Since it was erected in 1905, the Gisborne Herald Building in Gladstone Road, Gisborne, has been the premises of The Gisborne Herald newspaper; privately owned by the Muir family since 1884. This site once belonged to Mokena Kohere, a ‘loyal’ Maori Chief, who was awarded the land in February 1873 and who leased it out for 24 years. The Poverty Bay Herald (or The Herald) began in January 1874 in a small building in Gladstone Road as a biweekly morning journal. A change of premises and several changes of ownership occurred over the next few years; the building was at one time procured by a purpose built consortium of local businessmen. The paper became a daily in October 1878. With the demise of a local competitor The Gisborne Standard in 1879, The Herald took over their lease; a site still occupied by the paper to this day. Further changes of ownership ensued until February 1884, when William M. Muir bought a partnership in The Herald and the long ownership by the Muir family commenced. By the middle of 1885 his share transferred to his brother, Allan R. Muir, who became the sole proprietor in July 1887. Allan Muir (1844-1914) was a son of James Muir, one of the founders of The Independent (Wellington) in 1845. Allan Muir trained on The Independent, becoming foreman of The New Zealand Mail, and settling in Gisborne in 1883. He was an active member of the Gisborne community and a supporter of local charitable causes. In 1897 Muir purchased the site; at this time the buildings consisted of a shop facing Gladstone Road with a printing office to the rear. As a partial protection against fire, in 1900 a new brick printing office was erected at the rear of the wooden building.

A serious fire destroyed the premises in September 1904. The impressive new building, erected on the site in 1905, directly reflects the burgeoning economic climate in Gisborne at the time, and the intention of the owner to portray the newspaper as a powerful and progressive business. The two storeyed Gisborne Herald Co building was designed by Wellington firm, Thos Turnbull & Son, and built by an Auckland company named Thomas Julian. The structure was built of concrete and iron bonded brick walls, which were designed to carry an extra two stories if business expansion was necessitated. The steel reinforcing was thought to make the building resistant to earthquakes. The building is of a Stripped Classical style and has a symmetrical, restrained neoclassical façade with horizontal emphasis, distinctive arched window heads and original timber joinery. The enlarged premises originally incorporated a bookbinding department. Charles William Muir ran a stationery and bookshop business and his premises were incorporated into the new building. Old photos show an impressive ornate balcony over a central entrance. This and architrave work were removed after the 1931 Napier earthquake. The existing verandah is a modern addition and the ground floor elevation bears no relationship to the original layout. In 1922 a store was added at the rear of the Herald premises (concrete, brick with iron bond), designed by Burr & Mirfield. 1984 saw internal alterations by Glengarry Corson & Partners. The interior of the building changed in 2008 when the reporting room was renovated into an open plan design. The first-floor interior houses the twenty-strong editorial department and printing is still done on site.

The Poverty Bay Herald Co. Ltd. (now the Gisborne Herald Co. Ltd.) was formed in 1908 and Allan Muir passed the management to his son Allan Leonard Muir (Lennie). Lennie Muir (?-1935) was editor of The Herald for nearly 40 years and also served a term in the parliamentary press gallery in Wellington, later becoming involved in national press affairs. By 1912 another son, Bruce Muir had also joined the paper as a reporter. Geoff Muir was editor from 1949 to 1964. The Herald sponsored many local community events and collected funds for charity on numerous occasions. The paper shared its knowledge of crucial local events; arranging for election results to be posted on their balcony. The Gisborne Herald is one of only two remaining privately owned daily newspapers. The current Gisborne Herald editor is Jeremy Muir whose father Michael runs the business as well as being chairman of the New Zealand Press Association and president of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

The Gisborne Herald Building has architectural significance as a building designed by architect Thomas Turnbull and is a rare example of his work outside of the Wellington region. The exterior of the building was dramatically altered as a result of the Napier earthquake and the simplified façade represents the compromise made for the building’s continued survival. Historic and social significance relate to its continuous association with The Gisborne Herald newspaper. The Gisborne Herald is now a rare example of a privately owned newspaper and the building is inextricably linked to the locally and nationally prominent Muir family, an intergenerational family of ‘newspaper men’ who also had roles in the national press industry as well as contributing on a social and charitable level to the Gisborne community. The site itself has been associated with The Gisborne Herald since 1879 and with the Muir family since 1884. The building was identified with significant events such as local and national elections when results were in earlier times posted on the balcony and in the newspaper.