Ōamaru’s Janet Frame Eden Street Trust is making news with a unique and appropriately quirky quince jelly auction that is capturing the nation’s attention and (at time of publishing) a hefty $1210 auction bid. 

The auction, for a single jar of Frame tree quince jelly, is part of a concerted fundraising effort which includes a $100,000 Givealittle appeal, with the ultimate aim to raise $600,000 for a world-class, on-site visitor centre at 56 Eden Street, the childhood home of Janet Frame.

Sounds grand? The concept came from typically humble beginnings, trust chair Chloe Searle said. 

“I guess it was the collision of two different things.

“One of them, when I stepped into the chair role, when (former chair, Carol Berry) stepped down, and I was looking to the horizon and the future of the trust, and being aware we were going to have the centenary of Frame’s birth coming up and thinking we’ll be marking 20 years since the house was opened to the public.”

She wondered what kind of "legacy", "dream big" things they could do with those important dates.

“We were doing one of the writer's workshop events and we borrowed a whiteboard and it couldn't fit in the back of the station wagon, so (Mark and I) were walking down Eden Street carrying this whiteboard in the wind.

“The way the sun was setting on Eden Street coupled with shifting this blimmin' thing for a workshop, I kind of looked at the garage in a whole new light and I thought we really could use that space to do something.”

The garage postdates the time the Frames were there. Initial ideas about a DIY-ing its repurposing were put to bed, considering the significance of the site.

“Obviously the house is the story of the childhood, the story of the family, but when you've got someone whose prominence is because of what they achieved in their adult life, it's kind of hard to tell that [part of their story] in their childhood home,” Chloe said.

“So having a space that can sort of stand in contrast to that and be like, 'the significance of the childhood home is because of the woman she became and the achievement she had in her adult life'.”

Considerations for improvement included, “what would really set the house up well, like having proper toilets rather than trying to use a vintage toilet”.

“Having a nice space to run events, having something that functions as a real signpost. So cars don't go up and down Eden street looking for this, because funnily enough, as a house museum, it looks just like a house.”

Janet Frame House at 56 Eden Street Ōamaru and an artist impression of the proposed visitor centre: IMAGES: New Heritage

The planned visitor centre allows the house to tell the story of the Frame family and Janet Frame’s early years, while providing a space for her adult story, workshops and visitor events.

TV reporter and producer Gordon Harcourt is credited with the fundraising idea of selling quince jelly made from the fruit of the same tree Janet Frame would have picked from. 

Local stalwart and former trustee Alison Albiston cooked the jelly on the house’s own restored coal range.

To add to its special nature, the jar carries the signatures of three iconic Janet Frame House supporters; Jane Campion, Helen Clark and Shayne Carter. 

"A big reason we approached the campaign the way we did is we’ve had such great support from the Waitaki community," Chloe said.

“The house has been operating for 20 years with great volunteers, great local tradespeople, great support from local charitable trusts.

“But then, it’s a national and international taonga, so this was a chance for everyone else to get to do their bit and for Waitaki to feel the love.

“Sometimes, I think, we need that external recognition to see what a treasure we have here in our backyard.”

As for future quince jelly...

"We're going to have to make some more. It's always one of those questions of timing. The time you've got to make quince jelly is a fairly narrow window.

"We spent Anzac day at the house with Alison, picking quinces, making some jelly, but we were towards the tail end of the season."

Next year, as soon as they are ready, there will be a big production of quince jelly, Chloe said.

"Because I've got people on my back order list."

She said it best, when she told TVNZ’s 1News on Sunday (5 July), “it’s a hard thing to put a value on a jar of Janet Frame House quince jelly”. 

We’ll find out when the auction closes, this coming Tuesday (18th July), 7.30pm. 

Typical community working bee at Janet Frame house. Photo: Cara Tipping Smith

Restored house stove on which Alison Albiston cooked the iconic quince jelly. PHOTO: Cara Tipping Smith

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You can learn more and support the Givealittle fundraiser here on the build the Janet Frame visitor centre appeal.

Visit the website to find out more about the Janet Frame Eden Street Trust and the Janet Frame House museum at 56 Eden Street, Ōamaru.