A stone legacy: extending Auckland Zoo’s boundary wall

“We planned it for about three years,” says Len Lavas, Director of Auckland Stonemasons. “Once the green light came through, we designed and built the whole thing in just three months.”

It’s also a project of personal significance for Len, who has worked on various infrastructure projects at the city’s zoo over the past four decades. 

“Since 1979, I’ve worked at the zoo,” he says. “A lot of the work we did back then has been taken down as the zoo has evolved and animal enclosures have moved, but this wall is permanent.

“From the day we finished it, it has a heritage status because it’s the boundary wall, and the boundary stone wall will never change.”

Auckland is no stranger to heritage stone walls and buildings, and much of their current state sees the material underestimated. The original Auckland Zoo boundary wall, for instance, was built in 1922 as a dry wall without foundations or concrete. 

“We’ve fixed multiple holes in the wall and regrouted and reconstructed areas to get the wall in ship-shape condition, and built this new section of wall,” says Len.

“Many stone walls in Auckland are built poorly, but we’ve always built to last.”

With full foundations and a reinforced concrete core, the wall’s structural integrity has been ensured, even on its steep incline. 

Of course, a zoo boundary wall is a special project for Auckland Stonemasons, with the majority of their work now involving the construction of sea walls, which come with their own set of challenges.

“Sometimes we can drive the materials down the beach on a truck, and sometimes we’ve got to barge everything in,” says Len. “We also have to build between tides. When the tide is in, we can’t do much, and when the tide is out, we can do lots. Once we’re at a certain height we can build the top parts of the wall when the tide is in, but when we’re starting with the bottom there are some days we can’t do anything, or we start early in the morning and take a break for a few hours before coming back in the afternoon.”

Thankfully, while the team uses traditional stonemasonry techniques, today’s modern machinery makes the job quicker.

“These are traditional walls, but built stronger. We can do things differently from the old days because we have machinery. In the old days, it was a nightmare to dig the trenches for the base of the wall. You would be doing it by hand, and then the tide would come in and fill it with sand, and then you would have to dig it all back out.”

Read more: Auckland Stonemasons protect pōhutukawa from the rising tide with expertly crafted sea wall

No matter the project, the Auckland Stonemasons team prides itself on quality craftsmanship. 

“It’s a privilege for us to build something that’s going to be there for generations. Our work is going to be around for hundreds of years.”

Learn more about working with Auckland Stonemasons.