From Heritage New Zealand, Autumn 2011

by Jamie Douglas

The technology used to create and display a newspaper has dramatically changed in an online age but some of the country’s papers still work out of heritage buildings.

Along one wall in the library at the Wairarapa Times-Age is every issue of the newspaper since it first rolled off the press at its Masterton site on 1 April 1938. The broad­sheet newsprint is bound in tight, protective covers and in many ways speaks volumes – literally and figuratively – of the work that has gone on within this purpose-built building, the newspaper continuing to serve the needs of the Wairarapa community six days a week. The public might not be able to get their hands on some of the older original copies but they still can get their daily news fix through the efforts of the staff in this iconic Wairarapa landmark.

This is Wairarapa Times-Age editor Dave Saunders’ fourth stint at the newspaper and he couldn’t be happier. When he first started in Masterton as a sports reporter in 1980 many of the interior fittings were in their original condition – the ground floor newsroom a series of offices, walls and corridors. As with many newspapers during the 1980s the push in newsroom design was for open-plan office space, with the advent of computer systems like Atex and Cyber graphics replacing the traditional clatter of typewriters. The Times-Age was no exception, undergoing a significant internal re-fit in 1986 which reflected the changing dynamic of the newsroom.

For all that, Dave says he still feels a sense of history each day when he walks through the corner entrance of the NZHPT Category II registered building and takes the stairs to his first floor editor’s office. "There’s more character here than in a lot of other buildings I’ve worked in. Probably there was more internally here (in heritage fabric) 30 years ago than today though. When I first came here it was a real rabbit warren; we had a lot of small offices. When they went into open plan editorially it made a huge difference to the floor."

Another factor has been the changing roles of newspaper staff. The printing presses moved off site in 2005 with the weekday Times-Age produced in Hastings and the weekend edition in Wanganui. The computer spell-check key – still not used by some reporters today sub editors would argue – resulted in the room for proofreaders no longer being required, while the photographers’ dark room for processing the day’s pictures has also gone. Dave says the physical removal of plant and people has been matched by a reduction in the associated senses that comes with traditional newsrooms.

"The newsroom has become a lot quieter; you didn’t need walls to block out the noise. There’s nothing really here now to indicate we had the printing presses operating. It has taken some of the character out of it [the building]. Certainly the atmosphere has changed – you don’t have the smells or rumbling of the press, the smell wafting out of the photographers’ department, so in that sense it has changed." It is the exterior of the Times-Age that has stood the test of time, with the newspaper’s full name engraved on two sides and a punchy version above the corner entrance providing statements of intent, of permanence. The building, designed by Wellington firm Mitchell & Mitchell, was constructed from reinforced concrete. The curving, two-storeyed, balconied entrance resembles a ship’s prow and is said to have been based on the former Miami Herald building in Florida which also occupied a triangular site.

"The building’s iconic in Wairarapa," Dave says. "You do get a lot of tourists taking photos and we use it ourselves as a backdrop. It’s not the sort of building you can miss; it’s on the main road north and south so basically you’re going to see it. It comes back to the bones of the place, so working within that is quite easy. Ultimately the space is still what it’s needed for – a newspaper. We’re here for the duration."The Times-Age is not unique in adapting to journalism’s changing face in New Zealand. Other newspapers working within heritage buildings include the Otago Daily Times and Gisborne Herald. The Allied Press Ltd Building on the corner of Stuart and Cumberland Streets, Dunedin, is home to the Otago Daily Times (ODT). Designed by architect Edmund Anscombe and built in 1928, it was formerly home to The Evening Star prior to its amalgamation with the ODT in the mid-1970s and is part of an historic precinct that also includes the Dunedin Law Courts and Railway Station.

The Gisborne Herald offices have been in Gladstone Road since 1905. The Category II-registered historic place was designed by Wellington architecture firm Thos. Turnball & Son, built of concrete and iron-bonded brick walls with a restrained neo-classical façade. The first-floor interior which houses the 20-strong editorial department – including a proofreader, a rarity these days – underwent a complete refit last year and is now one of the most modern newsrooms in the country. The printing is still done on site.

Gisborne Herald editor Jeremy Muir has a strong connection to the newspaper and the building, as does his father Michael who runs the business as well as being chairman of the New Zealand Press Association and president of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association. Jeremy’s great-great-uncle Lenny Muir was editor for 40 years from 1896 and his great-uncle Geoff was editor from 1949 to 1964. Jeremy took over the reins in April last year after starting to write copy at the paper while still at school. "I worked as a reporter at the newspaper for a long time, since I was 13. I came back from overseas about eight years ago, trained as a sub editor and then became editorial manager."

The interior of the building has changed progressively over the years, particularly in 2008 when the shift to open plan allowed the rural, features and sports departments which had occupied separate rooms to rejoin the top desk, general reporters and sub editors. As Jeremy concedes: "The old reporting room was more than 50 years old and was pretty cruddy."The financial investment in adapting the newsroom to be more in tune with modern requirements indicates there are no plans to move, which suits Jeremy just fine. "It’s a solid building," he says, and the second-floor frontage is essentially in original condition apart from architrave work which was removed following the Napier earthquake in 1931. "It’s great. There’s a fair bit of history behind it and it’s something you would be reluctant to let go. It’s great to be in a city at a newspaper that has been churning out papers since 1905.

"Many newspapers have moved to more purpose-built premises. These include major metropolitan dailies such as The Dominion Post in Wellington and Waikato Times in Hamilton. Fairfax New Zealand’s flagship South Island newspaper The Press is another moving with the times after just over 100 years at its iconic Cathedral Square site. The Category I-registered, four-storeyed Perpendicular Gothic-style building designed by John Goddard Collins was one of the earliest built from ferro-cement with brick and Oamaru stone cladding. The first newspaper issue from the site was printed on 2 February 1909.

The Press building was one of many which felt the effects of the earthquake that rocked Canterbury on 4 September 2010. Editorial staff initially moved to the newspaper sales building and then to a nearby hotel to keep meeting daily deadlines to satisfy a news-thirsty public. Parts of the building have since been reinforced but repair work continues.building was one of many which felt the effects of the earthquake that rocked Canterbury on 4 September 2010. Editorial staff initially moved to the newspaper sales building and then to a nearby hotel to keep meeting daily deadlines to satisfy a news-thirsty public. Parts of the building have since been reinforced but repair work continues.

While the exterior has remained relatively untouched over the years (a pigeon house on the roof serves as a reminder of the newspaper’s pigeon post, used until the 1920s to improve news services), the interior has been extensively modified. Deputy editor of The Press Coen Lammers says a combination of factors is behind the shift of the editorial, advertising and administration staff to a new site in Gloucester Street."We want to build a whole new newsroom for the future to deal with the demands of 21st-century technology and journalism. Add in the fact that the printing press moved out (in 2009) along with the people associated with it, so there is a huge part of the building that’s now empty. What is pleasing is that the opportunities for an iconic building in the central city are obvious."

The Press building is listed with the Christchurch City Council as a Group 1 listed building which protects it from demolition and inappropriate development. The building’s conservation plan says any change for a new use must "be carefully considered and conceived in order that the building and site’s architectural value and aesthetic integrity are retained".building is listed with the Christchurch City Council as a Group 1 listed building which protects it from demolition and inappropriate development. The building’s conservation plan says any change for a new use must "be carefully considered and conceived in order that the building and site’s architectural value and aesthetic integrity are retained".

NZHPT Heritage Adviser (Architecture and Conservation) Dave Margetts says the newspaper will actually leave a unique heritage legacy. "The internal changes made to accommodate a modern newspaper business actually make the interior more flexible for contemporary uses and cutting-edge interior design. This multi-storey character building could comfortably accommodate top-end corporate offices or loft-style apartments overlooking the Square." Coen says while the trappings of modernity are appealing, there is a sense of place and of being part of history having worked in a heritage building that will be missed. "It has been fantastic working in a building like this, steeped in history. I clearly remember walking in for my first day at The Press and the building itself already gave you a feeling that you were working at a leading paper that meant a great deal to the city."

We are all pleased that it is protected as a heritage site; I believe that may include the old sign out the front, so that is likely to stay in Cathedral Square for generations to come, even though we will work around the corner in Gloucester Street."

Dave Saunders best sums up the sense of place, the connection he has with the Times-Age building. It’s a sentiment many heritage advocates share. "It’s the combination of the paper and place that makes it so addictive. To be able to do what you love in a place you love, it makes for some time really."