President gives tour of old Auckland Deaf Society building

2006 •
  • Deaf Clubs
  • TV/Media
Auckland Deaf Society President Kevin Pivac gives a tour of the Club’s building prior to its demolition and rebuild.
HomeVideosPresident gives tour of old Auckland Deaf Society building

Dan Hanks interviews then President Kevin Pivac about the pending rebuild of Auckland Deaf Society, and goes on a tour around the old Auckland Deaf Society building, showing the good (and bad) points of the building that has been the “second home” for the Auckland Deaf Community for decades.

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NZSL story – Taonga source: John Schischka

From Indoor Bowls to Indoor Netball: The Evolution of the Balmoral Hall

John Schischka reflects on the old Auckland Deaf Society hall on Balmoral Road. Originally used for indoor bowls and hired out to hearing groups, the Balmoral Road hall was often thick with cigarette smoke – a common sight back in the day. Later, the badminton and basketball clubs made use of the space, but as time went on, it became a bit of a ‘white elephant.’ The Board eventually leased it as an indoor sports centre, where indoor netball became popular. Deaf members would play on Friday nights, then head upstairs for Club night.
NZSL story – Taonga source: Kevin Pivac

The Rebuild of Auckland Deaf Society’s Balmoral Clubroom

Kevin talks about the rebuild of the Auckland Deaf Society building. The receptionist often received calls from people wanting to buy the property, but they were always given a firm no. A member survey was held, and the decision was made to go ahead with the rebuild. Angela Sew Hoy and Chris Blum oversaw the project. While the work was underway, Friday night gatherings were temporarily moved to the local Balmoral Bowling Club.
NZSL story – Taonga source: Kevin Pivac

A Night to Remember at Balmoral Hall

Kevin recalls how the Auckland Deaf Society’s Balmoral Hall was one of the largest venues in Auckland at the time. In 1970, it hosted the Halberg Awards. From the upstairs clubroom, Kevin remembers looking down at the formal dinner set-up with flash tables and decorations. That same evening, a protest took place outside in response to the invitation of a presenter from South Africa. Graffiti was sprayed on the Deaf Club’s exterior, and police were present at the scene.
Dan Hanks
Dan Hanks
Kevin Pivac
Kevin Pivac

Relevant Links

Taonga source:
Dan Hanks
Produced by:
Dan Hanks
Original format:
Hi-8
Reference number:
SignDNA – Deaf National Archive New Zealand, DH03-01-CE06
Copyright status:
This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Note:
This item has been compressed and/or edited.

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