Chandeliers from the Wellington Town Hall, on sale for $15 each. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
An antique furniture restorer is "absolutely horrified" items taken from the Wellington Town Hall were sold and says it is unlikely proper process was followed by the council.
William Cottrell wrote reports on the significance of the heritage items for the council six years ago, and told RNZ they should not have been disposed of.
The council was investigating how the items were sold, and why confidential documents were not removed from them.
The sideboard from the Wellington Town Hall that was based in the mayor's office. Photo: Supplied / Wellington City Council
RNZ reported in September that items were being sold from the venue at the council tip shop as the hall underwent a $330 million redevelopment.
Later that month it was revealed confidential documents were found inside one of the items sold.
The council said it was taking the situation very seriously and was working with its legal and privacy staff, as well as those that were involved with the disposal of the items.
Pieces from the town hall that were sold included four shopping trolleys worth of chandeliers, two truckloads of council chamber chairs and six solid oak wood display units.
Cottrell restores colonial-made furniture, either for institutions, historical societies and the occasional private collection.
He wrote a report six years ago on the value of the items in the town hall for Wellington City Council.
"I'm absolutely horrified that somebody just took it upon themselves to sell these heritage items."
William Cottrell at work in his shop. Photo: William_Cottrell
He said the most significant item that was taken to the tip shop was a sideboard made of heart Rimu based on an 1880s design from London and made by Henry Fielder in 1904.
It sat in the mayor's office in the town hall, and Cottrell said it was an A-list piece that could be in a museum.
Cottrell told RNZ there was no way proper process for getting rid of the items was followed.
"I would never, ever recommend deaccessioning [removing some from a collection] or dumping these things, not ever.
"So, I made the best effort I could to actually explain what these pieces were, the heritage importance, the value of the items."
Cottrell said it was clear the people making decisions on sending the items to the tip shop were making decisions in ignorance.
"Normally museums are really shy about deaccessioning anything in their collections.
"This is the complete opposite where somebody has just taken it upon themselves to just empty out the storage facility just because they can."
Furniture from the Wellington Town Hall for sale at the local tip shop. Photo: Supplied / WCC
Wellington City Council told RNZ it was aware of the reports it commissioned from Cottrell in 2019.
"We're undertaking an internal review to understand how decisions have been made more broadly about furniture disposal and document retention.
The council expected to complete review before Christmas.
"It would be premature to comment on this until we have the findings from that process.
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told RNZ that he was advised the council did get advice from a licensed auctioneer used to dealing with old goods before they disposed of.
Little said the council were told there was no real value in the items, which was why they went to the tip shop.
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