Marton Library has special place in history

The historic Marton Library, which is now one of two Carnegie libraries in New Zealand.

The Marton Carnegie Library was the last library building to be funded by the Carnegie Corporation in New Zealand.

Head Librarian Melanie Bovey said it was one of two Carnegie library buildings that are still operating as libraries.

"The other one is in Balclutha, my old home town."

The history of the Marton Library goes back to the 1900s when the library was described by a local newspaper as the "little box" housed in a small room at the Borough Council.

In 1913, the borough council was told in no uncertain terms by the chamber of commerce to solve the problem, Mrs Bovey said.

Grants were being made at that time to other New Zealand towns for library buildings by the Carnegie Corporation of New York set up by Scots-American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, she said.

The following year in 1914, £1250 was donated by the corporation to build the new library.

And the Marton Library was up and in business by the middle of 1916 and has never looked back, she said.

The other 16 Carnegie Libraries built in New Zealand were in Onehunga, Thames, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Levin, Dannevirke, Hastings, Westport, Greymouth, Hokitika, Fairlie, Timaru, Alexandra, Dunedin, Gore and Balclutha.

These libraries have either been demolished or turned into other uses.