The Frank Sargeson Trust was established in 1982–83 by Sargeson’s executor, Dame Christine Cole Catley, to commemorate Sargeson and to continue the support he gave other writers during his lifetime. An annual literary fellowship was set up in 1987 to provide assistance to New Zealand writers. The trust leases the Sargeson Centre on Princes Street from Auckland Council for the use of the Sargeson Fellows.

The trust established and maintains a literary museum at Sargeson’s former home where he lived and wrote for more than fifty years. The fibrolite bach at 14 Esmonde Road, Takapuna, on Auckland’s North Shore, is the country’s oldest literary museum.

History of the trust
Contact the trust

The trust also administers Frank Sargeson’s copyright. Requests to reproduce quotations from Sargeson’s published or unpublished writings should be directed to the trust at franksargesontrust@gmail.com

Frank Sargeson’s papers are held at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. Permission is currently needed from the trust before they may be consulted.

The Frank Sargeson Trust is registered as a charitable trust with the New Zealand Charities Commission (registration number CC58376) and has tax exemption status for donations, which are gratefully received – please contact the trust if you wish to support our work.

Dame Cath Tizard was the patron of the Frank Sargeson Trust until her death in 2021.

Current Frank Sargeson Trust trustees

Dr Elizabeth Aitken-Rose (chair)
Martin Cole (secretary/treasurer)
Jenny Cole
Anna Hodge
Dr Sarah Shieff
David Veart

Trust associates

Judge John Adams
Bernard Brown
Helen Woodhouse

Past Frank Sargeson Trust trustees

Contact THE TRUST

Martin Cole, Secretary 
Frank Sargeson Trust
franksargesontrust@gmail.com

Frank Sargeson Centre

When not occupied by Frank Sargeson Fellows, the Frank Sargeson Centre on Princes Street, central Auckland, is occasionally available to host visiting writers. For more information please contact the trust at franksargesontrust@gmail.com

History of the trust

After the writer’s death on 1 March 1982, the Frank Sargeson Trust was established by his heir and executor, Christine Cole Catley – the original heir, John Reece Cole, having become incapacitated after a road accident. The trust aims to continue Sargeson’s life-long generosity to writers through providing residential fellowships while preserving his house in Takapuna, Auckland. This would have been impossible had not many individuals and organisations come to the rescue from the beginning.

When Frank Sargeson died, he left 10 cents in his Post Office savings book. Neither his old age pension (he was born on 23 March 1903) nor any other monies had gone on riotous living. He used his money to help others. Besides those 10 cents he left his quarter-acre section at 14 Esmonde Road, Takapuna, and his small fibrolite house, little more than a bach. 

By the end of 1983 the Frank Sargeson Trust had been established. Money was needed to repair and maintain the house, and to finance the proposed Sargeson Fellowships with their accommodation and stipends.

It became painfully obvious that the back half of Sargeson’s much-loved garden would have to be sold in order for the trust to qualify, dollar for dollar, for a government grant. The first trustees, David Ballantyne, Nigel Cook and C.K. Stead, with Michael King and Cole Catley, were in agreement. Perhaps one day the trust would be in a position to buy back this land on which had stood the famous army hut, home and shelter to many writers including Janet Frame. The land was sold, the government grant received and the house address became officially 14A Esmonde Road. 

A friend of Sargeson’s, George Fraser, art connoisseur and executive at Fletcher Construction, headed a fund-raising committee. He gained the support of Sir James Fletcher and the involvement of the Auckland City Council. The latter owned a brick two-storeyed property, a derelict but historic stables in Princes Street at the top of Albert Park and opposite the University of Auckland. Fletcher Construction, at its own cost, completely renovated this building, the top floor as a residence for writers, and the ground floor as an art gallery. The gallery was later named in honour of George Fraser, and used by Artspace. The Elam School of Art now runs it as an exhibition space for students.

When in 1987 the apartment, the Sargeson Centre, was furnished and The Stables officially opened by Dame Cath Tizard, then mayor of Auckland, the first recipient of the Sargeson Fellowship moved in. It seemed fitting that she was Janet Frame. Some thirty years earlier, she had received shelter and support when she lived in Sargeson’s old army hut in Esmonde Road. As Janet had said of that earlier time, ‘Frank saved my life.’

The Sargeson Trust never had a big capital base, and were fortunate to receive support for the fellowship from the national law firm of Buddle Findlay, from 1997 to 2013, and then the legal firm Grimshaw & Co, since 2014. The trust is enormously grateful for the commercial sponsorship it receives.

Today the trust continues to administer the fellowship and care for the house, alongside supporting other organisations and activities, such as the Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture and Sargeson Prize, that enhance the legacy and promote knowledge of Frank Sargeson and his works.

Acknowledgements

This website is hosted and maintained by the Frank Sargeson Trust. Text was written and compiled by Jenny Cole; the much-missed Stephen Stratford; Anna Hodge; and other members of the Frank Sargeson Trust. Many thanks also to the late Kevin Ireland, a dear friend of the trust, for permission to reproduce his poem ‘Ash Tuesday’. For questions or communications about the website, please contact the trust at franksargesontrust@gmail.com

IMAGE CREDITS

Home page, from left: Frank Sargeson in 1927, 1/2-079007-F, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand; Frank Sargeson in his garden, Takapuna, Auckland, 1932, with an early tomato crop, PAColl-1581-3-271, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand; and Frank Sargeson, photo by New Zealand Herald, in ‘Sargeson, Frank’, Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. ‘The House’ page, from top: historical images courtesy of the Frank Sargeson Trust collection; photographs of the house today by Martin Cole.

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