Lyttelton Times Building
Encyclopedia
The Lyttelton Times Building, last known as Base Backpackers, in 56 Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City
, was the last headquarters of the Lyttelton Times
before its demise in 1935 as the then oldest newspaper in New Zealand
. The building in Chicago School
architectural style was registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 7216. The building's last use was as a backpackers' hostel
and a restaurant. It was demolished following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
as part of the planned settlement of Canterbury. After arrival in mid December 1850, the first edition of the newspaper was published on 11 January 1851. From its initial location in the port town, Lyttelton
, the newspaper moved its headquarters to the larger market of Christchurch
in 1863. Its main competitor, The Press
, had established itself in Christchurch in 1861.
. A two-storey wooden building was erected on the Cathedral Square frontage when the headquarters moved from Lyttelton. Further growth necessitated bigger premises, and what is now known as the Star Building was built on the Gloucester Street frontage in 1884. Growth continued, and Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
were commissioned in 1902 to design a new building for the Cathedral Square frontage.
The Luttrell brothers had only recently come to Christchurch from Tasmania
. The Lyttelton Times Building was their first major commission, and established them as architects and building contractors. They used the Chicago School
architectural style for the design, and that was the first time that this was applied by them in New Zealand. While they employed the appearance of the façade of this style, they did not employ the structural system of an internal steel frame, but they relied on load bearing walls. With their later commissions, Manchester Courts
in Christchurch and Consultancy House
in Dunedin
, both for the New Zealand Express Company, they came closer to using the structural design of the Chicago School. Construction of the Lyttelton Times Building started in ca 1902, and the building was finished in 1904. At the time, it was the tallest building in Cathedral Square besides the tower of ChristChurch Cathedral itself.
Initially, some of the rooms in the building were used by the adjacent Warner's Hotel
, built in 1901 after the previous hotel burned down. The association with Warner's did not last long, as patrons were kept awake at night by the printing presses in the building. In fact, the noise environment was bad enough in Warner's Hotel itself, and the northern end of the hotel, which adjoined the Lyttelton Times Building, was removed in 1917 and the gap filled with the Liberty Theatre (later called the Savoy).
The Lyttelton Times changed its name to Christchurch Times in 1929, and in 1935, production of that newspaper folded owing to intense competition, with two morning papers and two evening papers being published in Christchurch at that time. The Press
, which is still published today, took the morning newspaper market. The Lyttelton Times Company was renamed to New Zealand Newspapers Ltd and published the Star-Sun as an evening paper, as a continuation of their evening paper The Star, which had been published since 1868. Production of the Star-Sun continued in the building until 1958, when the newspaper shifted to premises in Kilmore Street and changed its name again to The Star. It is still published in Christchurch on Wednesdays and Fridays as a free newspaper.
In 1994, the building was registered as a heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
(NZHPT). In 1997, the owner of the Star Building, the Lyttelton Times Building and Warner's Hotel applied for demolition consent. At the time, only the Lyttelton Times Building was registered with the NZHPT. The hearing's commissioner, Bob Batty, granted permission for the Lyttelton Times Building to be demolished, declined the request for Warner's Hotel, and granted permission to demolish the Star Building, but its façade had to be kept. The Environment Court overturned the demolition consent, and the Lyttelton Times Building was purchased by the Christchurch Heritage Trust, which turned the building into a backpackers' hostel and a restaurant.
Following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Lyttelton Times Building was as of 2 April 2011 not on the list of buildings to be demolished. In August 2011, it was reported that the building has been demolished. The historic part of Warner's Hotel is understood to also needing demolition, while the adjacent The Press Building
was demolished in July 2011.
, and the two façades represent the two different newspaper styles, with The Press being regarded as the more conservative newspaper. The Lyttelton Times Building is part of the largest surviving group of heritage buildings in Cathedral Square. It introduced the Chicago School architectural style to Christchurch, and it was the first major commission for the Luttrell brothers, starting their New Zealand career.
The newspaper is an important part of the New Zealand history, often expressing a liberal view. Examples are the support of the trade unions in the lead up to the 1890 maritime strike
, which swept across to New Zealand from Australia. Notable liberal politicians worked for the newspaper as editors, including William Reeves
and his son William Pember Reeves
.
Christchurch Central City
Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green...
, was the last headquarters of the Lyttelton Times
Lyttelton Times
The Lyttelton Times was the first newspaper in Canterbury, New Zealand, publishing the first edition in January 1851. It was established by the Canterbury Association as part of its planned settlement of Canterbury and developed into a liberal, at the time sometimes seen as radical, newspaper...
before its demise in 1935 as the then oldest newspaper in 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...
. The building in Chicago School
Chicago school (architecture)
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
architectural style was registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 7216. The building's last use was as a backpackers' hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
and a restaurant. It was demolished following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Historical context
The Lyttelton Times was devised by the Canterbury AssociationCanterbury Association
The Canterbury Association was formed in order to establish a colony in what is now the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand.- Formation of the Association :...
as part of the planned settlement of Canterbury. After arrival in mid December 1850, the first edition of the newspaper was published on 11 January 1851. From its initial location in the port town, Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, the newspaper moved its headquarters to the larger market of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
in 1863. Its main competitor, The Press
The Press
The Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is owned by Fairfax Media.- History :The Press was first published on 25 May 1861 from a small cottage in Montreal Street, making it the oldest surviving newspaper in the South Island of New Zealand. The first...
, had established itself in Christchurch in 1861.
History
The site that the Lyttelton Times had occupied in Gloucester Street with an agency since the 1850s extended through to Cathedral SquareCathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...
. A two-storey wooden building was erected on the Cathedral Square frontage when the headquarters moved from Lyttelton. Further growth necessitated bigger premises, and what is now known as the Star Building was built on the Gloucester Street frontage in 1884. Growth continued, and Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Edward Sydney "Sidney" Luttrell and his brother Alfred Edward Luttrell were partners of S. & A. Luttrell, a firm of architects and building contractors noted for its contributions to New Zealand architecture, both in terms of style and technology...
were commissioned in 1902 to design a new building for the Cathedral Square frontage.
The Luttrell brothers had only recently come to Christchurch from Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The Lyttelton Times Building was their first major commission, and established them as architects and building contractors. They used the Chicago School
Chicago school (architecture)
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
architectural style for the design, and that was the first time that this was applied by them in New Zealand. While they employed the appearance of the façade of this style, they did not employ the structural system of an internal steel frame, but they relied on load bearing walls. With their later commissions, Manchester Courts
Manchester Courts
Manchester Courts, earlier known as the MLC Building, was a commercial high-rise building in the Christchurch Central City. Built in 1905–1906 for the New Zealand Express Company, it was at the time the tallest commercial building in Christchurch...
in Christchurch and Consultancy House
Consultancy House
Consultancy House is a historic building in The Exchange, in downtown Dunedin, New Zealand. It has a New Zealand Historic Places Trust grade I classification....
in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, both for the New Zealand Express Company, they came closer to using the structural design of the Chicago School. Construction of the Lyttelton Times Building started in ca 1902, and the building was finished in 1904. At the time, it was the tallest building in Cathedral Square besides the tower of ChristChurch Cathedral itself.
Initially, some of the rooms in the building were used by the adjacent Warner's Hotel
Warner's Hotel
Warner's Hotel in 50 Cathedral Square, Christchurch is the site of a hotel established in 1863. The original building, extended on numerous occasions, burned down in 1900. The current building was built in 1901. Again, it has undergone numerous alterations...
, built in 1901 after the previous hotel burned down. The association with Warner's did not last long, as patrons were kept awake at night by the printing presses in the building. In fact, the noise environment was bad enough in Warner's Hotel itself, and the northern end of the hotel, which adjoined the Lyttelton Times Building, was removed in 1917 and the gap filled with the Liberty Theatre (later called the Savoy).
The Lyttelton Times changed its name to Christchurch Times in 1929, and in 1935, production of that newspaper folded owing to intense competition, with two morning papers and two evening papers being published in Christchurch at that time. The Press
The Press
The Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is owned by Fairfax Media.- History :The Press was first published on 25 May 1861 from a small cottage in Montreal Street, making it the oldest surviving newspaper in the South Island of New Zealand. The first...
, which is still published today, took the morning newspaper market. The Lyttelton Times Company was renamed to New Zealand Newspapers Ltd and published the Star-Sun as an evening paper, as a continuation of their evening paper The Star, which had been published since 1868. Production of the Star-Sun continued in the building until 1958, when the newspaper shifted to premises in Kilmore Street and changed its name again to The Star. It is still published in Christchurch on Wednesdays and Fridays as a free newspaper.
In 1994, the building was registered as a heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
(NZHPT). In 1997, the owner of the Star Building, the Lyttelton Times Building and Warner's Hotel applied for demolition consent. At the time, only the Lyttelton Times Building was registered with the NZHPT. The hearing's commissioner, Bob Batty, granted permission for the Lyttelton Times Building to be demolished, declined the request for Warner's Hotel, and granted permission to demolish the Star Building, but its façade had to be kept. The Environment Court overturned the demolition consent, and the Lyttelton Times Building was purchased by the Christchurch Heritage Trust, which turned the building into a backpackers' hostel and a restaurant.
Following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Lyttelton Times Building was as of 2 April 2011 not on the list of buildings to be demolished. In August 2011, it was reported that the building has been demolished. The historic part of Warner's Hotel is understood to also needing demolition, while the adjacent The Press Building
The Press Building, Christchurch
The Press Building located in Cathedral Square in Christchurch was the home of The Press between 1909 and February 2011. The building in perpendicular Gothic is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 302...
was demolished in July 2011.
Heritage listing
On 16 December 1994, the building was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I historic place, with the registration number 7216. The Lyttelton Times Building in contemporary Chicago School architectural style is located in the same quadrant of Cathedral Square as The Press BuildingThe Press Building, Christchurch
The Press Building located in Cathedral Square in Christchurch was the home of The Press between 1909 and February 2011. The building in perpendicular Gothic is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 302...
, and the two façades represent the two different newspaper styles, with The Press being regarded as the more conservative newspaper. The Lyttelton Times Building is part of the largest surviving group of heritage buildings in Cathedral Square. It introduced the Chicago School architectural style to Christchurch, and it was the first major commission for the Luttrell brothers, starting their New Zealand career.
The newspaper is an important part of the New Zealand history, often expressing a liberal view. Examples are the support of the trade unions in the lead up to the 1890 maritime strike
1890 Australian maritime dispute
The 1890 Australian Maritime Dispute, commonly known as the 1890 Maritime Strike, was on a scale unprecedented in the Australian colonies to that point in time, causing political and social turmoil across all Australian colonies and in New Zealand, including the collapse of colonial governments in...
, which swept across to New Zealand from Australia. Notable liberal politicians worked for the newspaper as editors, including William Reeves
William Reeves (journalist)
William Reeves was a New Zealand 19th century journalist and politician. He was the father of the author and politician the Hon. William Pember Reeves....
and his son William Pember Reeves
William Pember Reeves
The Hon. William Pember Reeves was a New Zealand statesman, historian and poet, who promoted social reform.-Biography:...
.