One of Featherston’s favourite picnic areas has new book-inspired bench seating, designed to pay homage to the town’s status as the first and only official Booktown in New Zealand.

The new seats were inspired and built in collaboration with the Featherston community and their new design came about when Featherston resident, Peter Biggs, asked the Council’s amenities team about the possibility of book themed bench seats. This led the amenities team to source quotes from a range of manufacturers before settling on Norse Ironworks to build the new seats and tables. Prices were comparable across those who submitted costs and the Council was keen to see durable seating that would last the distance in the long term, so steel ticked the box.

Biggs, known in the community as Biggsy, is the co-founder and Director of the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival and was keen to see a visual connection to books within the town.

The old seats and rail sleepers were removed for safety reasons by Featherston contractor Black Axe, whose staff also made the concrete bases for the new structures, simultaneously recycling what they could from the previous wooden structures.

Thanks to the Featherston community, the inspiration, design, build and materials all came together in cohesion along the theme that the town is now best known for – books. There is a book theme crafted into the steel back of the seating and the community now has durable structures in place in one of its favourite picnic spots.

Above: New seats and tables were installed in one of Featherston residents’ favourite picnic spots – the craftsmanship from Kieran at Norse Ironworks pays homage to Featherston as New Zealand’s only official Booktown with engraving as shown on the back of the seating above.