Kōrero: Coat of arms

The original royal coat of arms on Wellington’s Old Government Buildings was carved out of wood by Thomas Dewson in 1910. In 1990 the coat of arms had to be extensively refurbished. The crown – originally made of tōtara – had to be replaced by a fibreglass version. Here joiner Adrian Claridge (centre) finds out whether the crown fits him with assistance from his Ministry of Works and Development colleagues, Terry Warren (left) and P. G. Robati (right).