Wainwright & Hickey - Stone, Bricks & Plaster

18/05/2026

Schist Stonework
Stonework going in on a stunning new Flagstaff home — our stonemason Bob pointing up the schist before brushing back.
The schist stone is possibly the only building material sourced and processed in Otago!?
Wainwright & Hickey, working alongside Mike Greer Homes.

05/05/2026

Phoenix House, built 1885 as the Equitable Insurance Association Building, has been one of Dunedin's most loved-but-faded Warehouse Precinct buildings for years. Stand in Queens Garden and look up — the moss-overgrown cornice and eroding parapet stone told their own story.

Over the past eight months, June 2025 to February 2026, that has changed.

Wainwright & Hickey worked on securing the façade, cleaning, and assisting with the lead work and flashings. The lead and roofing work itself was led by Cameron Roofing Specialists ltd — a real partnership job, where heritage masonry and roof / lead detailing depend on each other to make the next century of weather kind to the building.

The before-and-after photos here tell most of the story. The Ionic capitals, fluted shafts and dentil mouldings were all worth saving. None of that is replaceable.

Thanks to Nick James and Otago Real Estate for trusting the team with the work, to Cameron Roofing Specialists Ltd for the partnership, and to Dunedin Heritage Fund for the part-funding that often makes the difference between a heritage building being saved and one quietly slipping past the point of no return.

Phoenix House is back. One more building in the Warehouse Precinct standing the way it was meant to.

24/03/2026

We're thrilled to share that the University of Otago CApSc Building has been named a finalist in the Property Industry Awards 2026 — in both the Heritage & Adaptive Reuse and Commercial Office categories! 🎉
This project was a real labour of love. Seeing the building restored to its former glory makes all the hard work worthwhile.
A huge thank you to the University of Otago for entrusting us with this special building, and to our dedicated site team: Donal, and Reuben and specialist slate roofer John Meegan.

13/03/2026

Made between Oamaru and Dunedin: 32 cast iron air vents for the Hokitika Government Building.
We sourced and finished the pattern, with the casting carried out by Gillies Industries.
Great to be part of keeping traditional materials and skills for heritage buildings.

05/03/2026

02/03/2026

Carving a Tracery Window for Larnach's Tomb, Dunedin in Oamaru Stone. Showcasing some of our tools and skills.

02/03/2026

Work commences at the Lindis Pass Hotel Ruins...