20 Jul 2016

Contractors working on the restoration of the historic Sign of the Kiwi building near the summit of the Port Hills have come across an unexpected find.

The contractors were working on the roof of the building when they uncovered a message scrawled onto the lining of the roof which read ‘If we had of known you were coming we’d of baked a cake.’

The line comes from the lyrics of a song recorded by Eileen Barton back in 1950. The catchy song is about an unexpected visitor and lists all the things the singer would have done if they had known the visitor was coming. It reached number one on the American Billboard charts and was re-recorded a few years later by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

Eileen  Barton was a popular singer in the 1950s.

Eileen Barton was a popular singer in the 1950s.

Christchurch City Council Heritage Advisor Gareth Wright said it was likely the message was written by tradies when they battened the roof of the Sign of the Kiwi  in the 1950s.

At the top of the message was what appeared to be the names of the tradesmen: Leighton, Turner and Newton.

"I suspect the builders wrote this as a message for a future (unexpected) finder before they covered it over,'' Mr Wright said.

A popular café before it was closed due to earthquake damage in February 2011, the Sign of the Kiwi is a building of national significance and is being repaired and strengthened to ensure it can be enjoyed by future generations.

Contractors have been working on the building since April and are due to complete their work in time for the building to be handed back to the tenant in October.