Air New Zealand House For City

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31028, 6 April 1966, Page 1

Air New Zealand House For City

Air New Zealand has acquired a building for its Christchurch headquarters. The modernised four-storey office building at 705 Colombo street, once the Starland Theatre and more recently H. E. Perry Ltd.’s building, will be named Air New Zealand House.

Announcing that th> airline had acquired a long-term lease of the building, the district manager (Mr A. T. Gillmore) said yesterday it was expected that the building] would be occupied about the] middle of next month. “This will allow the airline] to have its own identity in Christchurch, which is an important part of the company’s network, and all our activities will be housed under the one roof,” he said.

Since it began operations the airline has had a passenger booking office in Cathedral square, but other staff have been scattered. The administration offices have been in the New Zealand Refrigerating Company's building in |Hereford street. Earlier they iwere in High street.

The ground-floor booking office would be redecorated in a style similar to that in offices opened recently by Air New Zealand In Brisbane, Honolulu, and Loa Angeles. Mr Gillmore said. A South Pacific theme will be used and will incorporate carpet and other furnishings featuring turquoise, gold and white, as used in the overseas and other offices. Upstairs there will be administrative offices and the offices of airlines represented by Air New Zealand.

The Christchurch office was the key for reservations for the whole of the South Island Mr Gillmore said. It illustrated the importance of Christchurch that this week every service flying out of Christchurch for Australia had been full and an extra service to Sydney scheduled for tomorrow had already been overbooked. Last month the Christchurch - Sydney service carried a record amount of freight. The building, which is between Cashel and Hereford streets next to the Canterbury Savings Bank, was bought from H. E. Perry Ltd., by the Guthrey Family Trust more than a year ago. Since then the offices have been modernised and a new passenger lift has been installed. Of 7500 sq. ft., it stands on 10.8 perches.