In 1953 Arthur Hopwood gifted the city of Palmerston North £10,000 for the construction of a clock tower, to house the clock and chimes removed from the Post Office after the 1942 earthquake. It was completed in 1957. Originally it included a sound shell (stage) at the base, but this was removed c1990. In 2007 the clock tower was refurbished and the structure now includes a lantern style cross at the top.