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APPENDIX C

ANNUAL REPORT ON BUILDTNGS BY THE GOVERNMENT ARCHITECT

The Government Architect to the Hon. the Minister op Works Sir,— I have the honour to submit the following report on the activities of the Architectural Branch for the year ended 31st March, 1945. With the virtual cessation of defence construction, the activities of this Branch have been concentrated 011 works of a more permanent nature. The following figures show the relation of defence works to civil works : — Capital cost of defence buildings .. .. .. .. £1,004,000 Number of men employed (average) .. .. .. .. 755 Capital cost of civil works .. .. .. .. .. £523,000 Number of men employed (average) .. .. .. .. 408 In addition, sketch plans were prepared for buildings and ancillary works of a total estimated value of £1,553,000. Wherever possible and when suitable, use has been made of buildings formerly erected for Service purposes, the records and information of the War Assets Realization Board being available for this purpose. My officers are also called on to assist with professional advice and technical investigations in connection with earthquake damage and restoration, with the Commissioner of Works, the War Assets Realization Board, the Standards Institute, the War Damage Commission, and with research work, and schemes submitted to the Local Government Loans Board for report and examination. The closest liaison is maintained with the Housing Division, the Building and the Timber Controllers, whose officers co-operate with mine in a most satisfactory manner, their services being utilized to the full in a consultant capacity. In addition to defence works, the following works were carried out Department of Agriculture.—Accommodation has been fitted up at Hamilton East for the Ruakura Animal Research Station, and a start was made with the erection of an animal research station at Manutuke, near Gisborne, whilst work was also carried out at the Upper Hutt Poultry-farm. Education Department.—At Avondale a new school has been built, a teacher's residence was built at Turangi, and a new wing was added to the New Plymouth Girls' High School. Extensions were made to the engineering block of the Stratford Technical High School, and alterations and additions were made to the hostel at the Wanganui Technical College. A woodworking class-room was erected at Te Aute College. At Massoy College additions and alterations were made to the dairy factory, the wool-store, and to the milking sheds and yards, and the addition of a laboratory effected." Two additional laying-sheds were completed. At the Wellington Girls' College an old wooden class-room was demolished, the gymnasium shifted, and a start made to build a new two-storied class-room block in reinforced concrete and brick; whilst site preparation for an intermediate school at Lower Hutt was completed. A memorial library is being built at Feilding, and earthquate damage was made good at the Wellington South School. A sectionalized school at Motueka was dismantled and re-erected at Cobb River, and at the Richmond Special School for Girls additions were made to the hospital annexe. At Lincoln College a new lodge for the Director is approaching completion ; eight new poultry-houses were built. Additions are being made to the King Edward Technical College, Dunedin, an assembly hall was built at the Balclutha District High School, and additional accommodation was provided at the Gore High School. Health Department.—Two residences for nurses were built. The Kawakawa Nurses' Home was completed and alterations and renovations made to a building -at Kohukohu for a nurses' home. A large hospital scheme is approaching completion at Middlemore, Auckland. Extensions were made to the massage block at the Soldiers' Convalescent Hospital, Rotorua, and the out-patients' block at Palmerston North Hospital was completed. At Nelson Hospital a two-story ward block was completed providing space for sixty-seven beds, and a two-story nurses' home is under construction. At Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer, a male massage block was built, additions made to the women's pavilion for a quiet room, and the women's dining-room increased by half. At Burwood a start was made with emergency ward No. 2. Alterations and additions to the St. Helens Hospital, Invercargill, are under way. Several huts were provided for T.B. cases amongst Natives. Industries and Commerce.—Alterations were made to the linen-flax factory at Washdyke, and the erection of additional buildings is in hand. Internal Marketing Division. —Extensive buildings have been erected and added to at the Pukckohe Dehydration-factory and workers' accommodation provided. Two glasshouses were erected at Mangaturere. A packing and grading shed and mess-room were built for the State vegetable-production scheme at Turuturu. At Motueka a number of buildings were erected for the dehydration-factory comprising large two-story main building, boiler-house, garage, fuel-house, and vegetable-store, and a large hostel in wood was erected from buildings transferred from an Air Force ground station. At Christchurch a dehydration-factory, including boiler-house, administration building, garage, cafeteria, and sodium store, have been erected. Justice and Prisons Department.—Additions were made to the Te Awamutu Courthouse to provide a strong-room and a Magistrate's room. A tobacco-curing barn at the Waikeria Borstal Institute is about half completed. Further buildings were erected at Arohata Borstal Institute,

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