The elegant Security Building, situated in a prominent, central location on the corner of Moray Place and Stuart Street, Dunedin, was built in 1914. Constructed from brick and Ōamaru stone, its intended purpose was to be used as an office. During the mid twentieth century, it was the site of two major incidents – a fire and a bomb explosion – that add to the history of the place. It continues to be used today as retail and office space, and has historic and architectural significance.
Both iwi history and archaeological evidence show Māori occupation in the Ōtākou / Otago region since the twelfth century. Tradition tells us the atua Tū-te-rakiwhanoa discovered the wrecked celestial waka of Aoraki (Te Waka o Aoraki / South Island) and carved out places for people to live, including Muaupoko / Otago Peninsula. A few blocks from Stuart Street, the area of land now below Princes Street was formerly part of the harbour foreshore, and has special importance as one of several Kāti Māmoe-Kāi Tahu tauraka waka (landing places) in the Otago harbour. The town slowly started to develop after Pākehā settlers arrived in the 1840s, and its development proliferated in the 1860s with the event of the gold rushes. The Octagon and surrounding blocks were built on from this period, but part of Section 23, Block 15 was slow to develop, remaining as land with a neighbouring workshop until 1914.
The Security Building was built on the corner of Moray Place and Stuart Street during World War I by the Fletcher Bros Ltd. This company was formed in 1917 by James Fletcher, his brother William, and Dunedin businessman JM Cameron. They leased the building to several tenants, until 1927 when it was sold to Willi Fels and EI Halstead. The property changed hands once again in 1932 – this time to Fels’ grandchildren, Charles Brasch and his sister Leslie Brasch. It has been owned by various owners since.
The Security Building was constructed from brick and Ōamaru stone. The wall which originally was obscured by the next-door Dunedin Municipal Tepid Baths has been concreted. Beautiful details are featured on the exterior, including garlands on the fifth-floor level and leaf patterns around the arched windows on the first-floor corners. The ground floor entrance is particularly distinctive, with its marble door frame and matching frames around the shop windows. This inner doorway to the building was once the main door from the street, with a grille in front to keep trespassers off the porch at night. The pitted windowsill, at the Moray Place end of the building, dates from the days when young people waited to queue for the swimming baths and filled in their time digging coins into the Ōamaru stone, which is protected by Perspex today. As the building was designed to be an office, the rooms are fairly plain with little built ornament and have been modernised with lower ceilings and up to date partitioning.
The Security Building was the site of two major incidents during the mid twentieth century. In 1952, those in the building witnessed, from close quarters, one of Dunedin’s biggest fires that was ignited across the road. The Security Building remained relatively intact, with scorching and a few minor burns in the roof from sparks. In 1962, a horrific bomb explosion occurred in the building, blowing out one of the windows. On the morning of 5 February 1962, Dunedin solicitor James Ward was delivered a parcel bomb. The explosion which followed was heard from blocks away and proved fatal for Mr Ward, who died in hospital later that day from his extensive injuries. The mystery of who sent the bomb was never solved and the case is still open. The building continues to be in operation today, with two shops on the ground floor and offices above.
Both iwi history and archaeological evidence show Māori occupation in the Ōtākou / Otago region since the twelfth century. Tradition tells us the atua Tū-te-rakiwhanoa discovered the wrecked celestial waka of Aoraki (Te Waka o Aoraki / South Island) and carved out places for people to live, including Muaupoko / Otago Peninsula. A few blocks from Stuart Street, the area of land now below Princes Street was formerly part of the harbour foreshore, and has special importance as one of several Kāti Māmoe-Kāi Tahu tauraka waka (landing places) in the Otago harbour. The town slowly started to develop after Pākehā settlers arrived in the 1840s, and its development proliferated in the 1860s with the event of the gold rushes. The Octagon and surrounding blocks were built on from this period, but part of Section 23, Block 15 was slow to develop, remaining as land with a neighbouring workshop until 1914.
The Security Building was built on the corner of Moray Place and Stuart Street during World War I by the Fletcher Bros Ltd. This company was formed in 1917 by James Fletcher, his brother William, and Dunedin businessman JM Cameron. They leased the building to several tenants, until 1927 when it was sold to Willi Fels and EI Halstead. The property changed hands once again in 1932 – this time to Fels’ grandchildren, Charles Brasch and his sister Leslie Brasch. It has been owned by various owners since.
The Security Building was constructed from brick and Ōamaru stone. The wall which originally was obscured by the next-door Dunedin Municipal Tepid Baths has been concreted. Beautiful details are featured on the exterior, including garlands on the fifth-floor level and leaf patterns around the arched windows on the first-floor corners. The ground floor entrance is particularly distinctive, with its marble door frame and matching frames around the shop windows. This inner doorway to the building was once the main door from the street, with a grille in front to keep trespassers off the porch at night. The pitted windowsill, at the Moray Place end of the building, dates from the days when young people waited to queue for the swimming baths and filled in their time digging coins into the Ōamaru stone, which is protected by Perspex today. As the building was designed to be an office, the rooms are fairly plain with little built ornament and have been modernised with lower ceilings and up to date partitioning.
The Security Building was the site of two major incidents during the mid twentieth century. In 1952, those in the building witnessed, from close quarters, one of Dunedin’s biggest fires that was ignited across the road. The Security Building remained relatively intact, with scorching and a few minor burns in the roof from sparks. In 1962, a horrific bomb explosion occurred in the building, blowing out one of the windows. On the morning of 5 February 1962, Dunedin solicitor James Ward was delivered a parcel bomb. The explosion which followed was heard from blocks away and proved fatal for Mr Ward, who died in hospital later that day from his extensive injuries. The mystery of who sent the bomb was never solved and the case is still open. The building continues to be in operation today, with two shops on the ground floor and offices above.
