HARBOUR BOARD NOW IN HANDSOME NEW OFFICES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28938, 4 July 1959, Page 15

HARBOUR BOARD NOW IN HANDSOME NEW OFFICES

1 Although the high building was still in scatfolding “splints” and workmen ware painting and In* stalling inside, the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday occupied its new and handsome offices at the corner of Madras and Chester streets. ' For a city which has expanded rapidly in recent years, Christchurch has had few striking additions to its commercial buildings The Harbour Board’s office block is one of the few and is an asset to the city. It is of six storeys. 4 . From all angles in the central area, the building is a dominating structure. It is on a choice site, overlooking one of the most picturesque stretches of the Avon river, and from its upper floors there are unobstructed views from the ocean to the mountains, in one sweep, and from the sea and over the business area of the city to the hills. All the scaffolding will be razed in a few weeks. The servicing of the building is complete and, although some finishing work has to be done still, the Harbour Board staff entered into occupancy of the bottom and two top floors yesterday. ’., „ It was not really a “working’ day, except for those members who began work at 5.30 a.m. to shift two full truck loads of files, documents and old records, accumulated since the board was constituted in 1877. Some records which have always been held at the Lyttelton office of the board have also been shifted to the new office.

’ Itaes CoHectien Probably on October 1, the scope of the office work will be extended by the taking over by the board of the collection of dues and charges. Lyttelton has always been a railway pdrt and collections have been made on behalf of the board by the Railways Department, at a fee of 3jd per cent." or about £ll,OOO a year. The board is conforming with standard port practice In taking over this collection. It■ has been indebted to the Railways Department for past efficient collection but with tiie growth of trade, it has been found more economic to concentrate this phase of port administration under the direct control of the accounting staff of the board. - To cope with the collection, only a small increase ip. the staff will be necessary. Modern Accountancy equipment has arrived. Everything Inside The Interior of the building is as handsome as the exterior, with every fitting and service installation of the latest design. The general office, the subacoountant’s office and the purchasing officer’s office are on the ground floor, reached by a wide entrance faced with granite and marble from Madras street. The main office is flanked by high glam on three sides and, like all other parts, has cleverly concealed electric lighting. The basement contains rooms

for the storage of files not in daily use, quarters for the custodian, an oil-fired central heating boiler and a heater-system for water for ablutions. A shaft for waste paper leads inconspicuously down through the middle of the building and the refuse will be destroyed first thing every morning under the water boiler. If no paper is available, the custodian will switch on an electric , element. ' The first, second and third floors are fully occupied on a long-term tenancy by the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company.

On the fourth floor is a committee room on the north-west abutment on Chester street The board room extends the full width of the building and has deep carpeting, adjoining is the room Jor the use of the chairman. On the western side is a cafeteria. The office of the secretarymanager (Mr A. L. Burk), the engineer-in-chief (Mr J. A. Cashin) and the accountant (Mr A. J. Sowden) are on the top floor, together with staff rooms and, an outsize in strongrooms and a well-lighted engineering draughting office. All the offices are carpeted. The furniture is light in colour; there is not a square foot of drab paint or heavy varnishing throughout the building. Two automatic lifts are operating. The building is connected by a fire alarm system, the control of valves of which are in a “hut” at the rear, next to which is a door by which the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Brigade will have access to the building if a call is made. A permanent cycle stand is being built in the rear yard and car parking for officials, staff and customers has been provided on a section close to the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church. An Investment The total cost of the building was about £150,000 and it was financed by reserve funds held by the board, as suggested by Mr Burk. The construction was considered by him to be a good investment, apart from the desirability and need for new and larger office premises, because of the shortage of commodious, modem office accommodation in the business area of Christchurch. The rental paid under the lease of the first and second floors is proving the soundness of Mr Burk’s advice to his board.

The architects for the building were Messrs Hollis and Leonard and the contractor was N. Caldwell Ltd. The chairman of the board (Mr W. P. Glue), himself a builder, has informed the board that no building in Christchurch is more complete and that ‘ not one modern detail has been forgotten. The board will hold its first monthly meeting in its new room on August 5, and the, official opening, for which a sub-com-mittee is making arrangements and issuing invitations, will be held on the afternoon of August 21.