HISTORIC BUILDING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1932, Page 8

HISTORIC BUILDING.

EXHIBITION OF 1898,

«THE GAY NINETIES."

DISMANTLING OLD STKUCTURE.

More than one person has wondered, at the rather ornate style of the facade of the storage sheds of J. J. Craig, Ltd., at I the head of the King's wharf. The old wooden front of the building, which is about to be removed to make way for a modern structure, has a history. Thirty-four years ago it was the entrance to Auckland's first really ambitious exhibition, held in the Metropolitan Grounds—which themeelves have disappeared, being now covered with the Auckland University College and its appiirtenancea. "The Auckland Industrial and Mining Exhibition" was the wording that used to appear on the pediment with the scrolly barge-boards. "Mining" would look rather out of place to-day, I but 34 years ago Auckland was a much more gilded province than it is to-day, and with gold at its present high price, present-day Aucklanders who remember the boom days will sigh with regret and wifih they could happen again.,: The exhibition wae a very ambitious project for the Auckland of the day, and as it was the first big show that was open' in the evenings continuously, with plenty to see besides the exhibits, Mr. and Mrs. Auckland and family used to go night after night to enjoy the unusual luxury of the mild dissipation. Now and again the management would "turn on" a great fireworks demonstration, and on those nights the grounds used to be more than crowded. Xo doubt the wonderful exhibition and the grounds, compared with present-day methods of illumination, were really rather clingy, but to the eye of memory they appear as a blaze of electricity. The president of the exhibition "was j the late Mr. Bart Kent, a well-known insurance manager, prominent in Auckland business circles. The secretary was Mr. W. E. Holmes, a well-known accountant, who afterwards acted in a

similar capacity for the exhibition of 1013, and is at present living in retirement in the Waikato. The exhibition of 19 years back was held in the Auckland Domain, the main buildings being on the terrace just to the east of the winter gardens, and the machinery court where the present lawn tennis courts are situated. This exhibition was a very successful affair, but old Aucklanders still regard the exhibition that used to stand in the Metropolitan Grounds as one of the very bright spots in the history of the town, and they will all be interested in knowing the fate of the old building which was built of good solid timber and has lasted as though it had been intended for a permanency instead of a temporary affair.