MODERN PREMISES

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1940, Page 13

MODERN PREMISES

NEW BUILDING DESCRIBED Construction was started twelve months ago from plans prepared by Messrs Collins and West, architects, of Christchurch, the contractors being Messrs Bruhn and Hendry, of Greymouth. The site, which was for many years occupied by the grocery prem- • ises of Messrs Parfitt and Co., extends from Werita Street to Waite Street, both connecting Mackay Street and Mawhera Quay. The new building is of one storey, constructed of reinforced concrete, and replaces the two-storey structure which housed the .“Star” in Mackay Street for the past forty years. Although of two storeys, the old building had. less floor space, and became inadequate to cope with the demands of the expanding business. The fact that much heavy machinery was located on the upper floor was also a handicap, while the limited space ,for the commercial departments caused inconvenience to the public. That is now a thing of- the past, for the main entrance in Werita Street takes clients straight into the heart of the newspaper, from which any department can be quickly and easily reached, and in each ease there are congenial conditions for the efficient transaction of business.

Inside the main doorway, space for the public measures 19ft. by 14ft., fronting the counter, while the general office has an area of 19ft. by 18ft. On the right is the manager’s office, 14ft. by 10ft., and the advertising manager’s office, lift, by 10ft. On this side of the building, a corridor leads to the job printing department, which has a floor space of 1426 squae feet. . ■ To the left of the main office, access is gained to the literary department, comprisin the editor’s office, the proof-reader’s room, and the reporters’ room. There is also a file room, and here are stored in racks the volumes of the “Star,” copies of which are bound up every six months, constituting an interesting record of history. On the left side of the building is located the composing department and the linotypes, the room measuring 1191 square feet. The rear portion of the new building is occupied by the press room, which has an area of 2025 square feet, and in which also is accommodation for the storage of reels of newsprint, facilities for the making of blocks for illustrations, and other incidentals necessary, to the production .of the “Star.” The building has a frontage to Werita Street of over 63ft. Strength of construction is a feature of : the.“Star’s” new home, this being necessary ? in- aft undertaking characterised by numerous* heavy machines. The floors have been spec- ’ ially reinforced in the printing departments, the concrete being five inches thick. Red Malthoid has been used as a covering material. The offices are well lighted by steel-frame ■windows, and the walls and ceilings are finished in plaster above panelling of heart ' of red pine. The doors are of new style, the attractive single fielded panel. Gas has been used as the medium for heating, the offices and a central gas heating plant is used, for the factory portion, while electric light is installed throughout. Good work has been done by the contractors, the complete job being a credit to Messrs Bruhn and Hendry, also to the subcontractors, who included the following. Joinery, Messrs Sotherans, Ltd. Plastering, Mr. J. W. Porter. Painting, Mr. H. Murch. Electrical work, Mr. A. Lemin. Plumbing and drain-laying, Messrs Jackson and McGirr. . ... All departments are connected with one another and with the telephone exchange by the interphone system, which not only facilitates attention to those who may have to do their business by telephone, but also gives efficient service to those who call at the office and find that information is required from some ..member of the staff elsewhere m the building.

. ESTABLISHED 74 YEARS AGO. Established in 1866 by Mr. James Brown, the “Star” was later conducted by Mr. J. Tyrrell, and subsequently by Mr. Joseph Ivess. The proprietors in 1872-73, according to the first West Coast directory, were Messrs. R. C. Reid and Co. In 18/5, Mr. Joseph Petrie, senr., who was manager for some time during Mr. Tyrell’s proprietorship, bought the “Star,” and acted as editor until his death. The present “Greymouth Evening Star” Company was registered m 1891. - Originally the office was situated m Waite Street, then in Tainui Street near the site occupied now by Messrs. B. Dixon, Ltd., later in Mackay Street, where the Self-Help Store is located, and then in the building on the opposite side of Mackay Street, recently vacated. The new premises have their rear entrance on Waite Street, thus the Star has returned to its original neighbourhood. The Mackay Street building served its purpose for the past forty years, and the new structure should prove adequate for the next half-century, at any rate. When first published, the “Star” was limited to four small pages, and it has since grown steadily, the issues containing up to sixteen pages, although the war has resulted in a temporary rationing of paper supplies, and a consequent reduction in the number of pages, an experience shared with journals throughout New Zealand. It is interesting to note that Werita Street was named after the famous Maori chief, Werita Tainui, when Greymouth was surveyed in 1865 by John Roehfort. Waite Street was named after Reuben Waite, a pioneer wfiio arrived from Nelson in 1864, and 'who erected a temporary store at the corner of Mawhera Quay and the street which now bears his name.