This is Wellington's second town hall. The first, designed by Thomas Turnbull in 1875, was never completed and only one wing of the building, in Brandon Street, was ever built.
By the 1890s the city was growing quickly and the lack of a town hall, where a council administration and a venue for major public events could be combined in one place, was becoming a significant issue. The council set aside some land adjoining what became Jervois Quay, on a reclamation undertaken by Wellington City Corporation between 1886 and 1890. In 1900 the decision was made to build a town hall on this land, at an estimated cost of £50,000. A design competition was held and the winner was Joshua Charlesworth, a well known local architect and something of a specialist in grand Classical structures.
The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of York (later King George V) on 18 June 1901. Tenders were not called immediately and it was not until the following year that successful contractors - Paterson, Martin and Hunter - were selected. Work began in May 1902 and the building was completed in November 1904. The final cost exceeded £68,000. The purchase and installation of a pipe organ was let as a separate contract. This went to Norman and Beard of London at a price of £7,000 and the organ was installed in 1906.
When completed, the building included a clock tower over the main entrance, but there was no clock. John Blundell, proprietor of the Evening Post, donated one in 1922. Unfortunately, just 12 years later, the tower was taken down as a precaution after the 1931 Napier earthquake. The clock was eventually installed in the Central Fire Station (1939) and it remains there.
As part of the work undertaken in 1934, some of the building's other ornate exterior decoration was removed, including the balustraded parapet, pediments and grand entrance portico; the latter being replaced by a much smaller, squat structure, which was itself later removed. Then, in 1943-44, following the 1942 earthquake, the building was strengthened and the Corinthian capitals on the exterior removed and replaced with Tuscan detailing.
By the 1970s the building was facing demolition. The new Michael Fowler Centre was built extremely close to the main entrance of the older building, in clear anticipation of its removal. However, the Wellington Regional Committee of the NZHPT argued for the building's retention on historic and practical grounds. The WCC was persuaded to retain the building in 1983.
In 1989 a plan was unveiled to incorporate the Town Hall into a scheme to create a civic centre in the former Mercer Street and construct new council buildings, including a new library, to enclose the space. The Town Hall was refurbished and strengthened and new reception rooms built within the space occupied by the very fine Concert Chamber, which was demolished. The ornate ground floor toilets were also demolished, and the building's base on the north, or Civic Centre, side of the building was covered over. The work was designed by Works Consultancy. The building was reopened in 1992.
Over its life the building has been used for literally thousands of events. The main auditorium (and the concert chamber, until its demolition) has been used for a remarkably diverse range of activities, including boxing matches, fashion shows, debutante balls, rock concerts (including, most famously, The Beatles), orchestral performances and recitals, lectures, political rallies, protest meetings, flower shows, polling station, university degree conferrals etc. It continues to be in very regular use to this day.
By the 1890s the city was growing quickly and the lack of a town hall, where a council administration and a venue for major public events could be combined in one place, was becoming a significant issue. The council set aside some land adjoining what became Jervois Quay, on a reclamation undertaken by Wellington City Corporation between 1886 and 1890. In 1900 the decision was made to build a town hall on this land, at an estimated cost of £50,000. A design competition was held and the winner was Joshua Charlesworth, a well known local architect and something of a specialist in grand Classical structures.
The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of York (later King George V) on 18 June 1901. Tenders were not called immediately and it was not until the following year that successful contractors - Paterson, Martin and Hunter - were selected. Work began in May 1902 and the building was completed in November 1904. The final cost exceeded £68,000. The purchase and installation of a pipe organ was let as a separate contract. This went to Norman and Beard of London at a price of £7,000 and the organ was installed in 1906.
When completed, the building included a clock tower over the main entrance, but there was no clock. John Blundell, proprietor of the Evening Post, donated one in 1922. Unfortunately, just 12 years later, the tower was taken down as a precaution after the 1931 Napier earthquake. The clock was eventually installed in the Central Fire Station (1939) and it remains there.
As part of the work undertaken in 1934, some of the building's other ornate exterior decoration was removed, including the balustraded parapet, pediments and grand entrance portico; the latter being replaced by a much smaller, squat structure, which was itself later removed. Then, in 1943-44, following the 1942 earthquake, the building was strengthened and the Corinthian capitals on the exterior removed and replaced with Tuscan detailing.
By the 1970s the building was facing demolition. The new Michael Fowler Centre was built extremely close to the main entrance of the older building, in clear anticipation of its removal. However, the Wellington Regional Committee of the NZHPT argued for the building's retention on historic and practical grounds. The WCC was persuaded to retain the building in 1983.
In 1989 a plan was unveiled to incorporate the Town Hall into a scheme to create a civic centre in the former Mercer Street and construct new council buildings, including a new library, to enclose the space. The Town Hall was refurbished and strengthened and new reception rooms built within the space occupied by the very fine Concert Chamber, which was demolished. The ornate ground floor toilets were also demolished, and the building's base on the north, or Civic Centre, side of the building was covered over. The work was designed by Works Consultancy. The building was reopened in 1992.
Over its life the building has been used for literally thousands of events. The main auditorium (and the concert chamber, until its demolition) has been used for a remarkably diverse range of activities, including boxing matches, fashion shows, debutante balls, rock concerts (including, most famously, The Beatles), orchestral performances and recitals, lectures, political rallies, protest meetings, flower shows, polling station, university degree conferrals etc. It continues to be in very regular use to this day.
