Iconic Dannevirke News building up for sale

The building at 21 Gordon Street as it is today. Photo / Leanne Warr

The iconic building that was once the home of the Dannevirke News is up for sale once again.

Last listed for sale in 2014, it housed the Dannevirke News for many years.

Research suggests that when the Dannevirke Evening News first opened in October 1909, it was situated on the corner of High St and Gordon St.

In April 1912, the Dannevirke Advocate was bought by the Dannevirke Publishing Company, which printed the Evening News and the two papers merged.

The newspaper moved to 21 Gordon St, with research suggesting this was around 1914 and the Bank of New Zealand was built in the old premises.

The Dannevirke News building in its early days. Photo / Supplied

An article found in Papers Past dated June 1914 stated that the Bank of New Zealand had completed the purchase of a corner section of High St, then occupied by Dannevirke Publishing Company.

The building had seen its share of news, from disasters, and royal visits, to politics.

Adam Appleton remembers working in the Dannevirke News building. Photo / Leanne Warr

Adam Appleton, whose father Lloyd, also known as Happy, took over running the newspaper from his brother, has many memories from his youth.

Hap Appleton was the editor of the Dannevirke News for many years. Photo / NZME

"It was a very good little community paper," he said.

He worked there off and on, helping with working the presses or other printing jobs which included docket books and receipt books.

There were once more than 40 people employed by the company and working in the building.

"It was a busy place," he said.

Many of the children who came to work delivering papers loved the place.

The building once had a balcony where someone would stand and make announcements such as the outcome of the race for the mayoralty.

That balcony may have been taken down around the time of the two big earthquakes that struck in 1990, within three months of each other.

The first earthquake struck in February 1990, while the second struck in May, with both being centred at Weber.

While many of the buildings around Dannevirke were extensively damaged, the News building emerged relatively unscathed.

The building could be cold and damp, especially if Dannevirke had a wet winter, Appleton said.

That would then affect the machinery, which would also affect the end product, he said.

He can recall his father getting into trouble with his mother, Bridget, a few times due to a small column in the Saturday paper on the funny things people did in town.

Especially because some of those stories were about Bridget.

The property at 21 Gordon St was the offices of the Dannevirke News until around March 2010 and was last up for sale in 2014.

The building is listed under Property Brokers.