John Courts Department Store Building

202 Queen Street, Auckland

  • John Courts Department Store Building, Auckland. Image courtesy of Open2View.com® and licensed under the Creative Commons 3.0 License .
    Copyright: Open2View© 2016.
  • John Courts Department Store Building, Auckland. Image courtesy of Open2View.com® and licensed under the Creative Commons 3.0 License .
    Copyright: Open2View© 2016.

List Entry Information

List Entry Status Listed List Entry Type Historic Place Category 2 Public Access Private/No Public Access
List Number 2619 Date Entered 26th November 1981 Date of Effect 26th November 1981

Locationopen/close

City/District Council

Auckland Council

 Region

Auckland Council
Legal description

Lot 1 DP 76909

 Location description

Was originally registered under the location of: Corner Queen Street and Victoria Street.

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Construction Professionalsopen/close

Currie, John

John Currie (c.1859-1921) was born in Ireland. He immigrated to New Zealand in 1874 and practised architecture in Auckland on his own account. In 1879 the firm of L.D. Nathan became a major client. Accordingly much of Currie's work was in the designing of commercial and warehouse buildings. Few of these survive with the exception of L.D. Nathan & Co. Bond Store (now Archilles House, 1902) and P. Hayman's Warehouse (now Sofrana House, 1899-1900).

Currie also designed buildings for Moss Davis, the Auckland brewer. The two best known works from this association were the Rob Roy Tavern, Freeman's Bay (1884), and the restoration of the interior of the Grand Hotel in Princes Street after fire in 1901. The latter building was designed by H.D. Skinner in 1879, although is sometimes erroneously attributed to Currie. In addition to hotels and commercial work, Currie also undertook residential commissions. The best known of these is "Wickford" in Princes Street. Originally the home of Mr N.A. Nathan, it now accommodates the Registry Office of the University of Auckland. Currie was one of the original members of the New Zealand Institute of Architects formed in 1905.

Currie died in Ponsonby in 1921 aged 70.

Additional informationopen/close

Construction Dates

Original Construction
1899 -

Other Information

Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.