Water Restriction Level 1
Published: 23 October 2023
The Wellington Heritage Festival begins today, and what better way to celebrate it than by dusting off those history books and brushing up on our knowledge of buildings in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt.
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Administration Building
Hutt City Council’s Town Hall and Administration Block opened in 1957. The building formed part of the Hutt Civic Centre Precinct along with the St James Church, War Memorial Library, and the Horticultural Hall. The precinct represents a significant example of Modernist architecture within a garden setting and has been recognised by listing as an Historica Area by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The buildings in the precinct were designed by two local architectural firms, King, Cook & Dawson and the Structon Group, and built by W.M. Angus Ltd.
The building was substantially refurbished from 2015 to 2018. Various options were considered at the time, including demolishing the Town and Horticultural Halls. The public were keen to retain the Town Hall, so the refurbishment went ahead.
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The Courthouse and The Dowse Art Museum
Courthouse
The Courthouse opened in 1975 and was built behind the existing Courthouse.
In 2000, it was refurbished and operated from Woburn House in Bloomfield Terrace during this time.
In 2011 it became the Hutt Valley District Court building after it merged with Upper Hutt District Court.
The Dowse Art Museum
The Dowse opened in 1971, named after the recently deceased Mayor Percy Dowse and his wife Mary. Dowse was Mayor from 1950 to 1970 and he was keen to establish a public art gallery in Lower Hutt.
The Dowse has a national reputation with a strong focus on decorative arts and is noted for housing the pātaka Nuku Tewhatewha. Nuku Tewhatewha was built at Te Mako in 1856 after being commissioned by Te Āti Awa rangatira, Wiremu Tako Ngātata.
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The Pavilion Building
This photograph was taken in 1989 when the Hutt City Pavilion Building opened. The building housed the Council's Public Relations and Civil Defence Offices.
It represented the first time a local authority in New Zealand had a purpose-built civil defence headquarters. The building was designed to withstand severe floods and earthquakes.
In 2018 the ground floor was occupied by the Crooked Elm pub. Part of their lease required them to feed Council staff and Civil Defence personnel in an emergency.
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Valentines Railway Hotel
Nathaniel Valentine was a well-known hotelier in Lower Hutt. He’s best known as proprieter of the Marine Retreat Hotel in Petone, which he opened in 1882. In 1874 he opened the Valentines Railway Hotel on the corner of Railway Avenue and Marsden Street.
In 1948 the name was changed to the Valley Inn before the original hotel was demolished in 1972 and replaced by the New Valley Inn. The New Valley Inn then closed in 1992.
(The 1855 above the door probably refers to an earlier hotel, the Aglionby Arms, which Valentine owned nearby before opening the Railway Hotel).
Wondering what events are happening for the Wellington Heritage Festival? Visit their website to see a list of events - https://wellingtonheritagefestival.co.nz/events