Langham Hotel, Auckland
Encyclopedia
The Langham Hotel is a five-star hotel
in Auckland
, New Zealand
. Formerly named the Sheraton Auckland Hotel & Towers, it occupies the historic site of Partington's Windmill, a local landmark until its demolition in 1950.
in England
) had arrived in 1847. He had previously been in partnership with John Bycroft and together they took over the Epsom Mill that stood in St Andrews Road. The partnership lasted until December 1849.
The Symonds street windmill was built in 1850 using bricks made on the site from clay dug nearby. In 1856 an important sideline was introduced - the baking of biscuits - using equipment specially imported from Reading, Berkshire
in the United Kingdom
, presumably from Huntley & Palmer's who already baked biscuits there. The business was renamed the Victoria Flour Mills and Steam Biscuit Factory.
During the New Zealand land wars
which raged from 1861 to 1866, four firearms were always kept in the mill which was directly threatened by the Māori when they attempted to take Auckland at the outbreak of the Invasion of Waikato. During the wars, Charles Partington served with the British cavalry and the mill supplied the troops with food, chiefly biscuits, but also flour and crushed corn.
By 1873 the biscuit making machinery had been relocated to the Riverhead mill and much of the land around the Symonds Street mill was sold off as building sites. Shops were erected along Symonds Street and houses on the other three boundary roads leaving the windmill in the centre of the block accessed by a lane called at various times Mill lane or Partington street.
Charles Partington died in 1877, apparently leaving his family affairs in disarray. His sons continued in the business and Joseph Partington took over the Symonds Street mill. Around 1909 a brick house for the mill manager was constructed on the north side of City Road. This Arts & Crafts building is currently operated as a restaurant called Number 5, it is one of the very few houses remaining in the area which previously was largely residential.
In 1911 Joseph travelled to England and there purchased a windmill and had the machinery, stones, cap and sails shipped back to Auckland. A gas engine was installed to supplement wind power but by 1916 it was found necessary to add 15 feet to the height of tower due to the increased height of the buildings now surrounding the mill.
After a turbulent history of commercial ups-and-downs, family arguments and several fires, the mill's life was effectively ended in 1941 when the then owner, Joseph Partington, died leaving no will. An early advocate of health food, Partington had recently been living the life of a recluse but had kept the mill working. The estate was eventually sold despite attempts by the Windmill Preservation Society to save it, and in 1950 the windmill was demolished.
In 1980 all the buildings on the block of land bounded by Symonds Street to the east, City Road to the north, Liverpool Street to the west and Karangahape road to the south were razed. In the next six years five large buildings arose on the site. Most of the northern part of the site was devoted to the multi-story Sheraton Auckland Hotel & Towers, which incorporated a shopping arcade linking with Karangahape road. This structure was rebranded on January 1, 2005 as the Langham Hotel, Auckland.
, Auckland CBD, and Auckland War Memorial Museum
. It offers a complimentary city bus shuttle so guests can easily access the attractions.
The hotel's restaurant, Partington's, is named after the windmill founder and has won various awards, including Restaurant of the Year in 2006.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Formerly named the Sheraton Auckland Hotel & Towers, it occupies the historic site of Partington's Windmill, a local landmark until its demolition in 1950.
History
In May 1850, Charles Partington purchased land in Symonds Street for £200,and commenced the construction of “the new Windmill” at a cost of £2000. In August 1851 the first flour was advertised for sale. Partington, an immigrant from OxfordshireOxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) had arrived in 1847. He had previously been in partnership with John Bycroft and together they took over the Epsom Mill that stood in St Andrews Road. The partnership lasted until December 1849.
The Symonds street windmill was built in 1850 using bricks made on the site from clay dug nearby. In 1856 an important sideline was introduced - the baking of biscuits - using equipment specially imported from Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, presumably from Huntley & Palmer's who already baked biscuits there. The business was renamed the Victoria Flour Mills and Steam Biscuit Factory.
During the New Zealand land wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
which raged from 1861 to 1866, four firearms were always kept in the mill which was directly threatened by the Māori when they attempted to take Auckland at the outbreak of the Invasion of Waikato. During the wars, Charles Partington served with the British cavalry and the mill supplied the troops with food, chiefly biscuits, but also flour and crushed corn.
By 1873 the biscuit making machinery had been relocated to the Riverhead mill and much of the land around the Symonds Street mill was sold off as building sites. Shops were erected along Symonds Street and houses on the other three boundary roads leaving the windmill in the centre of the block accessed by a lane called at various times Mill lane or Partington street.
Charles Partington died in 1877, apparently leaving his family affairs in disarray. His sons continued in the business and Joseph Partington took over the Symonds Street mill. Around 1909 a brick house for the mill manager was constructed on the north side of City Road. This Arts & Crafts building is currently operated as a restaurant called Number 5, it is one of the very few houses remaining in the area which previously was largely residential.
In 1911 Joseph travelled to England and there purchased a windmill and had the machinery, stones, cap and sails shipped back to Auckland. A gas engine was installed to supplement wind power but by 1916 it was found necessary to add 15 feet to the height of tower due to the increased height of the buildings now surrounding the mill.
After a turbulent history of commercial ups-and-downs, family arguments and several fires, the mill's life was effectively ended in 1941 when the then owner, Joseph Partington, died leaving no will. An early advocate of health food, Partington had recently been living the life of a recluse but had kept the mill working. The estate was eventually sold despite attempts by the Windmill Preservation Society to save it, and in 1950 the windmill was demolished.
In 1980 all the buildings on the block of land bounded by Symonds Street to the east, City Road to the north, Liverpool Street to the west and Karangahape road to the south were razed. In the next six years five large buildings arose on the site. Most of the northern part of the site was devoted to the multi-story Sheraton Auckland Hotel & Towers, which incorporated a shopping arcade linking with Karangahape road. This structure was rebranded on January 1, 2005 as the Langham Hotel, Auckland.
Present operation
The Langham Hotel was subsequently built on the windmill's site and is located near numerous Auckland attractions and landmarks such as the Auckland DomainAuckland Domain
The Auckland Domain is Auckland's oldest park, and at 75 hectares one of the largest in the city. Located in the central suburb of Grafton, the park contains all of the explosion crater and most of the surrounding tuff ring of the Pukekawa volcano....
, Auckland CBD, and Auckland War Memorial Museum
Auckland War Memorial Museum
The Auckland War Memorial Museum is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history , natural history, as well as military history.The museum is also one of the most iconic Auckland buildings, constructed in the neo-classicist...
. It offers a complimentary city bus shuttle so guests can easily access the attractions.
The hotel's restaurant, Partington's, is named after the windmill founder and has won various awards, including Restaurant of the Year in 2006.