Auckland Town Hall

Unusual and grand town hall, best described as below by Gavin McLean.

Municipal magnificence in an urbanising society

Welcome to the best and the worst of civic pomp and circumstance. Just metres away from Auckland’s ornate symbol of civic pride, the Aotea Centre skulks in its pit. Camouflaged and fitted with a few guns, this sterile monument to municipal pretentiousness might have taken its place in Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. As a contribution to the city’s urban landscape, Aotea Square ranks with bleak Queen Elizabeth II Square at the foot of Queen Street. The council has made partial amends with its recent expensive conservation of the Civic Theatre and this building, JJ and EJ Clark’s Town Hall. Planning for it began early in the Edwardian era when the council bought extra land in the Queen/Grey Street site. Melbourne’s Clark brothers drew on the Baroque revival trend for this striking building, which could seat 3000 people in its main auditorium. It certainly dignified this end of Queen Street. In the days of thinner traffic flows, vehicles could play dodgems with Sir George Grey’s statue out in front (now in Albert Park, and even a large phoenix palm in the street. For decades the Town Hall participated in the city’s civic milestones. Local politicians farewelled or welcomed troops, royalty came and went and student capping antics often raised eyebrows. The Town Hall also provided a venue for political meetings, wrestling, boxing and, of course, arts and music. During the 1960s and 70s some people wanted to tear it down, and many thought that it would be rendered obsolete by the new Aotea Centre, but the council saw reason and spent nearly $50 million strengthening and refurbishing the old landmark. It reopened in 1998.

© 2002 Original text – Gavin McLean.