These carvings, created by John Bevan Ford and Warren Warbrick were constructed in 1990 to honour the significance of the Māori name for The Square, Te Marae o Hine, The Courtyard of the Daughter of Peace. John Bevan Ford, a member of Ngāti Raukawa and a well known artist of Palmerston North was commissioned to undertake the work by the Rangitāne Maori Committee and the Palmerston North City Council. The paved courtyard provided a venue for civic gatherings where Māori protocol could be used and the set of nine wooden carvings defined the boundaries of the courtyard. The two large posts shown here contain carvings which face in two directions. The outward carvings welcome visitors to the city by Rangitāne, while the inward carvings depict Te Rongorito and her mother Hineaupounamu, bring their gifts of peace to the civic gathering place which they overlook. The group of three carved posts, shown in this picture symbolise a hope for peace and prosperity. The Square has since been redesigned but the carving and their significance remain.

This photograph shows many mature trees in The Square with a path leading to the Te Awe Awe statue, built 1907, and beyond to the corner of The Square and Fitzherbert Avenue. From the corner of Fitzherbert Avenue can be seen the Fisherman's Table restaurant, FMG tower, Manawatu Standard building, Square Edge, All Saints Church and, across the street, the Grand Hotel.

Looking across The Square to Arthur Barnett department store. This building was built for C M Ross Co Ltd in 1927-1928. In 1959 it was sold to Milne and Choyce, in 1966 to the D.I.C. which was bought out by Arthur Barnett in 1987. At a time of declining department stores and a new plaza on the other side of The Square, Arthur Barnett vacated the building in 1990. In 1993 the Palmerston North City Council bought the building and renovated it into the new City Library, opened in 1996.

Taken from the Public Library on the corner of The Square and Main Street, looking across to the Downtown multi-storey car park building that fronts Main Street. The Downtown retail and cinema complex opened in 1990, with its main entrance on Broadway. The complex housed Palmerston North's first multiplex cinema, foodhall and multi-level car park.

Looking across part of The Square to PostBank in the former Post Office building. PostBank was the trading name of the Post Office Bank Ltd which was formed in 1987. PostBank was later on sold to ANZ with the PostBank brand being finally redundant by the late 1990s. Beyond can be seen the T & G building clock tower, built in 1937 and standing in Broadway.

From the 1930s - 1960s this set of buildings housed Jackson's grocery store. Later in the 1990s a craft shop operated out of the premises. The shops are now used as retail outlets and businesses.

Flower Shop is located on the corner of Albert and Featherston Streets, and has operated out this building since 1985. they also have a shop at the Hokowhitu roundabout, Palmerston North. They sell a large variety of fresh cut flowers, bouquets, floral arrangements, floral supplies, corporate flowers, wedding flowers, and funeral flowers.Delivering throughout the north and south island. Our two stores are filled with an abundance of beautiful fresh cut flowers grown at our own gardens for your home.

The Tiritea Dairy is a typical suburban 'corner shop', on the corner of Albert and Featherston streets. (Still operating in 2018)

This house, located on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Grey Street, was built in the 1920s by Berryman. In 1998 it housed Occupational Health & Safety before being put up for sale by the Department of Labour.

This photograh, taken from near the Grey Street intersection, shows the high rise buildings of the Royal Sun Alliance, State Insurance and Barraud and Abraham buildings, looking down to The Square.

This photograh shows the Russell Street Dairy located near St Johns Avenue. In 1936 the shop was run by Mrs Jean Benton. Miss Mabel Keys took over the shop c1946. By 1955 it was a general store. During the 1990s it remained as a dairy with a small grocery range.

This house was originally owned by the Rodgers family.

The house at 192 Broadway Avenue was built by W H Cook, one of the two Cook brothers who opened a saw milling operation during the late 19th Century. William Cook died on the 9 November, 1937. The house was occupied by various members of the family until 1970. At this time surrounding grounds were bulldozed to make way for offices and shops, and by 1998 the house was the legal offices of Wadham Goodman, Barristers and Solicitors.

The PNCC administration building was opened in 1980. Its design was an example of Brutalism architecture. The Hopwood clock tower completed in 1957, houses the original Post Office clock. Behind the clock tower can be seen the Council chamber. The clock tower was upgraded c2008, and is now illuminated in different colours at dark and features a glassed-in cross. The administration building was also partially painted about the same time, eliminating some of the starkness of the building.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is a fast food chain of stores begun by Colonel Saunders in the United States of America in 1952. There are two outlets in Palmerston North, in Rangitikei Street and Princess Street.

Georgie Pie was part of a fast food chain owned by Progressive Enterprises, started in 1977 in Kelston, Auckland. The chain was sold to ‘McDonalds’ in 1996 which was the beginning of the end, with the last Georgie Pie ceasing trading in 1998.

This building was originally the home of the United Manawatu Lodge 1721, EC., opened and dedicated on July 24, 1931. It was designed by Ernst West, a local architect and Mason. In the late 1980s the building became too expensive to maintain and was sold and renovated into the Aqaba bar & restaurant. Two panels of hieroglyphics translate to “Thy name shall live upon earth; thy name shall endure upon earth, thou shalt never perish; thou shalt never come to an end”.

The Orient Lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows has been operating in Palmerston North since c1885. This building served as their meeting hall until the late 1990s. Meetings were also held by Court Hinemoa, Hineroa Lodge, Royal Elizabeth Hall of Bisons, Oroua Lodge of Druids and the Acorn Lodge No.92 of Druids. Standing outside the building is Mr. Frank Rose. The building was later sold to the Van ufflen Gallery and used for storage until being renovated as a Restaurant and bar, The Gallery, which opened c 2006.

This image was taken from the then Public Library building on the corner of Main Street and The Square. It looks across The Square to the Civic Administration Building (centre) - an example of Brutalism architecture, and often referred to locally as the 'Battleship' - the Hopwood clock tower completed in 1957 and the NZI high rise building.

This building was constructed as the 5th Public Library to operate in Palmerston North. The three-storey library building was opened on 4 November 1965 and served as the city's library until 1996.

The 5th Public Library to operate in Palmerston North was built in the three-storey library building was opened on 4 November 1965 and served as the city's library until 1996.

In 1965 McMillan & Co Ltd, Builders, completed the 5th Public Library to operate in Palmerston North. This three storey library building was opened on 4 November 1965 at a cost of £317,000. The automatic opening doors were a 'new' feature installed in the Library.