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| The new Municipal Building & Pulblic Library designed by Edward Bartley SCCSC-510 1903 |
In 1902 the state of the Post Office and
Council offices on Bank St were under discussion in Whangarei. The make-shift
appearance of these public premises was felt to be inconsistent with the town's
progress, as well as being unsatisfactory for their intended purpose. The
County Council offices were still the original premises erected in 1878.[i]
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| Northern Advocate 19 June 1902 |
The town was more than fifty years old. Facilities needed
to be improved. Yet the Borough Council had several other calls on its
resources.
The urgent need for drainage in the town would have to be met from
borrowed funds.
Young people had no means
to self improvement without access to library or reading room facilities; fire
service and fire fighting equipment required purpose built premises; postal
services, county and borough offices were all inadequately housed.
At first it was
suggested that all of these accommodation issues could be resolved in a single
stroke, by a brick building serving as headquarters for all these borough
services.[ii] That proposal was both
expensive and unrealistic for the size of the Bank St site. It would require further borrowing for land
purchase and construction.
There was another snag.
County Council owned the land. Any development would have to wait until the
legalities of ownership of any improvements were ironed out.
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| Northern Advocate 6 September 1902 |
At the public meeting
held on 8 September the views of the ratepayers were clearly expressed. The
Mayor’s proposal for a 4 storey building, housing all services, had no support.
The gathering heard
from other councillors. Endowment money was available from the Cummings estate,
specifically set aside for library facilities.
There was no
objection to dual- use office facilities housing both county and borough
councils.
The meeting was
virtually unanimous in its support for premises jointly owned and operated,
provided library and reading room were included.[iii]
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| Northern Advocate 13 September 1902 |
In October 1902
Counsellors inspected plans by Edward Bartley. [iv]There were obvious
financial restrictions uppermost in their minds. Bartley’s plans satisfied
those by limiting the building to two stories, in brick construction as
specified.
After some discussion
it was agreed that the ground floor position of the library and reading room
was the best. Council meeting rooms and offices were to occupy the first floor.
Affairs moved quickly
after that point. The plans were signed off and tenders called for by the end
of October.[v]
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| NZ Herald 27 October 1902 |
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| The building as it is today Image BFA 2014 |
[i] Northern Advocate 11 September 1902
[ii] Ibid 28 July 1902 report of Borough
Council Meeting
[iii] Ibid 11 September 1902
[iv] Ibid 10 October 1902
[v] NZ Herald 27 October 1902
