Friday, March 18, 2011

Post Office Square, 1940


Those who contemplate this location today, still called Post Office Square, will be puzzled by the name as there is no Post Office to be seen.  However, until 1972 the building on the left was the Chief Post Office.  It was an earthquake risk - the tower came down after the 1942 earthquake, bad cracks appeared in the 1968 earthquake - and the new building was built a few blocks to the north, its location can be seen in the distance.  The tram stop (see a previous post) can be seen in the middle of Jervois Quay.

Today the site is occupied by the Intercontinental hotel.  The kiosk is still there, as is the Government Life (today called Tower) building next along on the left which was quite recent at this time.


This was a photo considered for but not used in the books Wellington: a Capital Century and Wellington Transport Memories.

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