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Registration Type
Historic Place Category 1
Register Number
2197
Date Registered
2-Jul-1987
Legal Description
Lot 1 DP 17134 Secs 52/54 Blk XVII Town of Dunedin
City/District Council
Dunedin City
Region
Otago Region
Historical Significance
The Municipal Chambers upon its completion in 1880 was the most impressive town hall in New Zealand reflecting Dunedin's economic prosperity at the time. It is of historical significance as the seat of local government in Dunedin for over one hundred years.
Physical Significance
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Municipal Chambers is a major work by an architect of national importance. It is the only substantial town hall of the Victorian period remaining in New Zealand. It is a very well proportioned building incorporating crisp classical detailing and high quality craftwork. The latter is evident in the exterior stonework and the timber carved furniture and scrollwork of the main council chamber. Much of this craftwork is of a standard that would be very difficult and too expensive to produce today. Located in the heart of Dunedin in the Octagon, the building is an irreplaceable element in Dunedin's unique townscape of historic buildings.
TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK SIGNIFICANCE
With St Paul's Cathedral, Municipal Chambers is visually the most impressive structure in the Octagon. The original landmark qualities of the building have been reduced by the decapitation of the tall clock tower and the construction of high rise buildings nearby. Nevertheless the building remains an important and irreplaceable component in the central city townscape.
Construction Professionals
Notable Features
Exterior ornamentation.
Clock made by Gillet and Bland of Croydon.
Furniture and scrollwork in the Council Chamber.
Construction Dates
- Original Construction: 1880 (circa)
- Addition: 1929 (circa)
Construction Details
Oamaru stone on a base of Port Chalmers stone.
Other Information
NZIA National Award Winner 1991
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.
Information on
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