The Public Trust Building, Napier, is one of the few buildings to survive the Hawke's Bay earthquake of 1931 and is one of the finest examples of government architecture in provincial New Zealand.
The Public Trustee was established by the government in 1872 as a response to the lack of people willing and qualified to take on the duties of trustee of a deceased person's estate. By the beginning of the twentieth century the Public Trustee was responsible for the administration of lunatic's and convict's estates, provident funds, relief funds and native reserves, and managed a fund at the value of over £1,000,000. Although the trustee acted through district managers and agents, the increased workload, plus delays caused by the need to seek the involvement of the trustee in Wellington, led to a call to change the structure of the trust. The Public Trust Office Amendment Act 1912 enabled the trustee to delegate powers to Local Deputy Trustees. Between 1913 and 1922 the Public Trust decentralised and built permanent offices in regional centres. One such centre was Napier.
Initially the work of the Public Trustee in Napier was conducted in the Government Buildings, but as business increased the office needed larger accommodation, and it was moved to a building in Tennyson Street. By 1918 the Public Trustee's workload had again increased and it was decided to buy a piece of land on the corner of Tennyson and Bolton Streets. A competition was held to select the design of the building, with George Alexander Troup (1863-1941), head of the newly established Architectural Branch of New Zealand Railways, acting as assessor. The conditions of the competition were that the building should be two storeys high, and so designed that two additional storeys could be added at a future date. The walls were required to be of brick and the entire building fireproof. These conditions proved to be very provident stipulations. The first prize was awarded to architects Hyland and Phillips of Hastings, and a tender of £14,693 from Hamilton and Whillans of Napier was accepted to construct the building. Opened in 1922, the classical doric design, a convincing evocation of Greek Temple architecture, gave the building a landmark presence in a street that at that time had relatively few large and imposing structures of this kind.
On 3 February 1931 a massive earthquake struck the Hawke's Bay region. At 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake did huge damage and is considered to be the largest natural disaster to have occurred in New Zealand in the twentieth century. A total of 258 people died. In Napier, near the centre of the quake, the earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed most of the central business district. One of the few buildings to survive was the Public Trust Building. Two weeks after the earthquake, Wellington-based architect, Stanley Fearn, assessed the building for the Public Trustee and found that, although the building was in no danger of collapse, it was in need of considerable reconstruction and strengthening. This work was undertaken by Fletcher Construction over a period of five months and involved supporting existing columns with new pillars of concrete and steel. Most of the brick walls had to be reconstructed.
In the meantime some Public Trust employees used the Supreme Court Building for offices, while some were sent to the Dannevirke Office. A few months following the quake they were brought back together in Tiffen Park House, and staff had to carry their ledgers back and forth between the safe in the building to the temporary offices. The Public Trust building was reoccupied on 21 January 1932.
In the months (and years) after the earthquake the Public Trust formed a central part in the administration of the Hawke's Bay Earthquake Relief Fund, set up by Prime Minister Coates. The fund dealt with immediate claims (e.g. for food, clothing, medical treatment, and accommodation), and financial assistance for repair of damage to private dwellings. Grants were also given for private loss, and provision was made for people injured and dependants of persons injured or killed. To help in the distribution of the fund Public Trust employees from around the country were sent to the Hawke's Bay. The last payment from this fund was made in 1960s.
In 1986, as part of the Public Trust programme of upgrading District Offices, the Napier office was renovated. The building was sold in the 1990s and is now used for offices and a gymnasium.
The Public Trust building, Napier, has been an important landmark in the Napier civic centre for most of the twentieth century and has great significance as one of the few buildings to survive the Hawke's Bay Earthquake and subsequent fire. It was the home of the Public Trustee and staff until it was sold in the mid-1990s. The Public Trust's particular role in the rejuvenation of Napier after the earthquake gives the building great historic and symbolic significance to the people of Napier. Architecturally it is a magnificent example of neo-Grecian architecture. It is arguably the most distinctive of all Napier's buildings, a considerable statement in a city with many remarkable buildings. It is a most telling contrast with the predominantly Art Deco buildings around it. Its survival is a fortuitous outcome arising from the specific demands made of the successful architectural tenderers, but whatever the reason for its survival, the building represents a symbol of the permanence and solidity that the Public Trust would have wanted to convey to its clients.
The Public Trustee was established by the government in 1872 as a response to the lack of people willing and qualified to take on the duties of trustee of a deceased person's estate. By the beginning of the twentieth century the Public Trustee was responsible for the administration of lunatic's and convict's estates, provident funds, relief funds and native reserves, and managed a fund at the value of over £1,000,000. Although the trustee acted through district managers and agents, the increased workload, plus delays caused by the need to seek the involvement of the trustee in Wellington, led to a call to change the structure of the trust. The Public Trust Office Amendment Act 1912 enabled the trustee to delegate powers to Local Deputy Trustees. Between 1913 and 1922 the Public Trust decentralised and built permanent offices in regional centres. One such centre was Napier.
Initially the work of the Public Trustee in Napier was conducted in the Government Buildings, but as business increased the office needed larger accommodation, and it was moved to a building in Tennyson Street. By 1918 the Public Trustee's workload had again increased and it was decided to buy a piece of land on the corner of Tennyson and Bolton Streets. A competition was held to select the design of the building, with George Alexander Troup (1863-1941), head of the newly established Architectural Branch of New Zealand Railways, acting as assessor. The conditions of the competition were that the building should be two storeys high, and so designed that two additional storeys could be added at a future date. The walls were required to be of brick and the entire building fireproof. These conditions proved to be very provident stipulations. The first prize was awarded to architects Hyland and Phillips of Hastings, and a tender of £14,693 from Hamilton and Whillans of Napier was accepted to construct the building. Opened in 1922, the classical doric design, a convincing evocation of Greek Temple architecture, gave the building a landmark presence in a street that at that time had relatively few large and imposing structures of this kind.
On 3 February 1931 a massive earthquake struck the Hawke's Bay region. At 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake did huge damage and is considered to be the largest natural disaster to have occurred in New Zealand in the twentieth century. A total of 258 people died. In Napier, near the centre of the quake, the earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed most of the central business district. One of the few buildings to survive was the Public Trust Building. Two weeks after the earthquake, Wellington-based architect, Stanley Fearn, assessed the building for the Public Trustee and found that, although the building was in no danger of collapse, it was in need of considerable reconstruction and strengthening. This work was undertaken by Fletcher Construction over a period of five months and involved supporting existing columns with new pillars of concrete and steel. Most of the brick walls had to be reconstructed.
In the meantime some Public Trust employees used the Supreme Court Building for offices, while some were sent to the Dannevirke Office. A few months following the quake they were brought back together in Tiffen Park House, and staff had to carry their ledgers back and forth between the safe in the building to the temporary offices. The Public Trust building was reoccupied on 21 January 1932.
In the months (and years) after the earthquake the Public Trust formed a central part in the administration of the Hawke's Bay Earthquake Relief Fund, set up by Prime Minister Coates. The fund dealt with immediate claims (e.g. for food, clothing, medical treatment, and accommodation), and financial assistance for repair of damage to private dwellings. Grants were also given for private loss, and provision was made for people injured and dependants of persons injured or killed. To help in the distribution of the fund Public Trust employees from around the country were sent to the Hawke's Bay. The last payment from this fund was made in 1960s.
In 1986, as part of the Public Trust programme of upgrading District Offices, the Napier office was renovated. The building was sold in the 1990s and is now used for offices and a gymnasium.
The Public Trust building, Napier, has been an important landmark in the Napier civic centre for most of the twentieth century and has great significance as one of the few buildings to survive the Hawke's Bay Earthquake and subsequent fire. It was the home of the Public Trustee and staff until it was sold in the mid-1990s. The Public Trust's particular role in the rejuvenation of Napier after the earthquake gives the building great historic and symbolic significance to the people of Napier. Architecturally it is a magnificent example of neo-Grecian architecture. It is arguably the most distinctive of all Napier's buildings, a considerable statement in a city with many remarkable buildings. It is a most telling contrast with the predominantly Art Deco buildings around it. Its survival is a fortuitous outcome arising from the specific demands made of the successful architectural tenderers, but whatever the reason for its survival, the building represents a symbol of the permanence and solidity that the Public Trust would have wanted to convey to its clients.
