For 30 years, North Shore Scaffolding had the enjoyable task of getting Auckland’s iconic Santa set up for the Christmas season. Santa was first attached on the front of the Farmers building on the corner of Hobson Street and Wyndham Street in Auckland back in 1960.
The fibreglass and steel tubing structure weighed almost five tons and stood at a height of about 18 metres. It featured a winking eye and beckoning finger, which were intended to tempt customers into the store below, but with time gave him the nickname "creepy Santa".
The giant Santa was erected on the Farmers' Hobson Street store each Christmas for 30 years. When the building was sold in 1990, he was moved to Manakau, where he graced the Farmers building for a few years before he was retired in 1996 because of his tatty appearance.
After years of neglect, Santa was in need of a serious refit. In 1998, following two years of negotiations, Santa was purchased from Farmers and favours were called in from friends, companies, and business associates to have Santa restored and returned to the people of Auckland.
Santa took his new stage on the Queen Streets Whitcoulls building at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets. The building then changed to Farmers in a poetic symmetry of history. In 2009 Santa underwent a restoration and unveiled a more friendly appearance - with his ‘creepy' beckoning finger replaced with a static one.
After nearly six decades, the giant Santa was finally retired in January 2020. North Shore Scaffolding is proud to have worked on this project for many years and Santa will surely be missed.
Read more about Santa in this article on NZ History.
North Shore Scaffolding used the following resources for this project:
- Layher Allround Scaffolding System
- Allround Propping
- Health & Safety Systems
Please contact us for more information.