1926 - Opening Calliope Road

NZ Pictorial News 6 February 1926

THE DEVONPORT FIRE BRIGADE’S ANNUAL SMOKE CONCERT ON THE NIGHT OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW FIRE STATION.

It is forty years since Devonport was constituted a borough, and during that long period it has only had eight mayors. Four of them, the Hon. E. W. Alison, Messrs. A. M. Pickford, John Henderson and H. S. W. King were present at the official opening of the Fire Brigade station on February, 6th. The present Mayor, Mr Lamont is in Dunedin, Mr. W. Handley is an invalid and still lives in the borough, Mr. Malcolm Niccol died last year, and Mr. J. C. Macky was drowned in the “Lusitania” when she was torpedoed by the Germans.

And a great time was had by all, I wonder what they did with their women?

On February 24 loan proposals before the ratepayers included L2,000 for fire alarms and another L500 for the fire station, both of which were carried. The Brigade Carnival Trustees also handed over L631/6/5 raised for brigade purposes.

A description of the Calliope Road Fire Station from history collected around 1950, I have noted the changes to the building in square brackets and italics.

Photograph from Takapuna Library Photographs Collection T2171

BUILDING DESCRIPTION

The building, is a two storied structure with part of the rear forming a basement. Built in 1925, it housed a volunteer brigade who spent a large amount of their out of work hours in the building’s games room on the first floor. The room was fully equipped with a fireplace, carpet bowls sets, a championship sized billiard table, and a table tennis table.

Off this area is a kitchen, with a servery to the games room, three bedrooms and an ablutions area. [Although there was no record of alterations a photograph taken in 1927 shows no bedroom area on the first floor so this must have been added sometime between this date and 1949.]

The ground floor consists of open appliance space and an area at the rear making up kitchen, dining and lecture/TX room. There are bedrooms at the side of the appliance area. The first floor is very rarely used.

At the rear of the building is a basement which houses ablutions, hose room and storage.

Construction of the building is a concrete column and beam structure with cavity brick infills. The ground floor is concrete slab in the appliance bays with timber joists elsewhere and upstairs. Most of the brick walls have been plastered and painted although some have been strapped and lined with ply.

The roof is galvanised corrugated iron over timber trusses. Ceilings were originally fibrous plaster.  [Although some are now softboard.] Internal partitions are generally 4” stud.

Windows are metal framed and doors are timber with glazed panels inset. [The main front doors are soon to be removed and replaced with automatic opening tilting doors.]

Location of the building is on a main road which runs from Devonport to Stanley Pt. The building is oriented south in a residential area and has firemen’s quarters [built in 1949] behind and attached on its east wall. (There is no walkway connection between the two buildings).

The station is centrally placed in the district, is only a few hundred yards from the main Devonport commercial area, and is reasonably well elevated.

SOURCES

Measured Drawings by G Powell (f Lib: A.U.).

Clippings and construction lists collection (Arch Lib: A..U.)

Cyclopaedia of New Zealand Vol 2 (Auckland Public Lib)

Reminiscences by Edward Bartley and Elizabeth Bartley (Auckland Public Lib)

Plans of Bandstand, proposed town hall, proposed swimming baths (held by Borough Council)