Historic HB: Chimes still ringing out after 112 years

The Hastings Post Office in Russell St North a few days after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. Credit: Liz Rea

When Francis Hicks gave 1.5 acres (.61ha) to the government in 1873 for a railway reserve to contain a station building and goods yard at Upper Karamu (Hastings), he promptly subdivided and sold the remaining part of his 100 acre (40.4ha) block.

The new township was named Hastings in 1873, after Warren Hastings, a British governor-general of Bengal.

Tobias Hicks, Francis' nephew, had opened a store in 1872 on what is now the corner of Karamu Rd North and Heretaunga St East (former ANZ Bank premises). Included in this was a post office, therefore he was Hastings' first postmaster.

The original block subdivided by Francis Hicks was bounded by what is now Heretaunga St East, Karamu Rd North, and Queen St East, with the other boundary being the land given to the railway (Russell St North area).

However, with the railway reserve opposite Francis Hick's block, the railway, as owner, opportunistically allowed their land in front of his block to be leased and built on. Today this contains the buildings along Russell St North, from the Heretaunga St East corner to Queen St East corner.

The railways owned this land for around 60 years, until it was freeholded – and the leasehold properties proved to be one of the most contentious issues in early Hastings' history. The railways wouldn't give certainty to those leasing in case they wanted the land back for themselves.

When the brick bylaw was introduced in 1899 by the Hastings Borough Council, this meant any rebuilding in the central business district had to be in brick (ironically, the majority collapsed and burned in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake). Those on the railways leasehold land refused to pull down what was becoming old wooden shacks and rebuild as they had no certainty of tenure.

Part of this land would be used to build a government post office. Hastings' post office had left Tobias Hicks in control in 1875 and was run from the Hastings railway station, until a wooden, single-storeyed post office opened in 1896.

Hastings' steady growth in population required a bigger post office, so in 1910 a new one was built, and the old wooden one was moved just around the corner to Queen St East (where it remained until 1971 when it was demolished).

The new post office was brick, and two-storeyed. It had a clock tower, with its chimes donated by solicitor E H Williams. The clock was named "Big Ben" by the locals in reference to the one in London.

A year after opening, in October 1911, a large earthquake struck Hastings, and the clock tower was reported to have "swayed like a sapling in a storm". The post office tower was said to be slightly displaced as a result from the main building, but the Public Works inspector was confident that there wasn't any serious damage.

Laws were very much stricter in days past, and usually enforced. A law existed in the 1920s that it was unlawful to even wheel a bike from your house gate on to the roadway, let alone ride on the footpath.

Two boys employed by the Hastings Post Office as letter-carriers in 1926 were caught riding their bicycles "in the performance of their duties" on a footpath. They went to court and were each fined £2 7 shillings (2022: $254).

Further growth of Hastings meant an extension to the 1910 post office building was announced in 1926. And unlike the 1910 version, it was built strongly in ferro concrete. The shops that occupied the extension area in Russell St North were demolished to make room for the improvements, which would double the size of the building.

Tenders were called for in April 1927, and in May the contract was awarded to local builder Charles Palmer for £16,000 ($1.756 million). It was designed by government architect J T Mair of Wellington.

Hastings people got grumpy on occasion if the post office clock was out of time – and this made the newspaper. The post office clock, one wrote, could not be relied on for the correct time for those who "cut things fine" in getting to the railway station to catch their train.

The new additions to the post office were officially opened on June 23, 1928.

In the process of the renovations, "stray letters" were found in various places in the old building, such as a Christmas card sent from Fiji to Mr A Rosenberg, dated December 13, 1912. It was delivered – 16 years later, with it reported "somewhat faded, but otherwise little worse for wear for its 16 years delay".

When a Hastings Post Office reunion was in the Hastings Assembly Hall in 1930, it was stated in the Hawke's Bay Tribune what nearly every lady was wearing, such as "Miss M Banks, maize taffetas, with ruching of taffetas around the hem" and "Miss V McGrath looked attractive in nasturtium georgette with cape at back, inset with gold lace and medallions".

Amidst the fun of the reunion, no one, of course, had an inkling of what was about to happen next year on February 3, 1931.

In the years preceding, there were many reports of earthquakes. One account in 1929, stated people weren't so much running out in panic upon an earthquake – they were a common occurrence – it was more curiosity to see what the buildings were doing – especially the Hastings Post Office building, whose clock tower in particular, markedly swayed.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 3, 1931 brought down the post office clock tower, killing Hawke's Bay Tribune reporter Arthur "Darby" Ryan, who was waiting underneath it to meet Tom Devoy of the Pacific Hotel for a news scoop.

Another victim was 14-year-old Lily Jenkins, who was home sick, but sent to the post office to send a wedding present down south. She ran out into the crashing clock tower.

No Hastings Post Office staff were killed. I have been told they were warned never to run outside in an earthquake as the clock tower would come down.

The 1910 part of the post office was demolished, but the 1928 extension was held safe to retain.

While the building process was under way, the post office staff occupied temporary offices at the railway station and in St Aubyn St.

The 1910 part of the Hastings post office was completely rebuilt, and the 1928 addition had a façade facelift to match it. The new building opened in 1932.

Mayor George Roach was keen to reuse the clock tower chimes, which survived the earthquake – despite crashing down in the collapse.

A competition was held to design the clock tower (and parochially of course, rules were made to exclude any Napier architect winning) and to reuse the chiming mechanism.

Originally it was to be placed on the railway reserve (about where the outdoor stage is now) but at the suggestion of architect H Hyland, its present location was chosen.

Sidney Chaplin won the competition, and the clock tower in Moderne-style was completed in 1935.

So today we hear the same chimes as they did 112 years ago.

Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a writer and researcher of Hawke's Bay history. Follow him on facebook.com/michaelfowlerhistory