According to the 2020 Ashburton District community profile, in 2013 there were 13,690 dwellings in our district, a figure which does not include shops, businesses, or industrial properties. With that in mind, here is an important question: who is, or was responsible for painting the thousands of buildings around our District?
There are many different painting and decorating companies scattered around Ashburton, each with its own story, and Holdan Painters is one such firm with an interesting history. Founded in 1958, and having only recently finished business in 2020, Holdan has had an impressive track record when it comes to the breadth and variety of different jobs they did around the District. Amongst the many jobs completed by the firm, some examples include the painting of Buchanan’s Flour Mill, Hakatere Station and its outbuildings, the Somerset Hotel, the old Ashburton Public Library, and over 300 state houses in the area.
From the Netherlands
Holdan Painters was founded by Dutchman Gerrit Breukelaar in 1958, alongside a Danish business partner. Kiwis struggled to pronounce the two partners’ surnames, so they came up with the name ‘Holdan’ – a combination of ‘Holland’ and ‘Danish’. The Danish partner left after 3 months, but the business carried on under this name.
Gerrit Breukelaar and his family came to New Zealand in 1957. Gerrit was a talented painter and decorator, as was his father, and he had many other skills under his belt. Every Monday morning, during his apprenticeship at the time of the Second World War, Gerrit made lead and oil-based paint from scratch, ground from raw materials, and he would use that paint throughout the ensuing week.
When the Netherlands was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, Gerrit was taken prisoner and sent to a concentration camp. He was placed in charge of a group of Russian painters, who worked on camoflaguing German warships including the Bismarck. The painters worked while the ships were in use, hanging off the sides often while the vessels were in motion.
Thankfully, Gerrit Breukelaar managed to escape from the concentration camp and worked as a painter and decorator in Holland before moving to New Zealand.
A real family business
In 1959, Gerrit’s son John joined Holdan Painters part-time, alternating between days at school and work. At age fifteen, he began working full-time. John’s brother Bill and eventually sisters Wendy and Dawn joined Holdan Painters too as time went on.
John Breukelaar remembers just about every job he did for Holdan Painters, having worked right through the years progressing from pure lead paint, to synthetic oil undercoats and enamels, and water-based and acrylic gloss paints. With the exception of using tressels and planks at times, there was no scaffolding involved, just wooden extension ladders. In 1968 – 1969 the family had a paint shop in southern East Street on the site of Boston Burger, called South End Paint Supply, which was an agent for Samson Paints.
Plenty of painting done
Holdan Painters took on many jobs around Ashburton town and District, including Buchanan’s Flour Mill on the corner of West and Kermode Streets in 1968/69. Not only did they have to borrow the Ashburton Electric Power Board’s longest ladder, but they then had to attach another ladder to it, just to be able to reach the top of the flour mill! Gerrit also wanted to paint the Ashburton water tower, but he was denied this job as he didn’t have a steeplejack license.
Holdan Painters also worked for Bob Lynne and architects William “Billy” Thomas and Garner Hannaford “Hank” Ward, having painted a number of buildings designed by them including the home of Billy Thomas himself.
One memorable job which John recalled was when he was painting the maternity ward at Ashbuton Hospital. He remembers having to vacate quite quickly in the middle of painting due to a birth, only being allowed back in once the baby had been born. He also remembers painting the inside of the Arcade, before its last big renovation, and his sister made a set of flags which once hung inside along the rafters.
Another significant job for Holdan Painters was when they painted the roof of Longbeach Estate homestead with linseed oil; maneuvering by roof ladders, the team used 70 gallons (265 litres) of linseed oil, all applied by brush.
Apart from the jobs already mentioned, others included:
- Tinwald School
- Ashburton College interiors
- Centennial Sports Hall
- RX Plastics factory
- Coniston Farm
- Mount Possession Homestead
- Clent Hills Homestead
- Lake Heron Station
- Smallbone Garage
- Darryl Phillips Motors
- Tinwald Service Station
…and many more. This list is just the tip of the iceberg; John Breukelaar has some maps of the District in his possession, and on this he has put dots indicating all the buildings that he remembers were painted by Holdan over the years. John also still has the Holdan Painters trailer, which was purchased in 1958, as well as photographs and leaflets for Holdan Painters.
Not many people could go around town knowing they have probably painted many of the buildings they see, but John can, and that’s one part of the legacy of Holdan Painters in Ashburton. The other part is the friendships and connections made by the Breukelaars around the District; John says he has personally made many acquaintances and friendships over the years because of the painting business.
By Connor Lysaght
Unless otherwise stated, photographs and research materials on this page are owned by the Ashburton Museum & Historical Society Inc. This post was modified for this blog and was originally published in the Ashburton Guardian, 15 April 2023.
Ashburton Museum Blog 
Leave a comment