New Plymouth Buildings
The architectural make-up of New Plymouth since European settlement stretches from the early cottages of the1840s to the shiny steel-plated exterior of the planned Len Lye Centre. In between has come the transition from timber buildings to concrete, the art deco of the 1930s and the modernism of the 1960s. While a few private residences remain from the early days of European settlement, the Central Business District looks nothing like early paintings and photos. The early wooden buildings have mostly been demolished or destroyed by fire to be replaced by larger reinforced concrete premises. Both commercial and domestic buildings feature in this topic, which can be searched either by the age of the building or its location.
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Explore New Plymouth Buildings on the map below - buildings in blue are still standing in their original location; those in red have been either demolished or shifted outside New Plymouth District/to an unknown location; those in purple have been relocated within New Plymouth District.
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Okato's Stony River Hotel was built in 1875, just ten years after the establishment of the town, with 16 rooms and 30-40 acres of land opposite the saleyards. It is located a few hundred metres from the Hangatahua River, which was nicknamed the Stony River by early mailman Thomas Heale. The business has also been known as Stony River House, the Okato Hotel and the Okato Tavern under various owners and proprietors over the years:
1876-1907: owned by
These stables in Queen Street, pictured in the early 1900s, have some historical interest owing to their connection with the White Hart Hotel and as providing a stark contrast to the present building on this site, the Len Lye Centre. On the right is the Primitive Methodist church erected in 1862 and demolished in 1904, dating the photograph to before this date.
Advertisements for the 'White Hart Stables' appear in the Taranaki Herald as early as 1867. In 1894 advertisements in
The six-storey Atkinson Building was constructed next to the old post office on Devon Street to house New Plymouth’s government employees – the staff of the Ministry of Works, the Forest Service and the departments of Lands and Survey, Labour, Justice, Audits and Agriculture.
The 50,000 square foot building was designed by Government architect Fergus Sheppard, assistant Government architect John Blake-Kelly and Whanganui district architect Nelson Carnell. The contract was won by Roebuck Construction Limited and the foundation stone was laid on Thursday 3 November 1966 by local
Collection of Puke Ariki PHO2006-094 (not to be used without permission)
Located on the corner of Powderham and Robe Streets, next to New Plymouth's police station, the Lands and Deeds Office (also known as the Lands, Deeds and Stamp Duties Department registry office; the Lands Registry Office; the Land Transfer Office; the District Lands Registrar; and the Registrar of Deeds) was opened in 1913.
Originally housed in the Government Buildings, situated on
This four-storey building on the corner of Brougham Street and Devon Street West was built for the Bank of New Zealand and was officially opened on 8 September 1961. The Bank of New Zealand had occupied the site since 1885 (see linked topic) and after the old building was demolished in 1959, this modern new building was erected.
It was designed by local architects Harvey & Bowering and the contractors were Fairbrother, Snowden & Wheeler. Construction began shortly after the removal of the old building with the first
Bowlarama opened in 1991, New Plymouth’s first automated ten-pin bowling centre. The complex now has an indoor mini-putt course, with entrances on both Dawson Street and Devon Street West. In July 2020 a $1.5 - $2m extension/alteration to the complex began to incorporate a new 'Laser tag' game.
It's likely that the first commercial structure on the site was erected in 1935 when a building permit was issued to C. Swanson Ltd. for a workshop on town sections 224 and 226. At the time there was a large two-storey
Real Estate House was built on the corner of Liardet Street and Devon Street East in 1971 by property developers Doyle and Cramp Holdings Ltd. The architect was Denis M. Costello.
The building was purchased by millionaire property developer Bob Jones in October 1983. Tenants at the time included Thomas Cook Travel and E.A. Wood and Company Ltd Real Estate.
A permit was granted to Grocer's Assistant Frank Ernest Gadd Jnr for the construction of a residence in Norman Street on the 11th of December 1922, Gadd was noted as the builder and the estimated construction value of the bungalow cottage was £650.
Gadd worked in his father's (Frank Ernest Gadd Snr) grocery business, which was located on the North side of Devon Street, just west of the Liardet Street intersection.
This building on the corner of Currie and Powderham Streets was built in 1896 for the Australian firm, Sargood, Son & Ewen Ltd. The firm was founded in Melbourne in 1848 and in 1863 set up their first New Zealand branch in Dunedin.
The company had leased premises in Devon street before erecting this building in Currie Street. It was designed by local architect James Sanderson and Mr C.Webberley was in charge of the build.
In 1901 a second storey was added to
This building on the corner of Currie and Powderham Streets was built in 1964 for Taranaki Newspapers Limited. The two daily newspapers (Taranaki Herald and Daily News) had just merged and new premises were needed for the Daily News.
The old Sargoods warehouse on the corner was demolished in August 1964 and work began on the new building. The contractors were Riddick Bros. & Still for an estimated cost of £176,000.
In the mid-1980s the neighbouring Currie Street buildings
