18-625: New Zealand's Old Government Buildings sit on the Government Buildings Historic Reserve, on Lambton Quay in central Wellington . The buildings were completed in 1876 on land reclaimed from Wellington Harbour to house the young New Zealand Government and its public service . The building now houses the Victoria University of Wellington 's Law School . It is classified as a Category 1 historic building by Heritage New Zealand . Until 1998,
36-1129: A 2-storey pub, opened at the north end of the Quay. The Wellington Hotel opened by 1843. Its owner, Baron Alzdorf, was the only Wellington person killed in the 1855 earthquake, when a chimney of the hotel fell on him, after which it became the Criterion Hotel, a name it kept until at least 1887. By 1900 buildings on the Quay included the Royal Hotel, government printer, Old Government Buildings , Central Police Station, Club Hotel, Occidental Hotel, Commercial Union and New Zealand Insurance companies, Trust & Loan Co, Star Hotel, Baker Bros, Union Bank of Australia , Bank of New South Wales , South British Insurance , Colonial Bank , Exchange Building , Barrett's Hotel and Equitable Building Investment Co. 41°16′54″S 174°46′34″E / 41.281615°S 174.776043°E / -41.281615; 174.776043 Executive Council of New Zealand Too Many Requests If you report this error to
54-521: A 50-year tenancy that year and became its new occupants. Its restoration is considered a landmark government-initiated heritage conservation project. The building was reopened in January 1996. The grounds are open to the public, and contain examples of rare native New Zealand flora . The public may view the displays on the ground floor and the Cabinet room on the first floor, but the rest of the building
72-601: Is also of administrative significance, with the New Zealand Parliament Buildings towards the northern end. The Wellington Cenotaph is also located at this end, next to Parliament. The Wellington Cable Car runs from Lambton Quay to the top of the Botanic Garden . James Henry Marriott , who arrived from London in 1843, had a bookshop here. The length of Lambton Quay is punctuated by several notable sculptures. Dense bush, down to
90-480: Is leased to the Victoria University School of Law. In March 2015, the buildings suffered minimal damage in a suspected arson attack. Lambton Quay Lambton Quay (once known as The Beach ) is the heart of the central business district of Wellington , the capital city of New Zealand. Originally, as the name implies, it was the high-water line of the foreshore, and sometimes
108-457: The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake and further reclamation have left Lambton Quay some 250 metres from the current shoreline. Kumototo Stream used to flow from the Terrace, down what is now Woodward Street and across Lambton Quay to the waterfront. This stream was culverted in the late 19th century. Lambton Quay is named after John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham , the first chairman of directors of
126-546: The New Zealand Company . Lambton Quay, Willis Street , Manners Street and Courtenay Place form what is known locally as the Golden Mile . The city's retail trade has spread further south to also include Cuba Street , but Lambton Quay remains a major commercial thoroughfare. In 2020 it was estimated that about 70,000 people travel on Lambton Quay and Willis Street each day, mostly on foot or by bus. It
144-537: The 804 sash windows in the building was completed in 2021. Over concerns about the threat of fire, smoking was banned within the building from its opening, making it the first building in the world to have a smoke-free policy . The former Government Buildings was an important symbol of nationhood, as it was completed in the same month that provincial government in New Zealand ended and central government 'finally asserted its authority'. The building initially housed
162-407: The building had been constructed out of stone as planned, it may not have survived subsequent earthquakes, as it is situated near a major fault line. The architect was William Clayton and the contractors were Scoular and Archibald . The building has 143 rooms, 64 toilets, 126 fireplaces and 22 chimneys. When it opened in 1876, after 22 months of construction, and at a cost of £39 000, it was easily
180-594: The building underwent thorough restoration under the management of the Department of Conservation , which at the time included the Historic Places Trust . Although some early work was done in the 1980s, the bulk of the restoration took place from 1994 to 1996. Many original features were replicated, including fireplaces although these are now purely decorative. The original tōtara piles were replaced with concrete. Over 500 cubic metres of recycled kauri
198-571: The building was the second-largest wooden building in the world (after Tōdai-ji in Nara , Japan). The building was commissioned in the early 1870s by the Fox Ministry , partially in anticipation of the abolition of the provincial governments . It was originally planned to have the building constructed in concrete and timber , but the cost of concrete at the time led to a decision to build in timber alone. The Italianate , Neo-Renaissance style
SECTION 10
#1732773323279216-577: The entire Wellington-based civil service as well as the entire New Zealand Cabinet . In addition, the Executive Council met there until 1948. The civil service rapidly expanded beyond the capacity of the building, with the first department leaving shortly after it was opened. By 1975 only the Education Department remained, and by 1990 the building was empty. After housing government departments for 114 years, Government funding
234-477: The harbour's edge, covered much of the area until 1840 and, at the site of the Old Bank Arcade , it could be hard to get round the rocks at high tide at what was then Windy Point, or Clay Point. The Point was dug away between 1857 and 1863 to reclaim 7 acres 3 roods 34 perches (almost 8 acres (3.2 ha)). The name Lambton Quay was in use by the end of 1840. On 22 October 1840 Barrett's Hotel,
252-481: The largest building in the country and is now considered to be one of New Zealand's most important historic buildings. The building was built on reclaimed land. The building was extended in 1897 and again in 1907, with additions to the wings. It was also surrounded by outbuildings, and the original interior obscured by partitions, linings and paint. Following the departure of the Education Department,
270-409: The sea would roll across the road and enter the shops on the opposite side. It was the site of the original European settlement in 1840 (following initial settlement on flood-prone land at Petone ), which grew into Wellington. In the 19th century Pipitea Pa was situated at the extreme northern end of Lambton Quay – the section of road in this area is now known as Thorndon Quay. Land uplift caused by
288-505: Was made available and restoration began in 1994 under the management of the Department of Conservation , which became the building's owners. Wherever possible the building was to be restored to its 1907 appearance, when the north and south wing extensions were completed. The project spanned two years and cost $ 25 million. The government buildings were formally reopened in January 1996 after the Law Faculty of Victoria University signed
306-502: Was used during the restoration project, to supplement the original timber. Verandahs, late Victorian and Edwardian water radiators, the original clock and coat of arms, a water-powered hydraulic lift, and the impressive staircases were all restored or preserved. The piles, originally totara, are now concrete. All structural framing is Tasmanian hardwood (now augmented with pinus radiata ), while weatherboards, flooring and finishing timbers are kauri. A two-year programme of restoration of
324-403: Was usually the domain of stone buildings, thus the building is designed to mimic stone. As an important symbol of nationhood, the building was constructed to resemble an Italian stone palace to help convey its strength and stability in the expanding empire. The timber is native kauri , which could not be replicated because New Zealand's remaining public kauri forests are permanently protected. If
#278721