Living with all the destruction in Christchurch these past few months, it's sad to see that buildings on Banks Peninsula are far from immune to the Canterbury shakes. This week sees the partial demolition of one of Banks Peninsula's best-loved watering holes, the Duvauchelle Hotel. The building being demolished this week was designed in 1883 by Christchurch architect and watercolourist, Thomas Cane (1830–1905). His design replaced Duvauchelle's original Somerset Hotel, which came to a fiery end in August 1882. It is thought a fervent prohibitionist, who was never caught, set fire to numerous hotels on the Peninsula during 1882, damaging the Criterion and Bruce's Hotel at Akaroa and razing to the ground Waeckerle's Hotel (now the Grand) at Akaroa, the Pig and Whistle at Little Akaloa, the Pier Hotel at Okains Bay and the Somerset.

Christchurch Art Gallery is fortunate to hold two watercolours of the Duvauchelle Hotel by Rita Angus, who stayed there with her husband Alfred Cook in 1933. The pair must have spent some time at Duvauchelle, combining their holiday with painting – the kind of 'working holiday' which surely is one of the most enviable perks of being an artist. Back in Christchurch later that year, both Rita and Alfred exhibited watercolours from their Duvauchelle sojourn with The Group.

It's a sad loss. I'll raise a glass to the Duvauchelle Hotel.

The two paintings by Rita Angus of the Duvauchelle pub:

And how the arson of the Somerset Hotel was reported in the Otago Daily Times: