth's clocktower being demolished in 1969, was knitted by New Plymouth woman Tess Gaffney in the 1980s. The design was the idea of Mark Todd, a 16-year-old from Stratford, and the jersey was produced as part of a correspondence art course.

Along with the clocktower, other fragments of Taranaki heritage feature on the jersey including the Round House, a distinctive early New Plymouth building demolished in 1938 and the band rotunda which used to be at Kawaroa. Mount Egmont is also mentioned, a reference to the naming controversy which was in full flight when the jersey was knitted.