Governor General Sir Bernard Fergusson addresses the crowd at the opening of the Palmerston North Public Library. The three-storey library building was opened on 4 November 1965 and served as the city's library until 1996. Behind him can be seen t...

Creator:      Jack Cottam
Place:          Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          November 4, 1965

Looking across The Square and past the Ladies Rest Rooms, then painted green, to the Palmerston North Public Library on the corner of Main Street and The Square. This building served as the library 1965 - 1996

Creator:      Bruce Watt
Place:          The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          1971

This building is on the same site as the third Public Library building. Completed in November 1965, it was opened by the Governor General, Sir Bernard Fergusson. It served as the Palmerston North Public Library until 1996 when it moved across The ...

Creator:      Unknown

Date:          circa 1960 to circa 1969

Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. In December 1925, the Borough Council agreed to the Manawatū AA's request for a camping ground. Three acres were designated in the southwest corner of the Esplanade. After an ...

Creator:      Geoff Watson
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          November 8, 2025

A publicity image used in the souvenir programme for the offical opening of the public library in 1965. The reverse reads: "A view from the ground floor showing ornamental pool and internal stair to first floor."

Creator:      Argosy Industrial Photos, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          November 1965

Eleanor Dracup (left) and Pamela Mardon (right), library staff at the newly opened Palmerston North Public Library.

Creator:      "Wally D' - W. R. Davies, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          November 1965

The City Archives moved to the Palmerston North Public Library in the late 1980s. They were housed on the 4th floor of the former library on the corner of The Square and Main Street. Assistant Archivist, Barbara Olsen, is pictured.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          September 14, 1992

[Image of Palmerston North Public Library. A woman is sitting on a red leather chair relaxing with a book, next to the indoor fountain which was situated under the central staircase. There are pot plants in planters on the edge of the pond and in ...

Creator:      Manawatū Evening Standard
Place:          Corner of Main Street & the Square, Palmerston North
Date:          December 10, 1965

[Image of the study area on the first floor of the Palmerston North Public Library. A young man is reading by the north facing window, which has a metal grid designed to provide good reading light, and some shade in summer. This was an architectur...

Creator:      Manawatū Evening Standard
Place:          Corner of Main Street & the Square, Palmerston North
Date:          December 10, 1965

Ian Malcolm (1928-1990) was Librarian of Palmerston North Public Library 1969-1989.

Creator:      Drayton Woods and Associates, Palmerston North
Place:          Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1970

The Borough Council bought this site in 1889. The present building was designed by James Walker and Lloyd C. Love, built by L. McMillan & Co. Ltd. at a cost of £300,000, and was opened on 4 November 1965.

The building’s exterior was designed to b...

Creator:      Ian Matheson City Archives
Place:          476-482 Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          June 2020

Ropes divide off the New Zealand Collection from the remainder of the reference collection and a sign tells borrowers why. The City Librarian, Ian Malcolm, estimates that 3-4% of the collection is disappearing off the shelves. This means that betw...

Creator:      Manawatu Evening Standard
Place:          Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1982

A street view of the Palmerston North Public Library, on the corner of Main Street and the Square, taken from beside the Te Peeti Te Awe Awe statue and the rose garden in the Square.

Creator:      Jack Cottam
Place:          The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          1965?

A view of Main Street from the Hopwood Clock Tower during the early 1960s.

The cleared construction site was to be used for Palmerston North's new 3-storey library on the corner of Main Street and The Square, opposite the Post Office. Constructio...

Creator:      Ian Palmer
Place:          The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          circa July 1963

Staff of the Palmerston North Public Library, with customers. The Public Library was on the corner of The Square and Main Street. Taken on the occasion of the millionth issue of a library item.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square
Date:          May 22, 1992

Palmerston North Public Library Circulation Staff. Front row (L-R): Melva Hardie, Joyce Dennis, Diana Pipke, Jenny Duckett, Elizabeth Grant. Second row: Suzanne [?], Belinda Kelland, Sally Austin, Lorna Olsen, Barbara Yeoman, Linda Pearson. Third ...

Creator:      Peter Cain Studios, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1984

A series of images spanning 4 May - 14 September, 1965, depicting the construction of the Public Library on the corner of Main Street and The Square. The library was officially opened on 4 November, 1965.

Creator:      "Wally D' - W. R. Davies, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          November 1965

Palmerston North Public Library Staff. Front row (L-R): Margaret Mowat, Marie Moncrieff, Irene Wolfbauer, Ian Malcolm, Julie Tucker,Diana Pipke, Chris Campbell. Second Row: Belinda Kelland, Ruth Blakely, Patricia Key, Elizabeth Grant, Fiona Harkne...

Creator:      Peter Cain Studios, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1984

A new public library was opened in November 65 on the corner of Main Street and The Square. This photograph shows a child standing at the security gates.

Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1989

A series of images depicting unidentified children in the Children's Department of the newly construction Palmerston North Public Library. This photograph shows children listening to a librarian.

Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1966

The water feature in the newly opened Palmerston North Public Library.

Creator:      "Wally D' - W. R. Davies, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner of Main Street and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          November 1965

First issue of books from the Palmerston North City Library opened 4 November 1965 on the corner of Main Street East and The Square. Ivor Westwood and his son Rodney are shown at the Issue Desk.

Creator:      W R Davies, Palmerston North
Place:          Corner The Square and Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          January 31, 1966

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.

Creator:      Ian Matheson - Palmerston North City Council
Place:          The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          1973

This photograph appeared in the first issue of "Corporation News." It looks across The Square towards the old Public Library. This building was the fifth to house the Palmerston North Municipal Library, and the second to be built specifically as a...

Creator:      Morgan - Palmerston North City Council
Place:          The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          1977

This building was constructed as the fifth Palmerston North Public Library, opening in 1965 as a multi-purpose complex with shops on the street fronts and upper floors rented out as offices. By 1992 the Library occupied all but the third floor and...

Creator:      Matt Ryan
Place:          The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          1988

A view of the public library and bus station on Main Street.

Creator:      Colin Rush
Place:          Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1990s

This negative proof sheet shows a variety of scenes in the Public Library that once stood on the corner of Main Street East and The Square.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Corner of The Square and Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1974

This building housed the public library between 1965 and 1996.

Argosy Studio (Argosy Industrial Photos) was a photography business owned and operated between 1950 and 1980 by Joe Greening (formerly employed by Elmar Studios). Originally located i...

Creator:      Joe Greening (Argosy Studios/Argosy Industrial Photos)
Place:          Corner of Main Street East and The Square, Palmerston North
Date:          September 8, 1965

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 installe...

Creator:      Ian Matheson
Place:          Corner The Square and Main Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1993

This plan is titled, "Plan of Sec.380 and Pt. of Sec. 387, Township of Palmerston North, Block XI

Kairanga S.D."

Creator:      O.J. Dolan [Surveyor]
Place:          Church Street East; Frederick Street; Main Street East; Millar Street; Phillip Street; Alfred Street; Rainforth Street; Weston Avenue; Fitzroy Street
Date:          July 1938