More Info →Palmerston North Technical School, 171-189 King Street

This building was erected to Frederick de Jersey Clere design in 1909 to become Palmerston North’s first technical school. Technical classes had commenced in the Presbyterian Hall in 1902, however, virtually lapsed due to lack of pupils. In 1906, the Technical School Committee of the Palmerston North High Schools Board took over administering the technical classes. Funding was then obtained to erect the building, and the school opened in September 1909. In 1955, Queen Elizabeth College opened as the city’s new technical college. Palmerston North Teachers’ College then occupied the building until 1971. The Manawatu Polytechnic (now UCOL) then began using it. The building’s design has been described as ‘Edwardian Free Style. The bell tower on the roof is a typical embellishment of school buildings of the era. The original gables and other embellishments were removed for safety reasons following the 1931 Hawkes Bay Earthquake. These were rebuilt in the latter 1990s as part a major rebuild of the UCOL campus.