Queen Street, Auckland
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Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand, is the major commercial thoroughfare of the country's main population centre. It rises from the waterfront, close to the terminal of the Hauraki Gulf ferries, and extends uphill for almost three kilometres in a south-southwesterly direction towards the residential suburbs in the middle of the isthmus.
Named after Queen Victoria, Queen Street was an early development of the new town of Auckland (founded in 1840) although initially the main street was intended to be Shortland Street. Its early route led up the middle of a gully following the bank of the local stream (the Horotiu stream or Queen Street River), and this is why the course of lower Queen Street still slightly twists and turns to this day. Long bricked over as a storm water drain, the Queen Street River still discharges into the Waitemata Harbour beneath the Ferry Building.
It is only fitting that the main street of Auckland is called Queen Street as people have called Auckland the "Queen City" since before the turn of the 20th Century. There are several other 'Queen Streets' in the greater Auckland area, mostly in suburbs which were once separate towns before being absorbed by urban sprawl.
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[edit] Reputation
Queen Street is known by repute all over the country, even by people who have never seen it. It gives its name to the most expensive square in the New Zealand version of "Monopoly" and to a somewhat disrespectful description of business people with rural investment interests: "Queen Street farmers".
The street was immortalised in song by The Front Lawn with their song (It started on) Queen Street.
[edit] Buildings and Places of Interest
At the northern waterfront entrance to Queen Street is Queen Elizabeth II Square, often referred to as QEII Square. Around this area are several significant buildings including;
- The Auckland Ferry Building, 1911. Alexander Wiseman architect. This brick and sandstone building is in the Edwardian Baroque style. It was renovated in 1986 at a cost of $11 million.
- Former Chief Post Office, 1910. John Campbell architect. Opened by Prime Minister William Massey before a crowd of over 8 thousand. This Edwardian Baroque building of limestone and granite has recently been incorporated into the Britomart Transport Centre. Campbell was Government architect, this building shows similarities with New Zealand Parliament Buildings in Wellington.
- Former Custom House, 1888. Thomas Mahoney architect, 22 Custom St. This handsome building displays the mansard roofs typical of the French Second Empire Style. Prior to the construction of the Town hall in 1911 several departments of the Auckland City Council were located here. In 1909 an addition was built to the south [now demolished]. The Custom House has been recently renovated for retail use.
Many large corporations, Insurance Companies and Banks had substantial buildings on Queen Street and in some cases their head offices were located here rather than in the Capital Wellington. Between Custom Street & Victoria Street, Queen street is lined with retail and office buildings. These are mostly 20th century although a number of 19th century structures survive. The most significant buildings along the middle part of the street are;
- The Dilworth Building, 1927. Gummer & Ford architects. 22 Queen St. Envisaged as one of a pair of buildings flanking the entrance to Queen Street and thus being a "Gateway to Auckland". The use of electric cranes rather than hydraulic meant a very short construction period. The Dilworth Building is a reinforced concrete structure encased in Portland stone. William Gummer had been trained in the offices of Sir Edwin Lutyens, this building shows influence of this connection.
- Former Bank of New Zealand Building, 1865. Leonard Terry architect. 125 Queen St. Built of stone imported from Hobart, Australia, this building was originally only five bays wide, in 1882 two more bays were added on the Queen Street facade. In 1986 this building was unfortunately altered, only the facade remains attached to a modern building.
- The Strand Arcade, 1900. 233-237 Queen St. Commissioned by Sir Arthur Myers, with the latest in lifts, ventilation and lighting. Renovated in 1970 this Edwardian shopping arcade appears surprisingly unaltered.
- Landmark House, Former Auckland Electric Power Board Building 1927. Wade & Bartley architects. Cnr Queen St & Durham St east. This is an interesting example of the early Art Deco - gothic skys style. The Auckland Electric Power Board used the building as a form of advertising, dramatically flood lighting the exterior.
- Former Auckland Savings Bank Building, 1884. Edward Bartley architect. 260 Queen St. Sturdy example of the mid Victorian italianate style, the facade displays columns and panels of rich coloured marble and granite. In the 1980s this building became a McDonalds restaurant, the facade and interior remaining largely intact through a sensitive renovation.
Beyond the Wellesley Street intersection lies the midtown district centred around Aotea Square. Here are located most of the important Civic buildings;
- The Auckland Art Gallery, 1887. Grainger & D'Ebro architects. Cnr Kitchener St & Wellesley St. This is one of Auckland's most attractive buildings. The Melbourne architects won a public competition with their design of a French Chateau in the style of Francois II. Only after the opening of the Town Hall in 1911 and the new Public Library in 1971 was this building devoted exclusively to the Art Gallery.
- The Civic Theatre, 1929. Bohringer, Taylor & Johnson architects. 269 Queen St. This is one of the best examples of an atmospheric Cinema. Monumental Art Deco stripped-classical facade hides a lavish Hollywood inspired interior. The lobby is a reproduction of an Indian rock temple decorated with 500 elephants. The auditorium is decorated as an open courtyard in ancient Baghdad, the ceiling imitating the night sky with hundreds of electric stars placed exactly as they appear in the southern sky. Extensively renovated in 1994 it is now part of a larger entertainment and retail complex.
- The Auckland Town Hall, 1911. J.Clark & Sons architects. 303 Queen St. A Melbourne firm designed this building in the English Baroque style. It is built of Melbourne Bluestone and Oamaru stone with art nouveau leadlight windows. The main auditorium has excellent acoustics being based upon the famous Gewandhaus Concert Hall in Leipzeg, Germany. The impressive Pipe Organ was donated by Sir Henry Brett, a former mayor of Auckland. Splendidly renovated in the late 1990s the Town Hall continues to be Auckland's premier concert venue.
- The Aotea Centre, 1990. Ewen Wainscott architect. Aotea Square. Initially proposed in 1949 as the Auckland Centennial Hall, construction of this building was delayed for several decades. Intended to supplant the town hall, when it opened it was found to have acoustical problems resulting in a costly refit. Complaints from performers over many years resulted in the renovation of the Town Hall. The lobby of the Aotea Centre contains many art works by New Zealand artists.
- The Council Administration Block, 1966. Tibor K.Donner architect. Aotea Square. An example of nice, crisp 1950s modernism. This building has aged very well, despite it's tallness and bulk the Admin building doesn't dominate Aotea Square and is a good contrast with the 1911 Town Hall.
Further up Queen Street beyond Mayoral Drive is the uptown district, centred on Myers Park. This is often referred to as Upper Queen Street although that is actually a separate street over the K'rd ridge. The most significant buildings in this area are;
- Former Theosophical Society Building, 1923. Henry Robinson architect. Located at the Queen St entrance to Myers Park this is a fine example of interwar neo-classical architecture. Recently renovated as a "gentlemans club".
- The Myers Free Kindergarten 1916 B.Chilwell & R.Trevithick architects. Designed as a large homely cottage this brick and stucco building is located in the middle of the 1914 Myers Park. A handsome example of Arts & Crafts architecture which still operates as a kindergarten.
- The Auckland Baptist Tabernacle 1884 Edmund Bell architect. Near Cnr of Queen St & Karangahape Road. Large Imperial Roman temple. The interior has decorative ceiling stencilwork in the neo-classical style by Samuel and Charles Blomfield.
Beyond the Karangahape Road ridge the southernmost 500 metres of the street is officially known as Upper Queen Street. Upper Queen Street crosses the largest interchange on the New Zealand State Highway network, known as "Spaghetti Junction" (after its British equivalent near Birmingham) which is the junction of State Highways 1 and 16, before terminating at Newton Road.
[edit] References
- "The Lively Capital, Auckland 1840-1865" Una Platts, Avon Fine Prints Limited New Zealand 1971.
- The Heart of Colonial Auckland, 1865-1910. Terence Hodgson. Random Century NZ Ltd 1992.
- Colonial Architecture In New Zealand. John Stacpoole. A.H & A.W Reed 1976
- Decently And In Order, The Centennial History of the Auckland City Council. G.W.A Bush. Collins 1971.
- Auckland Through A Victorian Lens. William Main. Millwood Press 1977.
- Auckland City Heritage Walks, Susan Yoffe & Tania Mace, 2005
