AUCKLAND'S GROWTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 87, 13 April 1927, Page 11

AUCKLAND'S GROWTH.

ARCHITECT COMPLIMENTARY

but poihts to some

defects

WHERE NEW

ZEALAND LEAD

Mr. G. S. Keeping, A.R.1.8.A., a mune of Auckland, and now one of the loading architects in Sydney, has recently returned to the city of his birth, and :s amazed at the growth and development which has taken place du/ing the last

20 vears. . , - '•What strikes me nn.-t all," said Mr. Kee-mg u> a "Mar repu - sentative to-day, "is the lay-out ot tlu public parks (notably the Domain), and also the excellence of t.ie roads. lwont> years ago even the main thoroughfare* were by no means a credit to e\en a small town, but nowadays they are worthy to rank with those of the l>:gaest cities of tne world, and T i ail honestly say they are hotter than those in Australia. ••In Sydney, Melbourne and other big Australian centres of population, the roads-within the city areas are excellent, but the suburban roads cannot compare with those of Auckland, tone.etc roads are comparatively few in the neighbourhood of the principal town- : of Australia, and even within the city boundaries many of the roads are of ; macadam." A Word of Criticism. In one or two other respects Mr. 1 Keesing was not so compliment ai \ . He regretted the disappearance of Campbell's Point, which, in his opinion, had detracted from the natural beauty of the harbour, and lie deplored the raiding of volcanic mounds in and near the j city for tlie purpose of obtaining scoria, j He" thought, too. that there was a lack 1 of inter-communication between Governi mcnt authorities here and at Home. | With greater co-operation, much could Ibe accomplished in public work. "In Australia and apparently in New Zealand, too," he said, "the authorities will begin experimenting on subjects which have been familiar to the public departments at Home for many years. It is a pity that greater use cannot be made of accumulated experience."' Experience Abroad. Mr. Keesing, an old Auckland Grammar School boy. is the only son of the lato Mr. 11. A. Keesing, for many years accountant for Messrs. Nathan Ltd. In 190.") he left for Me bourne, where he was articled to the firm of Grainger and D'Ebro, 'who designed t lie Auckland Public Library and Art Gallery. Subsequently he joined the iirm of j. J. and E. J. Clark, also of Melbourne, and in that capacity lie was partly responsible for the design of the Auckland Town Hall. In 1!>11 Mr. Keesing left Aus- , tralia for America, and worked with New York architects for two years, after which he spent a year in study in Europe, returning to Sydney and com- ; inencing practice. During the war lie served in the Australian Engineers on ! the French front, but was also resp -nsiMe for work in connection in the (.'raves Commission for Gallipoli.