The Wesleyan denomination commenced its ministration early in the ’forties, and, in 1843, a small weatherboard church was erected in High Street, on a site granted by the Government. The building was a modest one, costing £246. It was superseded by a brick church, which was erected and opened in 1848.
Commercial development rendered a banking concern a necessity. The first bank to be opened in Auckland was the New Zealand Banking Company, which had commenced its career at Kororareka. In July, 1841, a branch was instituted at Auckland in premises which were situated in Princes Street, near the site occupied by the Grand Hotel of to-day. Mr. Alex. Kennedy was the manager. Beyond these meagre details, the writer has not been able to obtain satisfactory information about this bank’s subsequent history.
Auckland, 1852, from Smale’s Point
Showing Commercial Bay, Fort Street, Fort Britomart, Shortland Street and old St. Paul’s Church
P. J. Hogan, delt.
The Auckland Savings Bank commenced its career on June 5th, 1847. The trustees transferred their property to the Government in 1848, and under its auspices continued to operate, an office in the Union Bank of Australia being used, and here it remained until 1854, when a room adjoining the Colonial Bank of Issue was granted by the Government for the use of the Savings Bank. In 1859 a site in Queen Street, being part of the site upon which the bank still stands, was acquired from the Provincial Council, and obtaining additional land by purchase, the trustees decided, in 1860, to erect a building of their own. The year 1876 saw the inauguration of the Penny Savings Bank. The present premises were opened in 1884 by the Governor, Sir William Drummond Jervois. The architect and contractor were respectively Mr. Edward Bartley and Mr. J. Heron.
The establishment of a branch of the Union Bank of Australia in 1848 in Auckland was an indication of the commercial progress of the city. The building in Princes Street, used at the foundation of the bank, still stands next to the Northern Club. Later the business was removed to offices at the corner of Shortland Crescent and O’Connell Street. In 1864 the present building in Queen Street was occupied. The architect was Mr. Leonard Terry, and the contractor Mr. Charles Brown, both of Melbourne. The contract price was £9000, but with extras the building cost approximately £10,000.
Early in 1842 (January 5th) the first race meeting held in New Zealand took place at Epsom. At what exact location this event was held the writer has not ascertained, nor can he give any information about the event itself. Despite this, it is of interest to record the beginning of a sport which has grown to such enormous dimensions.
The Supreme Court was opened on 28th February of this year (1842), and occupied a site at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets. Here, a week later, the first execution which took place in Auckland was carried out on March 7th. The victim of the law was a native, by name Maketu, who was found guilty on a charge of murder. It is related that a Government land sale was postponed for an hour so that purchasers could witness the event. The Court House was used until the present building in Waterloo Quadrant was finished in 1867. This building was commenced in 1863 by Messrs. Amos and Taylor, and completed by Messrs. Mathews and Bartley. Mr. Edward Rumsey was the architect.
The Auckland Hospital, reputed to be the first hospital opened in the Dominion, was erected on the site of the present Costley wards about 1845. Dr. F. M. Philson was the first regularly appointed medical officer. Up to the year 1883 the Hospital was under the control of the Provincial and General Governments. In this year the management was delegated to a local committee, which administered the institution until the passing of “The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885,” when it vacated office to the newly-constituted authority, consisting of representatives of local bodies of the district, to which the financial responsibility and management of the institution was transferred.