WILL IT GO?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 237, 6 October 1936, Page 9

WILL IT GO?

WELLESLEY ST. E.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE NEEDS.

PART OF PLAYING FIELDS,

It is the. prophecy of Mr. G. J. Park, principal of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, that in 50 years' time Wellesley Street East may form part of the grounds of the college. Mr. Park admits that this forecast at first blush might sound a little amazing, but lie points out that he is looking well ahead, in that in 50 years Auckland will be very different. He bases his view on the need of the college to expand in the future, and on the fact that on the existing site there is little room left for expansion. Near the college there are no other areas except Wellesley Street where expansion could take place, but there is not a great deal of room, and even if all the available space were taken the playing areas would still be cramped. Interviewed to-day, Mr. Park said that from 1921 to 1936 many additions had been made to the school. One floor had been added to the main building at a cost of £SOOO, an assemibly hall had cost £12,000 and a workshop block had been built for £25,000. Another building on the bath site had cost £3000, while an additional floor just completed on the workshop had cost £4400. The headmaster said that all these additions now left just over half an acre available as a playing area for about 1500 pupils. So congested was room that he had had to give orders that in the playground no one was to kick anything, no one was to throw anything and no one was to run. These orders had been necessary in order to prevent accidents; in fact, they had not been given until accidents had occurred. Technical Education Will Increase. He pointed out that most of the additions had been made upwards, because in no other way would they have been possible. "I have shown how technical education has increased in the past 15 years," Mr. Park added. "Even if the expansion is not as great in the future, some expansion there will certainly be, and where is it going to take place ?"

The headmaster went to an aerial photograph taken of the college environs. It showed the Wellesley Street frontage of Albert Park and the street, as well as the block between O'Rorke Street and Wellesley Street. On the other side of the street it showed the college itself, St. Paul Street and the buildings beyond that, and the buildings below the college in Wellesley Street.

It seemed to Mr. Park to be a matter for the State to act. Granted that the college must expand (and that, Mr. Park said, was axiomatic), then its most obvious avenue was down into the area of the old Normal School. Ik Christcliurcli when a primary school adjoining the Christcliurch Technical College had been closed, the ground had been given to the Technical College. He pointed out that the Auckland Education Board was responsible for the site of the Seddon Memorial College, having been responsible also for its welfare until 1920. The board should be prepared to consider devoting the whole of that site to technical education. At present at least half was given to a small primary school. Drill Hall Might Be Shifted. But Mr. Park went further. He thought that the drill hall might be shifted in the interests of the college. In that direction lay the natural expansion of the college, and it was easier to shift a drill hall than a college. There were other areas in Auckland suitable for drill liall purposes. Were all this to come to pass, considerably more room would be made available, but even this would not be sufficient. Fifty years hence the college would again be cramped, ancl Wellesley Street East might have to be taken. Though he "was not quite certain, Mr. Park thought that in the original plans for Auckland, Wellesley Street and even the site of the college were shown as part of Albert Park. In the early days part of the park had become worn by people walking over it, and usage had given that path the right to become eventually Wellesley Street. Mr. Park looked ahead to the time when major traffic improvements would he carried out in Auckland. He mentioned the Morningside tunnel, stating that it had been proposed to have a sub-station at Wakefield Street. If they built a station at Wakefield Street," he said, "what would be the use of tfams running up ■ Wellesley Street? Surely it would be the natural thing to have them in the street where the station would be." Wellesley Street a Peculiar Street. He said that Wellesley Street at the present time was arterial only because of the presence, of trams there. Wei * lesley Street East was not 'a- business area in the same way as Wellesley Street West was. "I have no doubt that this idea will be_ called revolutionary, even conservatively speaking, Mr. Park added, "but much can happen in 50 years." He pointed out that Wellesley Street was peculiar. . Above Kitchener Street, on the one side were tlf: library, the park, police house* and a boarding house. On the other were a hostel, a school, the Education Loard premises, the college and an hotel. _ of these were business premises in the same way as a shop or a factory wore, except perhaps, the hotel. After a little thought, Mr. Park contended that there were grounds for the view that within a measureable term of years Wellesley Street could be shut down and given to the Seddon Memorial Technical College.