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Description

Architect Joshua Charlesworth, of Wellington, designed Palmerston North’s former Chief Post Office. James Trevor & Sons, of Wellington, erected the building in brick with cement render, after a tender of £5,254. Its foundation stone was laid by Postmaster-General Sir Joseph Ward on 27 May 1905, and it was officially opened by Ward on 5 February 1906.

In 1916-17 it was extended to its present form along its Square frontage, and enlarged twice, once in 1927, then in 1938.

The building’s elegant 24.3 metre asymmetrical tower, which was removed soon after the 1942 earthquake, originally housed the four-faced clock and chimes that is now part of the Hopwood Clock Tower in the Square. The clock, which was officially started on 9 November 1906, was christened ‘Kerei Te Panau’ after the very elderly Rangitāne chief, who was present for the event.

Identification

Object type
Image
Relation
IMCA Digital Archive
Date
June 2020
Digitisation id
2020BD_IMCA-DigitalMaster_031926
Format
Born Digital
Held In
"IMCA Digital Archive"

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Taxonomy

Tags
2020s,
architects,
architecture,
buildings,
post office,
the square,
Community Tags

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Related items

45-51 The Square – the Grand Building, former Grand Hotel
161-163 The Square – Mowlem Buildings (a.k.a. ‘Bares Buildings’)
36 The Square – ‘Childs’ building’, now Lone Star Café & Bar
Ladies’ Rest Room, The Square
145-148 The Square, 5-21 Rangitikei Street, 288-302 Cuba Street - @ the hub
1-3 The Square – former Union Bank of Australia/ANZ Chambers
476-482 Main Street - The Square Centre, former Public Library
4-11 The Square – CM Ross Co. Building, now the Palmerston North City Library
10-15 The Square - Commercial Building
125-128 The Square - Waldegrave Building
153-154 The Square – United Friendly Societies’ Dispensary (UFSD) building
31-35 The Square – Strand Building