Oamaru Mail
Dooley honoured for skilled stonework

(Dooleys)Magee Cross Returns

The Celtic Cross that used to adorn the Magee block building has found a new home. With the assistance of past senior students and Kerry Dooley of Dooleys Masonry. The Cross has been relocated on the plinth overlooking “Murray Field” at the College.

It is a popular myth that the Celtic Christian Cross was
introduced by St Patrick. It is believed that St Patrick combined the symbol of Christianity with the sun cross to give pagan followers an idea of the importance of the cross by linking it with the idea of the life-giving properties of the sun.

Otago Daily Times  27/02/09

Monument in final stages

By David Bruce on Wed, 1 Oct 2008

Contractors lower the plaque with the names of North Otago soldiers killed in the Boer War back on to the monument which has been shifted from the Thames-Severn-Coquet Sts intersection in Oamaru. Photo by David Bruce.

The plaque with the names of 14 North Otago soldiers who died in the Boer War has been put back on the monument which has stood in the centre of Oamaru at the Thames-Severn-Coquet Sts intersection for 103 years.

The monument has been shifted about 40m south of its former site at a cost of about $685,000 to make way for road safety improvement on State Highway 1 through central Oamaru.

Before the old monument was demolished, decorative stone, marble plaques, including one with the names of the fallen, and the 2.74m high Trooper David Mickle Jack statue on the top were removed by Dooleys Masonry to be restored, and are now being affixed to the new structure.

Contractors Fulton Hogan demolished the old monument and then constructed a concrete skeleton on the new site.

The monument is made of Port Chalmers bluestone, granite, dressed Malmesbury stone, marble and red granite.

Reconstruction of the monument is expected to be completed before the end of next month.