Michael Fowler: Vibrant Hastings overshadowed Napier

The Hastings Municipal Buildings had to have extensive repairs done to the assembly room area following the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake. Photo/Supplied

Quietly slipping away unnoticed is the 100th anniversary of the opening of the former Hastings Municipal Buildings, which have been closed since 2014 due to being an earthquake risk.

Hastings, in the second decade of the 20th century, was heralding itself as one of the most go-ahead towns in the dominion.

Using a boosterism (self-promotion) slogan of "Progressive Hastings", news items began appearing in New Zealand newspapers in regard to Hastings' impressive building and infrastructure projects.

A progressive town needed grand borough council premises and a theatre - and Henry Eli White was chosen in 1914 as the architect for the new municipal theatre (now Hawke's Bay Opera House) and municipal buildings.

However, discontent amongst some borough councillors that he controlled both projects meant Henry would only design the municipal theatre.

Instead an architectural competition would be held for the municipal buildings.

There was no way a Napier firm/person could win as the Hastings Borough Council only allowed entries from architects who had an office within three miles (4.8km) of the Hastings Post Office.

Albert Garnett's Colonial Renaissance design came first from eight entries.

His father, the late James Garnett (1857-1913), a former mayor of Hastings, had purchased the land on behalf of the council in 1911 where both the municipal theatre and buildings would be built (he died while in office in 1913 after re-election).

In addition to the council offices and chambers, there would be eight ground-floor shops, assembly hall and supper rooms.

The successful tenderer was Stanley Brothers for £12,042 (2017: $1.7 million), and unlike the municipal theatre, these buildings would be reinforced with steel.

The foundation stone was laid on February 10, 1916.

Building with steel could not have been easy during World War I for the Stanley Brothers in terms of supply and cost, but at least they had a good supply of shingle from the nearby old riverbed of the Makakirikiri Creek.

At the opening ceremony, Hawke's Bay MP Sir John Findlay said Hastings was making great progress in out-rivalling Napier, and even Napier Mayor John Vigor Brown had to agree, saying Hastings was "more alive and up to date than Napier".

A year before the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, the Hastings Borough Council finally made a profit on the building from assembly hall hireage and the shop rentals.

This was mostly due to the expenses associated with carrying out internal alterations and additions to the building.

Despite being steel-reinforced, the municipal buildings suffered significant damage from the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake around the assembly hall area. Repairs and strengthening of the building took place as well as some alterations to the assembly hall, including a sprung dance floor at a cost of £2,038 (2007: $221,000).

These were completed about September 1931.

In 2014, the former Hastings Municipal Buildings were identified as an earthquake risk, and closed.

The Hastings District Council is looking at options for the building.

• Copies of Michael Fowler's Hawke's Bay Opera House: The first 100 years 1915 to 2015 are now available for sale at the Hastings i-site for $29.99

• Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is an EIT accounting lecturer, and in his spare time a recorder of Hawke's Bay's history.