Christchurch Press - Former

An example of Perpendicular Gothic applied to office needs, the Press building was designed by Architects, Collins & Harman. James Edward FitzGerald, a runholder, politician, journalist and the first Superintendent of Canterbury Province, had founded the Christchurch newspaper, The Press, in 1861. The first issue of The Press to be published from Cathedral Square was on 2 February 1909. A pigeon house on the roof remained as a reminder of the newspaper's pigeon post, which was used from 1886 to the 1920s in order to improve the Press' news services. One of the earliest in Christchurch to be structurally constructed from ferro-concrete (reinforced concrete) the Press Building survived the Sept 2010 earthquake with relatively little damage. However in the February 2011 earthquake damage was more severe and one life was lost. The building is no longer.

Wikipedia tells us,:(Allen)"Curnow wrote a long-running weekly satirical poetry column under the pen-name of Whim Wham for The Press from 1937, and then the New Zealand Herald from 1951, finishing in 1988 - a far-reaching period in which he turned his keen wit to many world issues."