Cultural Significance

This historic area was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Cultural/Social: Due to the itinerant nature of railway work, a need for low cost housing developed especially in the years following WW 1. Together with architecturally designed houses, care was taken to provide for the social and cultural needs of the occupants. It was the first time an employer had provided both employment and permanent accommodation on a large scale in New Zealand. State housing was also introduced at Frankton Junction from 1942 under the Housing Construction Department.

Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value This historic area was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Historical: The Railways Department was established in 1880 but in was not until the late nineteenth century that railways assumed greater importance for transport and communication in New Zealand. A minister was appointed in 1895. The Frankton Junction Railway Settlement was established under the then Railways Minister, William Ferguson Massey and was the largest and most complete settlement in New Zealand erected under a single large scale scheme before the advent of state housing. It was one of ten major North Island settlements. Frankton Junction was chosen as the site of the House Factory because of its central location and the large number of employees resident in the area. The corporatisation of NZ Railways in 1988 saw many of the properties sold into private ownership. CONCLUSION: The Frankton Junction settlement represents a significant part of New Zealand Railways history. It was the first time an employer had provided employment plus accommodation for its staff. Designed by George Troup, the settlement was a forerunner in suburban planning with its low cost, architecturally designed housing together with recreational spaces. The House Factory adds significance to this area. Though it only operated for a few years, it produced most of the houses within the settlement and was the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere at its peak production in the 1920's.

Physical Significance

This historic area was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Architectural: The Architectural Branch of the Railways Department, headed by George Troup, was established specifically for this housing programme and operated from Frankton for 9 years (1920-29). Troup had a significant career with the Railways Department designing many railway stations, one of the most notable being the Dunedin Railway Station (1904-07). He was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1907 and was knighted for his services to New Zealand in 1937. The House Factory started its mass production of architecturally designed houses in 1923. Standardised parts were cut, numbered and marked for specific house types and complete house "bundles" were then sent by rail to the various sites near railway stations around the North Island. The pre-cut houses, accompanied by "drawings" covering every facet to aid the unskilled labourer, took 2 to 3 weeks to assemble. Over 100 pre-factory and factory cut houses of low cost, functional design were constructed. The Bungalow style of the timber houses and the variations on a single repetitive house plan make railway houses an important contribution to New Zealand's architectural history. Most of the houses remained unaltered until the 1980's when corporatisation saw many sold into private ownership. The Frankton scheme was a forerunner of modern suburban planning. Technological: The Frankton Junction settlement was the North Island centre of the railways housing scheme with operations on site including the Architectural Branch, the sawmill and the House Factory which began production in 1923. The House Factory was the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere in the 1920's. Houses were designed and cut on site. Some were assembled at Frankton while others were railed to various locations around the North Island. It is a permanent reminder of an innovative and revolutionary concept in New Zealand's industrial heritage. Aesthetic: The Frankton Junction scheme was a combination of standardised house design, grid street planning and the use of large green spaces. Railways architect, George Troup, saw the need for open space and trees etc, near the place of work. He loosely based his design on Englishman, Ebenezer Howard's 'garden suburbs' ideology but adapted it to the Railway's needs.