Captain William Russell took up the cause in 1882 to establish an athenaeum on James Boyle's donated land.
The committee organising the fundraising for a building had raised £65 (2019: $11,500) and there were around 160 people who would subscribe to join the athenaeum.
Tenders were called in March 1883 after £250 ($44,600) had been raised for a 40 foot (12m) by 20 feet (6m) building, which was opened in July. It contained a hall and reading room. Later a smoking room was added, so men could smoke and play draughts and chess.
The Municipal Corporations Act of 1900 gave councils the authority to purchase land and buildings to be used for libraries, and to take over an athenaeum's property with the consent of the trustees.
Some dissatisfaction with the athenaeum range of books meant a call was made in 1901 by the Hastings Standard to the Hastings Borough Council to take it over, which they did in November.
The Council struck a library rate to help pay for the running costs, in addition to subscribers' fees. As ratepayers though the library rate was "obnoxious" it was later hidden in the general rate.
By 1903 this building, which wasn't the smartest to begin with, had become very run down and described as "a rude barn" and "the worst in the colony".
Many Hastings people had also started to go to Napier to borrow books, as its library was better stocked.
A new building was needed, and unlike today were money can be found for such projects, it was not the case then. Infrastructure costs were the main priority.
Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy Scottish-American Industrialist, had set aside, through his foundation, funds to enable communities throughout the world to build libraries.
He agreed to fund a library in Hastings, giving £2000 ($337,000) for this.
Carnegie had certain conditions attached to this, in that a library rate must be struck to provide the running costs of £115 ($19,000). The library must also lend books free – therefore the subscription model operating must be discontinued.
While they built the new library, the Council shifted the old athenaeum building to the back of the section and kept the subscription fees going. Councillor AA George sent Carnegie a press clipping showing the council intended to keep charging.
A library building on the Market St section was opened in 1907, and the library became subscription-free after 31 March 1909.
However, the Council reintroduced subscription charges in 1915, leading it into further conflict with Carnegie.
When the CA Vautier, two-storey brick building collapsed during the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, Carnegie's foundation was not interested in helping fund a replacement building.
The library shifted to the ground floor of the Hastings Municipal buildings after the earthquake, while the community and Council pondered its replacement.
The replacement library took 28 years to occur and would take the form of a War Memorial Library.
As with the first library building, much controversy and discussion occurred to its establishment – especially to its site. Cornwall Park was a preferred option, but was ruled out as it "would be to the general detriment of a place of beauty and recreation".
Instead, the council purchased properties on Karamu Road South between two garages, McCormick's and Ross, Dysart and McLean's for a library. At that stage Karamu Rd went right through to Lyndon Rd.
In order to purchase the land, the Council sold a pine tree forest it owned.
On Friday, 28 March 1958, a notice appeared in the Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune stating the tenders for the Hastings and District War Memorial Library would open on Wednesday 2 April 1958.
J C Mackersey Limited's tender of £66,232 (2019: $3.05 million) was accepted from the design of H E Phillips from Davies, Philips and Chaplin.
This building would directly face the cenotaph in nearby Civic Square.
The main entrance of the library, when it was opened in October 1959, faced Karamu Road. The foyer featured a wall mural by war artist Peter McIntyre (1910–1995) and a hall of memories. One of the men pictured in the mural was Mackersey's site foreman Jim Simonsen. He had served in World War II and became a prisoner of war after being caught on patrol behind enemy lines.
The Hastings War Memorial Library became subscription-free for general books in the 1960s.
Signed copies of Michael Fowler's Historic Hawke's Bay book are available from the Hastings Community Art Centre, Russell St South, Hastings for $65.
Michael Fowler FCA (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant, contract researcher and writer of Hawke's Bay's history.
