Council Chambers (Former)

92 Fairfax Street, MURCHISON

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The Council Chambers (Former) situated on Fairfax Street in Murchison, was completed in 1913 as the recently formed Murchison County Council's base of operations. The forming of the Council and the construction of the building are indicative of the coming-of-age of Murchison in the early twentieth century and is a symbol of the increased status of the town. The Nelson region was initially settled from the 1840s as part of the New Zealand Company's planned settlement programme. However, remote areas such as Murchison were slow to develop due to their distance from the nucleus of settlement. Therefore, despite sporadic visits by explorers, and then isolated gold-mining and timber-milling settlements from the mid 1840s, it was not until 1865 that the town was surveyed and formally established. Access continued to be a main impediment to the development of Murchison which meant that until the early twentieth century it was very much a frontier community. However, at this time the fortunes of Murchison changed, which can be seen in the construction of churches and public facilities. The growth of the area and Murchison's developing role as a service town for the local dairy industry led to the establishment of Murchison County. This large area had previously been within the domain of Inangahua County, and the separation meant that the distinct character of the Murchison region was recognised and its needs could be better catered for. In 1950 the Council added the public library to its responsibilities and this was set up in the Council Chambers, and local government administration and library services at the building have continued to the present. The Council Chambers is a timber framed and rusticated weatherboard clad building typical of its period and function. The Classicism favoured in civic buildings of the time is present, although in a muted form which was reflective of the economic capabilities and size of the local authority it was constructed for. The main body of the building contains a large meeting room with modest office spaces adjoining it to the east and west. There was little alteration to the building until the late twentieth century when an entrance canopy was added and some interior changes undertaken. The Council Chambers building in Murchison is characteristic of the architecture used in civic buildings of rural centres from the period, and is significant locally because of its place within the history of the town and region. The building represents the fruition of the distinct identity of this remote area and Murchison's coalescence into a rural service centre town and seat of local government in the early twentieth century. As the base of local government for much of the twentieth century the decisions made within the building, as well as it's administrative and later educational functions, have directly affected and enriched the lives of the district's citizens. As such there is considerable local social value associated with this structure.

Council Chambers (Former) | Karen Astwood | 01/06/2009 | NZ Historic Places Trust

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

1635

Date Entered

10th October 2009

Date of Effect

10th October 2009

City/District Council

Tasman District

Region

Tasman Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes part of the land described as Sec 57 Town of Murchison (RT NL2B/425), Nelson Land District and the building known as Council Chambers thereon, and its fittings and fixtures. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the registration report for further information).

Legal description

Sec 57 Town of Murchison (RT NL2B/425), Nelson Land District

Location Description

When travelling along Waller Street/State Highway 6 through Murchison, turn south into the lower section of Fairfax Street. Continue travelling south along this street and the Council Chambers is on the west side of the road just south of a small bridge.

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