It was funded by a loan from Napier Borough Council (a condition of the loan was that it must be continually used as Women's Rest) and public contributions.
From comments made in the building's visitor book, the Napier Women's Rest was well received and utilised.
When the building had been open a few months, some controversy erupted (gaining national attention) when Napier's Daily Telegraph reported that the matron of the Women's Rest, Mrs Summersell, had gone to mayor James Vigor Brown to report that some women had taken to smoking in the building.
"A smoke-laden atmosphere is not to be advocated for children", said Mrs Summersell, pointing out she was not "narrow-minded" but was concerned about the effect on children who came in with their mothers (a statement probably ahead of its time).
No ashtrays existed in the building, and Mrs Summersell pointed out to the Daily Telegraph reporter a white enamelled table which had cigarette stub marks on it.
"So far," she said, "it is only the single women who have smoked, and only a few of those." It was therefore decided to ban smoking inside.
(The story was commented on by a male journalist in another newspaper referring to women in a biblical context as "Eve" and using one of their "new-found privileges" of smoking, irresponsibly he thought ‒ "as might have almost been expected". Smoking had only recently become (somewhat grudgingly) socially acceptable for women.
Many of Louis Hay's buildings did not stand up well to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, and the Napier Women's Rest was one that suffered damage, but was not destroyed.
The building was partly enclosed by "tin town", which was built of sheet-iron and wood to house temporary shops in Clive and Memorial Squares while the town shopping area was rebuilt.
In 1933, during planning for the reopening of the women's rest, it appears Napier Borough Council had forgotten the original purpose of the building as a memorial, (and it wouldn't be the last time they'd do this to a memorial) and thought the building should be turned into a women's club.
A furious Napier Returned Soldiers' Association (RSA) reminded the council of the purpose of the building and the spirit it which was intended to be used – that the land it was on was a memorial, and clearly not meant to be a "women's club". (The card game Bridge was even considered too racy for the women's rest by the RSA, and they were around there in a shot when they heard it was being played by the women. The RSA didn't consider it a respectful activity for Memorial Square.)
Since being classed as a building subject to earthquake risk around 2014, the building (by then being used in a general community sense, not specifically for women) has been closed to the public, although it has been subsequently used by the Napier City Council for storage. The Napier City Council's recent annual plan, however, has made provision to complete remedial work on the building.
The Napier Women's Rest was built for a specific purpose on Memorial Square and dedicated to the memory of the World War I fallen. Its original purpose, I think, should be revisited.
My understanding is the highly successful Heretaunga Women's Centre has many visitors from Napier, and they have inquiries wanting something similar in Napier. There is clearly demand.
Many cities around New Zealand, such as Hastings, still retain a women's centre, and provide activities and social organisation services for women during the day and are used by the general community at night.
The Heretaunga Women's Centre, ably led by Amanda Meynell and her team of staff and volunteers, are willing to help re-establish a centre for women in the former Napier Women's Rest building, and apply their successful model as used in Hastings. What a generous offer that surely should be accepted. Historic Places Hawke's Bay and the National Council of Women also back this.
Allowing a women's centre to be re-established in its original home in Memorial Square would not only honour its original intent but give respect to our war dead in an area dedicated to this purpose nearly 100 years ago. It would also go a long way towards tidying up what has become a somewhat troubling area for Napier.
• Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a contract researcher and commercial business writer of Hawke's Bay history. Follow him on facebook.com/michaelfowlerhistory
