DUNEDIN ADVANCES

Evening Star, Issue 21231, 12 October 1932, Page 7

DUNEDIN ADVANCES

NOTED ARCHITECT'S IMPRESSIONS CIVIC FORESIGHT AND ENTERPRISE MR H. E. WHITE REVISITS HOME TOWN What was reputed to be the largest individual architectural practice in the British Empire was possessed by tho Dunedin-born architect and consulting engineer, Mr Henry E. White, F.R.A.1.A., F.N.Z.1.A., when he was practising in Australia. A son of the late Mr J. E. While and a brother of the well-known Dunedin barrister, Mr White, has returned to Dunedin after an absence of many yearn on a visit to his mother. He enjoys an Empire-wide reputation in his profession. His engineering and contracting works of note in Dunedin before he left to make his mark in Australia were the piercing of the tunnel at Waipori for the hydro-electric scheme, and tho rebuilding of the Alhambra and Princess Theatres. Even when a young man, he was remarkably versatile as a engineer, a municipal undertaking many years ago being a lengthy and able report on the Dunedin Corporation gasworks. Previously he had built the big premises of the Christchurch ‘ Press ’ Company and the Royal Exchange, both buildings still occupying prominent corners in Cathedral square. During recent years he has designed some 130 public halls and theatres in Australia and New Zealand, including the Capitol, State, and St. James

Theatres in Sydney, also the Civic Centre in Newcastle, the Bunnerong Power Staten, Sydney, and many large city buildings, shopping blocks, and factories throughout Australia. To-day a ‘ Star ’ reporter asked Mr White for his impressions of his home town, for which, visitors to Sydney will remember, he has always cherished the kindliest feelings. He prefaced his remarks by saying how pleased he was to be back in Dunedin to meet old friends and to notice the wonderful improvements made in the city and its surroundings. Ho remarked that Dunedin must have been fortunate indeed in its choice of representative citizens who had displayed such foresight and enterprise in effecting so many civic improvements, “ Being one of New Zealand’s first motorists,” said Mr White, “1 was much impressed by the magnificent arterial highways in and about Dunedin, which compare more than favourably with any to be found either in Australia or America. For surfacing, •grading, and banking they are quite unsurpassed, in my experience, and reflect great credit upon the controlling bodies and engineers who have been responsible for their construction.” Mr White said he was pleased to see the municipal authorities bad adopted the American plan of abolishing unsightly fences and hedges from public reserves—an improvement which had enhanced the general appearance of the city. He added that the reclamation of the old mud flats in the vicinity of Pelichet Bay and Lake Logan had revolutionised the water frontages. By the citizen who had watched the improvements being gradually effected, no doubt most of them would be taken more or less as a matter of course, but to one returning after a number of years they were most striking and refreshing. PRAISE FOR ART GALLERY. “ I was much taken with the Art Gallery and its collection of pictures,” said Mr White. “ I have already paid it two visits, and will pay it a third if my time permits. I think it is a most creditable adjunct to the city, and must provide inspiration to students and the public generally. The pictures would grace any art gallery in the world and the lighting of the various galleries greatly adds to the effective display of the collection. A visitor entering the main gallery must be immediately impressed by the air of dignity conveyed to the collection by the large bronze of the nation’s patron saint presented by His Majesty’s Goment; it is indeed a noble exhibit.” Mr White was enthusiastic about the pictures, and said that the great majority of them were very fine works of art, but he could not help specially mentioning ‘ The Unskilled Labourer,’ by Speed; ‘Fog in Port,’ by Martin; ‘ Old Jack,’ by Van der Velden; ‘ Apres le Bain,’ by Orpen; ‘ The Marriage of King Arthur,’ by Bacon; and ‘ His Last Work,’ by Park. ‘ Lake Lugano,’ by Worsley, greatly appealed to him as an architect. ‘ The Defence Minister’s Telegram,' by O’Keeffe, came in for special mention, as Mr White was thereby reminded of old Dunedin School of Art days, where he studied drawing and painting with this artist’s brother, the late Mr Steve O’Keeffe.

Mr White, however, was severe in his condemnation of the inartistic galvanised iron and scrub fences adjacent to the building. To refresh memories of his schoolboy’ days Mr White spent a short time in the Early Settlors’ Museum, and thinks the city is to be congratulated on possessing such a comprehensive and valuable collection of early relics and photos of the brave old pioneers who founded the fine city and the province of Otago. He w,as pleased to note the much better conditions under which the collection was now housed and displayed. The plaid and walking stick of the late Dr Stuart must recall that_ venerable old figure to all who knew him, as also did the walking stick of that fine old Scotchman, the late Mr Dugald M‘Pherson. Such a collection of mementos and portraits formed the real treasures of a community. A short visit had been made to the Otago Museum, and again Mr White was impressed by the valuable additions to the exhibits and by the new wing with its fine staircase and Maori whare.;

AQUARIUM needed at gardens. “ The Winter Garden in the Botanical Gardens,” said Mr White, “ has been altered and enlarged beyond recognition.” He remarked that his late father, Mr J. E. White, had been one of the prime movers in securing the gift which founded this building. _ It was now a notable edifice of its kind, and the wealth of colour of its flowers made a fine display. The fernery was an attractive adjunct, but a patient inspection of the cloudy water in the aquarium tanks had not been rewarded by the sight of any inhabitants. He remarked that an aquarium laid out on similar lines at Honolulu provided one of the most wonderful sights it was possible to see, and expressed a hope that on his next visit Dunedin would boast of a similarly stocked aquarium. The Gardens themselves had not altered greatly, excepting that they appeared to have had a general pruning and clearing up. Also the removal of the unsightly surrounding hedge had resulted in the Gardens being a self-advertisement to passing visitors. Apart from the cleaning up of the foreshore and the formation of the highways, the most noticeable change in the city was the development on sound town planning lines of the suburbs; particularly was this the case in Maori Hill, Opoho, and Anderson’s Bay. Mr White said the Northeast Valley—his birthplace, by the way—was greatly altered. He was interested to learn that, notwithstanding all that suburb’s improvements and changes, Lindsay’s Creek was still capable of producing a respectable flood on occasions. In past years, at the old Valley School, the flooding of this creek was always eagerly awaited by the pupils as an annual event to provide extra holidays not included in the school curriculum. SOME STRIKING BUILDINGS. Yesterday Mr White went on a tour of inspection of the recently-erected public buildings in the city, hirst and foremost he was enthusiastic regarding the new Town Hall and its organ. This fine and wonderful asset to the city placed Dunedin in line in this respect with much larger cities, he said. _ He was surprised to learn that it had been built out of trading profits—-a novel way of financing a public building of first magnitude—and one which proved that Dunedin was still living up to the traditions of its early Scotch pioneers. The Anglicans had cause to be proud of the beautiful cathedral adjoining, a building that would grace any city, but which was particularly effective in surmounting and acting as a background to tlie Octagon. As an expert in the design of theatres, Mr White was interested and impressed by the two large picture houses whicli have been constructed here. He considered both these buildings good examples of modem theatre design, and commented on the size and finish of them. They would be suitable for any city in Australia. Speaking of theatres generally, Mr White remarked on the curious fact that the advent of the talkie pictures had made particularly valuable theatres which had been originally designed for the legitimate stage owing to acoustic properties, and he instanced the local St. James as a good example. Concluding his remarks on Dunedin, Mr White said one could not help noticing the great number_ of colleges and secondary schools which had been erected. It must, however, make any thoughtful man pause to consider what was to become in the future of the vast yearly output of all these institutions. The ideal was admittedly noble, but the practical effect in these days was liable to result in the elimination of the real mainstays of the country—the farmer, the mechanic, and the tradesman. He thought that the trend of education should be more towards the development of scientific farming and the technical education of tradesmen than as at present. He himself had two sons recently qualified as architects, but now regretted that they were not on the land.

SIDELIGHTS ON DEPRESSION. Asked for his views on Australia, Mr White said Australia was a truly wonderful country. The Aussie was an extraordinary and lovable individual, and he was too much of a sport to lament over the setback which the depression had given him. He was already busy' putting his house in order and readjusting himself to the altered conditions. Undoubtedly Australia would bo the first to regain normal conditions. Unfortunately, in times such as the present,, it was the progressive men in the community who had financed themselves to carry out various ambitious undertakings who had suffered the greatest loss, while the non-progressive gilt-edged investor was really in a better position to-day than before Fortunately, however, tlie Governments of both New Zealand and Australia were alive to this anomaly, and legislation had been passed in both countries to, in some measure, equitably alleviate the position. Both countries were fortunate in having legislators courageous enough to face such a difficult position. Although Mr White has suffered heavy losses through the depression he iooks forward with*confidence to the future of both countries. He has made his mark in the Commonwealth and New Zealand, and many fine buildings are monuments to bis ability. ________