The present building on the prominent Karamu Road-Queen Street East corner site has had two distinct histories. Prior to its construction the site was occupied by the National Bank's first purpose-built Hastings branch. The Bank bought the land in 1914 and the branch opened two years later. The National Bank was founded in London in 1872 and opened its first branches - in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch in 1873. The corner premises was used by the bank for the next decade and a half until the Hawkes Bay earthquake struck on 2 February 1931. The ensuing fire burned the building's interior out and that coupled with the ensuing water damage left the building unable to be reused. The National Bank soon joined its counterparts in a temporary building erected for the resident banks and never returned to its original site. The National Bank built new premises in Market Street in 1934. That same year, Karamu Chambers Ltd was established in Hastings and its primary object was to buy the property on the corner of Karamu Road and Queen Street East. The first directors were Harry Abbott, a builder, Frank Candy, company manager, and Hugh Chambers, a farmer at Mokopeka, and a member of the well-known and influential Chambers family of Havelock North. Two other members of the Chambers family held shares, and there were seven shareholders in all. The three largest shareholders were the Chambers. The company bought the property from the National Bank on 28 November 1934. Karamu Chambers Ltd. contracted Davies and Phillips to design a building on the site and work was completed, probably in 1935. Davies and Phillips were successful architects in their own right before teaming up in the wake of the Hawkes Bay earthquake to work on Hastings' reconstruction, sometimes in collaboration with Alfred Garnett, another important early 20th century Hastings architect. Davies and Phillips continued their partnership long after the Depression and many of their designs still stand in Hastings. Karamu Chambers was an investment property - apparently the only one the company built or owned - and for the 40 years that occupants were recorded by street directories, they remained fairly constant. Early tenants included Hallett and O'Dowd, solicitors, who occupied the ground floor, under various permutations, for the entire period, while the second floor housed Albert Palmer, an accountant, Kelsey and Rogers, share brokers, and Henry Davies, a surveyor. After World War II the Te Mata Trust Board, established to administer Te Mata Park as a public park and public recreation ground, became a long-standing tenant on the first floor. The land for the park was donated by the Chambers family (in 1927) so the Board's presence in the building was no coincidence. In the 1950s, the Yorkshire Insurance Co. and Nicol and Stevenson, seed brokers, also took offices on the first floor. In 1969, Karamu Chambers Ltd. sold the building to Devon Agencies, and two years later the company was dissolved. Devon Agencies was part owned by Selwyn (now Sir Selwyn) Cushing and probably formed with the purpose of buying Karamu Chambers. It was bought to house the offices of Esam Cushing, which later also took over the building next door at 125 Queen Street East. Cushing's involvement with Esam Cushing began in 1960 when he became a principal in the firm that he later gave his name to, along with his business partner Stan Esam. Sir Selwyn Cushing is a successful Hawkes Bay businessman with many commercial interests. In addition, he has held major positions on public organisations and companies, include chairing the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Brierley Investments and Air New Zealand. Esam Cushing remains the occupier of the building.

DESCRIPTION: (based on site visit Chris Cochran/ Michael Kelly, 2004): Karamu Chambers is stripped Classical in style, the façade divided into three main parts: the middle section is a smooth curve around the corner, while on either side is a recessed section with tall columns rising through two floors; there are six of these in the Karamu Road elevation, and four in the Queen Street elevation. A spandrel panel forms a strong horizontal band linking the sections; the whole of the framework of the composition, major columns and parapet, is devoid of any decoration, the parapet itself forming one long horizontal from end to end. There is a door at the end of each elevation, that on Queen Street giving access to the stairs to the first floor. While today there are general office spaces and meeting rooms on both floors, the original drawings show a waiting room and surgeries on the first floor. As was common practice following the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake, Karamu Chambers is built in reinforced concrete. The street elevations are finished in smooth cement plaster; this was originally lined out as stonework and coloured with pigments. It is now painted. Exterior joinery was specified as redwood timber (now replaced), while interior joinery was heart rimu. UPDATE: (Based on site visit Imelda Bargas, March 2008): The interior of a number of the offices on the ground have been modernised, the upper floor fittings date from approximately 1970s/80s. Features of interest on the interior are the strong rooms, two on each floor.