Barry Brickell: Earth to Earth

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, January 26th, 2016 - 23 comments
Categories: art, Environment, Media, sustainability - Tags:

Barry Brickell

If ever anyone needed a powerful standard of an alternative and entirely sustainable life that has made a big difference, consider Barry Brickell. Died this weekend, or as his biographer on Sunday said to me; “ran out of steam”.

Lots of people dream about running from this city and being a perpetually creative being. He did it, and he went big. From my office tower on the waterfront here I can just see the Coromandel Ranges, like some kind of utopian idea. Any TS reader over 70 will be able to recall the great creative ferment in New Zealand’s arts from the mid-1950s, many of them emboldened to head for the hills. Few, very few, lasted.

Barry did.

He has left behind him a great legacy of ceramics, a substantial private railway, a fully fenced ecological reserve, and thousands upon thousands of satisfied visitors and communal fans.

An introduction to his railway is here.

Essays that review his art practice are liked here.

If you want to have a look at the ecological reserve, check this out.

For the full biography by David Craig and Gregory O’Brien, see this.

The death of this kind of person is a real challenge to me: am I changing my own part of the world as boldly? Could I be as green-politic, as consistently creative as that? Would I have the endurance to do it for that long? And of course, will I leave behind something as substantial as that? Great moral, creative, and political tests that only someone like this can help you measure.

The best kind of human, like Barry Brickell, is the one who makes you look up.

23 comments on “Barry Brickell: Earth to Earth ”

  1. Chooky 1

    +100 to the Post

    Loved his steam train!… and pottery!…and so did the kids

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/294797/artist-barry-brickell-dies-aged-80

    He represented the best of New Zealanders

    …. and what it is to live in New Zealand….economically, frugally, environmentally , creatively

    ….and fun!

  2. John Shears 2

    Thanks for your comments Advantage about a most unusual man.
    So much energy, a brain that kept solving all sorts of problems and a great potter , we have one of his Tea/Coffee pots from the 60’s still as good as the day he fired it.
    A great New Zealander.

  3. Colonial Viper 3

    Time to implement a UBI at $250/wk to enable more people to leave the system.

  4. greywarshark 4

    A link to a long Spectrum interview with Barry is in my comment from yesterday.
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25012016/#comment-1123079

    CV comment about enabling others to leave the system and do other more productive initiatives could apply to West Coast miners who need something to do now the Rua mine is closing because of the drop in coal prices. They are active able men and would do wonders with some initiative like this. There is Shantytown already there, and some local businesses bringing tourism and environmental-hungry people from opv over-developed concrete-covered countries overseas to our still extant stuff over there in the south on the Wild West Coast.

    • Ad 4.1

      What I respect the most about him is he did it himself. Encouraged others, formed a team, but led from the front.

      Maybe that needs a Transition Grant, or something.

      Maybe it needs people to choose a new life, and forego the city. I don’t know.

      Just makes me wonder what 1,000 Barry Brickell would do for this country.

  5. Molly 5

    There was a great documentary on tv a few years ago – but can’t remember who produced it.

    However, did find a nzonscreen short video (8 min), dated but worth the watch for those who don’t already know of him and his work.

    Also:Cultural Icons – Part 1 & 2

  6. b waghorn 6

    Any one that has chance to visit driving creek and ride the train should do it.
    Magic

  7. alwyn 7

    I am intrigued that he is hailed as a great conservationist when he built a railway through what looks to be fairly pristine bush. I liked the railway, and I have some of his pottery but then I thought the monorail would have been a good idea.
    If the Green party now seem to approve of his activities why were they so opposed to a rather less intrusive monorail in South Westland?
    https://home.greens.org.nz/press-releases/minister-must-say-no-monorail

    • Molly 7.1

      His purchase of the land was in part because of the quality and quantity of clay available.

      His hand excavation of clay created cuts in the land that he identified as possible access for further clay extraction. The laying of tracks of a small gauge self built engine, and hand propelled jigger allowed those heavy sacks of clay to be extracted with minimal damage.

      His railway would have laid very lightly on the land, compared to heavy machinery utilised clay extraction. Given that many potters in NZ use clay from overseas, his local extraction method was very conservative (in the original sense of the word).

      A good indication of how conserving his processes are, would be to determine how quickly the environment would regenerate if his works were left untouched and unused. The bush would recover very quickly.

      • maui 7.1.1

        He had also done comprehensive studies of the local environment in the Coromandel and the human impacts on that environment, and had studied geology and botany at university. I would say he was in a prefect position to be making informed decisions on making adaptations to the land, unlike most folk.

        Download Issue 86 March 2014 (PDF 2 MB)
        http://www.openspace.org.nz/Site/Publications_resources/Open_Space/default.aspx

        • Molly 7.1.1.1

          Thanks Maui.

          I had a feeling that he was involved more heavily in regeneration, but with Alwyn I wanted to stick to his point. He tends to head off in random directions.

          Have read your link and Alwyn would do well to take a look before commenting further.

    • Grant 7.2

      As usual you have jumped in and cast a completely baseless slur on someones reputation solely in order to construct a totally fallacious line of argument. The least you can do when trying this line of attack is to use Google to check your facts. Brickell did not build a railway through ‘pristine bush’. If you’ve been to Driving Creek and you imply that you have, you should have read the extensive explanations about how the land was a acquired, what it’s original condition was and how Brickell spent thirty years replanting the hill block with 27,000 native trees to regenerate an area which had been milled out and was covered in wildling pines.

      http://www.drivingcreekrailway.co.nz/Forest-Restoration.cfm

      You did the same sort of thing with Cliff Whiting here; http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-31122015/#comment-1113522

      You really are a toxic old prick.

  8. left for deadshark 8

    You really are a toxic old prick.

    Quite fucken true Grant

    • Molly 8.1

      Most likely true, but My God – what a horrific mental image that conjures up!!

      • left for deadshark 8.1.1

        Molly yes, excuse the french, just trying to make my comment longer than the quote.
        If we could put together 100 alwyn’s, even then that wouldn’t make one Brickell.

        alwyn, you will be proven to be on the wrong side of history, are you infecting the rest of your tribe, with Melee.

  9. Smilin 9

    I remember seeing Barry on one of the early NZ tv local programs he was inspiring then as to the feeling many of us felt was a way to preserve our country from the concrete jungle, pity it is now likely to be a historical entry as we watch this Key twerp lie and wreck our country.

  10. David Craig 10

    Cheers Ad; Barry would have appreciated the nod. And cheers Grant: Barry’s reforestation of a bare slope of hill country that had been burnt off several times during a toxic period of gold mining- along with his train that takes people into the heart of this restored country- was in my mind his greatest work of art, and one with a clear political message to the narrow-gauge minds who can only ‘blatt on’ gratingly and boringly, as he put it once, about money and its works. Barry certainly knew the value of hard work himself, and was an exacting taskmaster. Yet he developed a terrific loyalty from those who have worked at the railway. As Hamish Keith suggested, Barry’s railway was in some ways an attempt to recreate the industrial revolution without capitalism. Insofar as he did so, he shows what economic and social success can be driven and achieved through commitment to going good work, on earth. Go well, Barry Boy!

  11. Micko 11

    First met him in ’80, when camping on the land next door. My abiding memory is of him offering all of us (about a dozen, as I recall) hot baths. He fired up the big old pressure boiler and used the steam to heat a forty gallon tank. Took all of thirty seconds to go from cold to scalding, and made a noise like an earthquake. His pottery was awesome and his railway amazing, although at that time it was quite short.
    As I recall, at that time, the bush was little more than manuka scrub. Returned many years later and he had transformed the place with many, many natives and a wonderful railway ride for visitors.
    RIP BB.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T10:56:12+00:00