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Registration Type
Historic Place Category 1
Register Number
5184
Date Registered
14-Feb-1991
Legal Description
Sec 4 Blk 66 Lawrence Town
City/District Council
Clutha District
Region
Otago Region
Summary
DESCRIPTION:
In July 1861 A.C. Strode, formerly the first resident magistrate of Dunedin, became the first commissioner to be appointed to the Tuapeka goldfield. Strode and his successors, who were subsequently known as wardens, initially oversaw the administration of the field from a tent in Gabriel's Gully. After the township of Lawrence had been surveyed in 1862, however, a temporary wooden building was erected in Lawrence in the following year. This building also accommodated the gaol and the lands and survey, warden's and gold offices but as it stood on low ground it was often plagued by the floods which were caused by nearby gold sluicing. Thus a new Warden's Court and Post Office were erected in Colonsay Street in the early 1870s; probably from bricks which had been manufactured locally. While it is not known who was responsible for the execution of David Ross' design it is recorded that the colonnade collapsed initially after the formwork had been removed and it therefore had to be rebuilt.
Historical Significance
Lawrence became the commercial and administrative centre of the Tuapeka district following the discovery of gold in Gabriel's Gully in 1861. The town's former courthouse stands as a visible reminder of the crucial role played by the goldfield's wardens during the gold rush era and of Lawrence's importance as a mining and farming centre in the late nineteenth century.
Physical Significance
ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY:
Within the context of late nineteenth century New Zealand public architecture this former courthouse is most unusual because it would appear to have been inspired by the Georgian and Regency style domestic and public buildings of eastern Australia. The courthouse in Windsor, New South Wales (Francis Greenway, 1819) may be cited as a particularly good example of the type of building which seems to have provided David Ross with a model, both with regard to planning and style, on which to base the Lawrence courthouse. Even the colour and treatment of the building's cement cladding recalls the sandstone commonly used for the construction of many early nineteenth century public buildings in the eastern states of Australia.
In addition to the singular style of this building, David Ross' use of mass concrete for the construction of the colonnade is particularly significant. The development of monolithic concrete construction was still in its experimental phase during the 1870s in New Zealand and Ross may therefore be considered as a pioneer in this field.
TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK VALUE:
Standing within the Colonsay Street Conservation Area the former Warden's Court makes a major contribution to the Lawrence streetscape both because of its prominent siting and unusual appearance. The building's importance within the townscape is further enhanced by its proximity to the former Post Office building which was designed by R.A. Lawson (c.1870).
Construction Professionals
Notable Features
The concrete colonnade.
Construction Dates
- Modification:
- Original Construction: 1870 (circa)
Construction Details
Brick structure with cement cladding, timber window sills and frames, corrugated iron roof. Mass concrete colonnade.
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.
Information on
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