More Info →Stereoscopic Image of The Square from the Firebell Tower

In the foreground is the Bank of Australia. This bank was constructed in 1910 – 1911 after a smaller wooden building on the site burnt down in 1910. It later became the “The Union Bank of Australia”, then the ANZ bank. In 1981 the ANZ moved and Coombe, Hughes and Company, Chartered accountants, converted the building to accommodate retail shops. The building is listed in category 4 of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust register, due to its architectural significance. In the middle of the picture is the fountain in the western quadrant of The Square- this photograph shows it before the Coronation monument for Edward VII was added on top (1925). The building to the left with a clock tower is the Post Office. Built in 1906, on the corner of The Square and Main Street was Palmerston North’s fourth. Due to the risks in an earthquake, the clock tower was removed in 1942. They were re-purposed for the Hopwood Clock Tower. In 1988, when Telecom and Postbank became separate entities, the building ceased to be the Post Office. It currently operates as a restaurant and bar.