Registration Type

Historic Place Category 1

 

Register Number

2159

 

Date Registered

27-Jul-1988

 

City/District Council

Dunedin City

 

Region

Otago Region

 

Historical Significance

Bendix Hallenstein was born in Brunswick in 1835 and came to New Zealand in 1863. He became a storekeeper and wool buyer in Queenstown and built a flour mill (1867) and the grand house of Thurlby (now an attractive ruin). He was Mayor of Queenstown (1869-72), on the Provincial Council (1872-75) and a Member of Parliament (1872-73). Having opened stores in Arrowtown, Cromwell and Lawrence he needed clothes to supply them without having to pay middleman. He began manufacturing in a building opposite the Cargill Monument beside the Bank of New Zealand in 1873 but soon found the premises too small and built the new factory in Dowling Street. By 1905 the factory was supplying 26 branch stores of HBs throughout New Zealand. They specialised in making men's and boys' clothing, using mostly female labour. The factory was much praised in its day for its good design and provision for the comfort and health of its workers.

 

Physical Significance

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

This is considered to be the best of Dunedin's early warehouses (McCoy and Blackman 1968) and the façade is remarkably intact for such an early date as 1883.

TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK SIGNIFICANCE:

An important building on Dowling Street with a well proportioned façade.

 

Former Use

• Retail and Commercial - Office building/Offices

Themes

• Places to Visit

 

Construction Professionals

• Ross, David - Architect

 

Notable Features

The well designed and unmodified classical façade, and an unmodified structure. It is notable as one of Hallenstein's early factories.

 

Construction Dates

• Original Construction: 1883 (circa)

 

Construction Details

The façade of this four storied building mostly in plastered triple brick but the detailed stone work of the ground floor is in Port Chalmers breccia. The building has a sixty foot frontage and runs back 200 feet with an alleyway on its upper side which was bridged by a matching façade at the first storey some time after 1905. The long side walls are made of rough dressed Leith Valley andesite up to the first floor and triple brick above. These walls have not been plastered, and have great character. The doorways and windows on the ground floor are framed in brick. The back of the building butts up against the rock of Bell Hill and the rear loading yard is walled on one side with ground rock. The roof is corrugated iron and has probably been replaced from the original. The ceilings of the lower floors are supported by round iron columns with ornate flared capitals, presumably to support the machinery on the factory floors above. Recent engineer's reports say that there has been no sign of shifting of wall supports. Interior walls were mostly tongue and groove panelling and ceilings plank and board.

The ground floor was designed as a bulk store and packing area adjacent to a loading yard and alley on the lower side of the building which also opened through to Burlington Street. A massive goods lift was installed and is still in working order. The front of the first floor contained the offices of the founder. Bendix Hallenstein, and his partners, Willi Fels, E Hallenstein and Henry Hart, with warehouse space at the back. The factory floors were above with a canteen for the workers. The upper floor was built as a wide gallery to let light from the skylights down on the factory floor below. The ceiling and skylights of the gallery are supported by an elaborate structure of wooden truss beams. A Crossley gas engine was installed behind the building on the solid rock of Ben Hill to generate power for the machinery. It was probably in the small structure which now houses an oil fired boiler. The builders were Meikle and Campbell.

 

Information Sources

• Cyclopedia Company, Industrial, descriptive, historical, biographical facts, figures, illustrations, Wellington, N.Z, 1897-1908, Vol. 4 Otago and Southland, Cyclopedia Company, Christchurch, 1905

 

Other Information

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration.