Premier House
Encyclopedia
Premier House, on Tinakori Road in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

, 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...

, is the official residence of the Prime Minister of New Zealand
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...

.

The original building, constructed in the early days of the New Zealand colony in 1843 is located at the southern end of the current building, and was greatly expanded two decades later. The house was bought for use by the country's Premier in 1865 and was converted to a more fitting building for a national leader in 1872. The newly extended structure included, among other things, New Zealand's first lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...

 and the grounds featured what is thought to have been the country's first tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 court.

In the early twentieth century, the house was named "Awarua" by the family of Prime Minister Joseph Ward
Joseph Ward
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, GCMG was the 17th Prime Minister of New Zealand on two occasions in the early 20th century.-Early life:...

, and became one of the capital's main social places, hosting many formal and informal parties. Further extensions were made to the building in 1926.

In 1935 Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...

 decided that the building was surplus to requirements, and for many years it was put to numerous uses, including as a children's dental clinic. After years of decline, Dr. Michael Bassett
Michael Bassett
Michael Edward Rainton Bassett, QSO is a former Labour Party member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and cabinet minister in the reformist fourth Labour government...

, Minister of Internal Affairs initiated moves for the restoration of the building to its early grandeur, and since restoration was completed it has again been the Prime Minister's official residence when in the capital.
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