PRIME MINISTER’S RESIDENCE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29401, 31 December 1960, Page 15

PRIME MINISTER’S RESIDENCE

No Decision Yet By Mr Holyoake

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. The question of where the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) and his family will reside in Wellington has not yet been settled.

The official residence for the Prime Minister in Pipitea street is now vacant and was inspected by Mr and Mrs Holyoake this afternoon.

Tonight Mr Holyoake was unable, to say when or whether he and his family would be moving in. At present they live in Bolton street, but the,house, though comfortable and rather more pleasantly sited than the Pipitea residence, has little accommodation for entertaining on the scale the Prime Minister is obliged to. Apart from the purchasing of five flats in Hill street, nehr Parliament Buildings, at a cost of £30,000, no decision has been made on the housing of the new Government’s Ministers who will need homes in Wellington.

New Year Church Services

Two services in main Christchurch churches will be held to await the arrival of the New Year. The church of the patron saint of Scotland—St. Andrew’s—will have a service which begins at 11.30 p.m. and will conclude shortly \fter midnight. It will be conducted by the minister of the church (the Rev. R. M. Rogers) and the moderator of the Christchurch Presbytery (Mr C. C. Wilson) will give a short sermon.

The Durham Street Methodist Church wilkhaye a service at the same time. Methodiststraditionally hold a New Year service of this kind but only a few New Zealand churches observe the practice. New Year’s Day services will be those normally held on Sundays in churches.