Hanan Gallery in the Former Temple of Sciences

If there ever was a place right up NZPlaces alley, this would be it, a contemporary gallery housed in a building with a fascinating and unbroken history starting with an Irish self-proclaimed Professor.
And one of the best things about Hanan's Gallery and the Former Temple of Sciences is that it is not up an alley at all, it is standing proud on the wide boulevard of Dee Street where it has been since 1882.

The story goes that Mr James Hanan was actually a coach builder and painter, who became obsessed, like many Victorians, with Darwinism and many other aspects of natural science. Also like many of Invercargill's immigrants, he came via Melbourne where he married Sarah Clarke, formerly of Limerick, and arrived in 1862.

He was a good tradesman and spent his self-made fortune on building this large private museum, where Hanan became the inhouse 'artist and professor' giving popular lectures on all sorts of science, from astronomy to botany. The massive fire which ripped through Dee Street in 1882 damaged the 'Temple of Sciences' but they rebuilt and continued, adding a trendy orrery (clockwork model of the solar system) to their display. His death in 1885 saw Sarah Hanan take over and manage the Temple through it's change of use to 'Hall' and then 'Buildings' until it became a regular retail premises.

The family's legacy in Invercargill lives on with many branches residing here, including a current day James Hanan. They still own these buildings, and the gallery tenants maintain a display of Mr Hannan's Victorian exhibits for visitors. The vaguely Spanish Mission appearance of the buildings is well before it's time, and accentuated by pastel paintwork. Heritage New Zealand recognises the frontages as contributing to the interesting Dee Street precinct.
One of James and Sarah Hanan's sons, Josiah, or Joe, became a Liberal Member of Parliament and a grandson, Ralph Hannan, became a National politician.