The Hepworth/Steeles building was erected in early 1917 for Herbert Hepworth, a pharmacist. Designed by Thorrold-Jaggard and erected at a cost of £1,504, the two-storied building included the shop, a dispensary, an office, large workroom and bottle store downstairs, along with living quarters upstairs for Hepworth. A special feature of the building was its oriel bay front window – which is typical Queen Anne-style architectural feature.
Hepworth operated his pharmacy for at least two decades. Hepworth is understood to have sold the shop to the O’Connor family in the 1940s. Soon after it was occupied by Anne Gray Ltd., lingerie specialist, and by 1952 Steeles Corsetieres (NZ) Ltd, also lingerie specialists, were there. Their name now occupies the upper façade where the word ‘Pharmacy’ once was.
