Backbencher Pub and Cafe

Transcription

1 Backbencher Pub and Cafe 34 Molesworh Sree, cr Kae Sheppard Place Phoo aken from he corner of Kae Sheppard Place and Molesworh Sree. Charles Collins, 2015 Summary of heriage significance This building is a well-designed Edwardian corner pub designed by noable Wellingon archiecs Swan, and Swan and Swan. I occupies a prominen corner sie on he corner of Molesworh Sree and Kae Sheppard Place and sis on he cusp of he Parliamenary Precinc Heriage Area, a hisorically imporan par of he ciy. The hoel was owned and operaed by he major Wellingon brewery of Saples & Co. (laer par of New Zealand Breweries). I also has a close associaion wih parliamenarians and saff who have frequened he esablishmen for generaions. The building has rariy value as one of Wellingon s oldes masonry hoels, he facades of which are relaively unmodified. 1

2 Disric Plan: Map 18, Symbol 216 Legal Descripion: Lo 2, DP Heriage Area: No in a Heriage Area (2012) HPT Lised: Caegory II reference 1449 Archaeological Sie: Cenral Ciy NZAA R27/270 Oher Names: Wellingon Hoel, The Unofficial Bellamy s Key physical daes: 1912 and 1917 Archiec / Builder: John Sydney Swan, Swan and Swan Former uses: Hoel, accommodaion, pub, cafe Curren uses: Reail and commercial - pub Earhquake Prone Saus Resolved, SR Exen: Ciyview GIS

3 1.0 Ouline Hisory 1.1 Hisory This building occupies a sie long associaed wih hoels. The Wellingon Hoel, a imber srucure, was buil on he propery in The fabric of ha hoel became par of he sory of he presen building. The firs Wellingon Hoel occupied boh sides of he corner sie wih he wo arms of he building forming a couryard a he back. The building was buil, or laer bough, by prominen brewers J. Saples and Co., whose brewery was a shor disance up Molesworh S. The hoel s close proximiy o Parliamen made i a popular drinking hole for parliamenarians and officials alike. In 1912, he brewers underook a major addiion o he building. I was designed by archiec John S. Swan and consruced by conracors Jones and Cameron. 2 This new addiion, obscured from he road, was buil of more permanen maerials concree and brick and cos a oal of This hoel benefied from is locaion near he busy Thorndon Quay ram erminus, and is proximiy o Parliamen and he Saples owned brewery on Molesworh Sree. I provided accommodaion and sold a range of alcohol, and i is probable ha ha included he Saples and Co. brand of beer. A fire early in he morning of 12 April 1917 desroyed he original imber building. 4 Mos escaped, bu Parick Twohill, a well-known local ideniy died in he blaze. The fire was believed o be caused by a cigaree or lighed mach. 5 The brick and morar 1912 addiion survived. Laer ha year archiecs Swan and Swan prepared a design for J Saples and Co. o replace he secion of he hoel ha had been desroyed. This addiion, like he previous one, was consruced of brick wih concree foundaions by conracor P. Robinson. 6 For a half cenury afer World War I, drinking a he Wellingon Hoel was, as oher in all Wellingon pubs, characerised by he six o clock closing of pubs, a regulaion ha led o he franic swilling of beer in he half-hour afer work. 7 This changed when pubs opening hours were exended in 1967 and again in he 1980s. 8 Drinking became less freneic and i is probable ha he ambiance of he drinking culure a he Wellingon Hoel refleced his change. 1 Board of Works, Wellingon Independen, Volume XXIV, Issue 2930, 18 December 1869, Page 5. 2 Corner Molesworh Sree and Sydney Sree [34 Molesworh Sree], addiions o he Wellingon Hoel, July 29, 1912, 00053:170:9360, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 3 Ibid. 4 Faal Fire, Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 85, 12 April 1917, Page 4. 5 Faal Fire: Wellingon Hoel Burn An Old Man Mees His Deah, Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 85, 12 April 1917, Page 4. 6 Wellingon Ciy Council, The Backbencher Pub and Cafe, Wellingon Heriage Invenory 2001: Non-Residenial s, (Wellingon Ciy Council, 2001), MOLE3. 7 Phillips, Jock, Spors and leisure - Home and ciy, in Te Ara - he Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updaed Jan 15, 2010 accessed June 20, 2012, hp:// 8 Phillips. Jock, Culure and recreaion in he ciy, in Te Ara - he Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updaed Sepember 28, 2011, accessed June 20, 2012, hp:// 3

4 The hoel s link wih Parliamen was significan. Beween debaes poliicians would gaher a he pub and i earned he nickname he Unofficial Bellamy s. 9 MP Sir Maui Pomare was among hose who made good use of he paricularly fine billiard able. 10 Alhough i coninued in use as a public house, he hoel sopped aking guess in he early 1970s. 11 In 1990 Lion Nahan purchased he propery and carried ou exensive refurbishmen o a design by Dunning Thornon Consulans. 12 The work was compleed in 1991 and i reopened as he Backbencher. I soon earned a repuaion as one of Wellingon s bes paronised inner ciy bars. 13 I ook advanage of is proximiy o Parliamen o develop a sairical heme o he pub s décor. The inerior was decoraed wih caroons from well-known saariss Tom Sco and Trace Hodgson. Original polysyrene puppes of prominen poliical figures were aquired from he elevision comedy show, Privae Eye, and some sill adorn he walls. 14 The pub s menu is also a sairical ake on curren poliical evens. Despie wo more changes of ownership, he hemed pub coninues o operae. Back Benches, a New Zealand poliical inerview show presened by Wallace Chapman and Damian Chrisie, began using he pub as a venue for heir show when i began airing on TVNZ 7 in April On 8 June 2012 a fire damaged he inerior of he building. Several puppes were badly charred and he kichen was gued. A second fire four monhs laer furher caused damage, mainly o he inerior. The owners inend o resore some of he surviving puppes and build more and reopen he pub in February (2012) The Wellingon Hoel on he corner of Molesworh Sree and Sydney Sree Eas in (WCC 1892 Thomas Ward Map) 9 Pa Lawlor, Old Wellingon Hoels: Some Hisory, Personaliies and Anecdoes, (Wellingon: The Millwood Press, 1974), p Ibid. 11 Poliical puppery presides a he pub wih no peer, Evening Pos, 17 Augus 1994, p Wellingon Ciy Council, The Backbencher Pub and Cafe 12 Poliical puppery presides a he pub wih no peer, Evening Pos, 17 Augus 1994, p Wellingon Ciy Council, The Backbencher Pub and Cafe 14 Poliical puppery presides a he pub wih no peer, Evening Pos, 17 Augus 1994, p Back Benches, hp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/back_benches, Accessed: June

5 Plans of he firs major addiion designed by archiec John S. Swan in (00053:170:9360) 5

6 Wellingon Hoel, he ground floor and firs floor addiion plans, (00053:191:10524) Wellingon Hoel, elevaions of he addiion, (00053:191:10524) 6

7 Molesworh Sree and surrounding area in Thorndon, c (MNZ /4\F, Making New Zealand Cenennial Collecion, Alexander Turnbull Library) The Hoel, Kae Sheppard Place façade, (000540:1:4) 7

8 The Hoel, Molesworh Sree façade, (000540:1:5) Helen Clark, Jim Bolger, Winson Peers puppes a The Backbencher, Backbencher, accessed June 2012, hp:// 8

9 Damage o he inerior caused by he June 2012 fire Timeline of modificaions 1869 Consrucion of he firs Wellingon Hoel The firs major addiion is made o he buildings o a design by Wellingon archiec John S. Swan for he brewing company J.S. Saples & Co. Ld. The conracor was Jones and Cameron. Conrac Price: (00053:170:9360) 1913 Aleraions. (00053:174:9605) 1917 Fires desroys imber hoel, which is replaced by J.S. Saples and Co. in brick and concree o a design by archiecs Swan and Swan. The conracor was P. Robinson. (00053:191:10524) 1954 Aleraions. (00056:484:B36427) 1957 Cellar aleraions. (00058:42:C2094) 1958 Hoel aleraions. (00058:77:C3815) 1969 aleraions. (00058:603:C28311) Dunning Thornon Consulans refurbishes he building. 19 Work includes office pariions and business addiions and aleraions. (00059:406:E20824 and 00059:411:E20985) 1992 Sign. (00059:530:E24863) 1994 More refurbishmen. (00060:103:3781) 2002 Seismic srenghening. (00078:1085:95268) 2003 Inernal aleraions o café and bar. (00078:1161:104431) h June - A fire desroys he kichen and gus he inerior. 3 rd Ocober A second fire damages he inerior. 1.3 Occupaion hisory 1912 Wellingon Hoel The Backbencher Suff.co.nz, accessed June hp:// 18 Board of Works, Wellingon Independen, Volume XXIV, Issue 2930, 18 December 1869, Page Wellingon Ciy Council, The Backbencher Pub and Cafe 20 Wises Sree Direcory Wises Sree Direcory

10 1.4 Archiec John Sydney Swan ( ) Swan was born in Wellingon, he eldes of 13 children. His early archiecural raining was wih he noed Wellingon archiec Frederick de Jersey Clere. Swan was aricled o Clere and worked wih his menor on a number of designs, including he Wellingon Rowing Club (hen Naval Arillery Boa Shed), 1894 and several churches. From he was a parner wih Clere. Among he buildings ha survive from heir parnership is Kelburn Chambers (or Soneham s ), Lambon Quay (1905). While Swan was in pracice wih Clere he had already sared designing on his own accoun. The earlies sole commission he is undersood o have underaken was in 1902, when he designed a building a 118 Cuba Sree for P.D. Davis. He lef Clere in 1905 and was in sole pracice unil He is probably bes known during his ime for a series of major commissions for he Caholic Church, including Sacred Hear Conven, laer Erskine College, Island Bay (1906), S Gerard s Church ( ), Our Lady of Compassion Conven, Island Bay ( ) Sacred Hear Conven, Wanganui (1911), and, wih his broher, S Bede s School, Chrischurch (1919). Swan also designed a number of commercial buildings, including he now demolished Naional Bank head office (1907) and Clarendon Hoel, Wellingon (1908), now The Glasshouse. Perhaps one of Swan s bes known domesic design is his own house, The Moorings, Thorndon (1905), which feaures imaginaive use of nauical moifs. 22 He was a keen sailor and a Commodore of he Por Nicholson Yach Club. Swan was firs joined in pracice by his broher Francis in Francis Swan ( ) was he second younges child in he Swan family. The pracice was hen renamed Swan and Swan. They were soon joined in pracice by Charles Lawrence who had previously been in parnership wih Francis Peny. Swan, Lawrence and Swan was responsible for, among ohers, he former Home of Compassion Creche, Buckle S, (1916), he library wing of he Huner, Vicoria Universiy (1918) and he Physics Wing (1920). Swan also designed, wih William Gray Young, he Wellingon Technical School (1919) (now Wellingon High School) and in 1930, he celebraed Erskine College Chapel. John Swan was a direcor of he Kelburn and Karori Tramway Co. which led o he firm s commission o make major changes o he cable car Winding House in Charles Lawrence died in 1933 and a year laer John Swan lef he pracice he esablished o form Swan and Lavelle wih Jim Lavelle, bu he died in This firm laer became Srucon Group, a pracice which coninues o his day. Francis Swan coninued Lawrence and Swan, as i became, and hen laer pracised on his own NZHPT, s Classificaion Glossary of Archiecs, Engineers and Designers, (NZHPT, unpublished, 1990). 23 Informaion on he pracice of Swan, Lawrence and Swan and is principals from: Sone s Direcories ; ATL 13/191/1; Glossary of New Zealand Archiecs, Engineers and Designers, NZHPT 1990; and David Kernohan and Tony Kellaway, Wellingon s Old s, (Wellingon: Vicoria Universiy Press, 1994),

11 2.0 Physical descripion 2.1 Archiecure This is a well designed and carefully proporioned wo sorey Edwardian corner pub consruced of brick masonry. The façade consiss of segmenally-arched windows on he ground floor and square-headed windows on he firs floor. The window and door surrounds are rendered in plaser and reaed, on he ground floor, as a shallow Gibbs surround (alernae squares and verical sripes). The firs-floor windows have a surround wih square corners and an exaggeraed keysone. A meal balcony runs he lengh of he façade a firs-floor level. Sring courses run above he upper windows, and he building is capped wih a plain enablaure, projecing cornice, and a parape ha is buil up over he corner and above he wo main sree enrances wih a round cres and wo shor pinnacles Maerials Consrucion is load-bearing brick masonry on concree foundaion and piles. Inernal pariions and window joinery are imber, wih ongue and groove floors and pressed-meal ceilings. 25 Noe ha here has been exensive inernal refurbishmen and he saus of he floor is unclear. 2.3 Seing The Backbencher occupies a conspicuous locaion adjacen o he Parliamenary Precinc Heriage Area. I sis amids a row of major Governmen buildings, including he High Cour and Appeal Cour and Naional Library. Direcly opposie is he large open space of Parliamen grounds, wih is sauary, rees, and a backdrop of naionally significan heriage buildings Parliamen s, he Execuive Wing (he Beehive) and he Parliamenary Library. The own hoel s backdrop is less disinguished, wih several large neighbours overshadowing he building, including he Kae Sheppard Aparmens and Environmen House. 24 Wellingon Ciy Council, The Backbencher Pub and Cafe 25 Ibid. 11

12 3.0 Sources CT WN 157/246, Land Informaion New Zealand Backbencher, accessed June 2012, hp:// y&id=4&iemid=7 Hisoric Places Trus, John Sydney Swan, Professional Biographies. Accessed June hp:// spx?id=209 Kernohan, David and Tony Kellaway. Wellingon s Old s. Wellingon: Vicoria Universiy Press, Lawlor, Pa. Old Wellingon Hoels: Some Hisory, Personaliies and Anecdoes, Wellingon: The Millwood Press, NZHPT, s Classificaion Glossary of Archiecs, Engineers and Designers, NZHPT, unpublished, Phillips. Jock. Culure and recreaion in he ciy, in Te Ara - he Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updaed Sepember 28, Accessed June 20, hp:// Phillips, Jock. Spors and leisure - Home and ciy, in Te Ara - he Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updaed Jan 15, Accessed June 20, 2012, hp:// Sone s Sree Direcories Suff.co.nz, accessed 20 June 2012, hp:// Suff.co.nz, accessed 20 June 2012, hp:// Wellingon Ciy Council, The Backbencher Pub and Cafe, Wellingon Heriage Invenory 2001: Non-Residenial s. Wellingon Ciy Council, 2001, MOLE3. Wises Sree Direcories, 1912 and Newspapers Board of Works, Wellingon Independen, Volume XXIV, Issue 2930, 18 December Faal Fire, Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 85, 12 April Poliical puppery presides a he pub wih no peer, Evening Pos, 17 Augus

13 Wellingon Ciy Archives Corner Molesworh Sree and Sydney Sree [34 Molesworh Sree], addiions o he Wellingon Hoel, July29, 1912, 00053:170:9360, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, aleraions o he Wellingon Hoel, May 21, 1913, 00053:174:9605, Wellingon Ciy Archives. Corner Molesworh Sree and Sydney Sree [34 Molesworh Sree], rebuilding of he Wellingon Hoel, June 11, 1917, 00053:191:10524, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, aleraions hoel, July 8, 1954, 00056:484:B36427, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, cellar aleraions, November 13, 1957, 00058:42:C2094, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, hoel aleraions, Ocober 24, 1958, 00058:77:C3815, Wellingon Ciy Archives Molesworh Sree, building aleraions, Janurary 31, 1969, 00058:603:C28311, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, office building pariions, 1990, 00059:406:E20824, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, business addiions and aleraions, 1990, 00059:411:E20985, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, Backbenchers Tavern sign,1992, 00059:530:E24863, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, refurbish offices, February 22, 1994, 00060:103:3781, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, seismic srenghening, 2002, 00078:1085:95268, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 34 Molesworh Sree, inernal aleraions o cafe and bar, 2003, 00078:1161:104431, Wellingon Ciy Archives. 13

14 4.0 Crieria for assessing culural heriage significance Culural heriage values Aesheic Value: Archiecural: Does he iem have archiecural or arisic value for characerisics ha may include is design, syle, era, form, scale, maerials, colour, exure, paina of age, qualiy of space, crafsmanship, smells, and sounds? The building is a well designed, carefully proporioned example of a wo-sorey Edwardian corner pub. Townscape: Does he iem have ownscape value for he par i plays in defining a space or sree; providing visual ineres; is role as a landmark; or he conribuion i makes o he characer and sense of place of Wellingon? The building occupies a prominen corner sie and is one of he las remaining Edwardian buildings on Molesworh Sree. Group: Is he iem par of a group of buildings, srucures, or sies ha aken ogeher have coherence because of heir age, hisory, syle, scale, maerials, or use? The building is par of a group of early Wellingon pubs which include The Thisle, The Tramway Hoel and The Shamrock. Hisoric Value: Associaion: Is he iem associaed wih an imporan person, group, or organisaion? The hoel is hisorically associaed wih Saples and Co., Wellingon s bigges brewing company in he 19 h and early 20 h cenuries and locaed a shor disance norh along Molesworh Sree. I has had an associaion wih generaions of parliamenarians, and many sill frequen i. The earlier par of he building was designed by he well known Wellingon archiec John Swan, while he main building was he work of he successful parnership of Swan and Swan - he brohers Swan. Associaion: Is he iem associaed wih an imporan hisoric even, heme, paern, phase, or aciviy? The Backbencher is a surviving example of he corner pub, a place where Thorndonies and poliicians could gaher o drink and socialise. Scienific Value: Archaeological: Does he iem have archaeological value for is abiliy o provide scienific informaion abou pas human aciviy? There was pre-1900 human aciviy on his sie. Alhough par of he sie has been alered by rebuilding or landscaping, here is poenial archaeological value in he immediae area. Educaional: Does he iem have educaional value for wha i can demonsrae abou aspecs of he pas? 14

15 Technological: Does he iem have echnological value for is innovaive or imporan consrucion mehods or use of maerials? Social Value: Public eseem: Is he iem held in high public eseem? The building was known o a naional audience as he venue for he elevision show, Back Benchers unil June Symbolic, commemoraive, radiional, spiriual: Does he iem have symbolic, commemoraive, radiional, spiriual or oher culural value for he communiy who has used and coninues o use i? Ideniy/Sense of place/coninuiy: Is he iem a focus of communiy, regional, or naional ideniy? Does he iem conribue o sense of place or coninuiy? There has been a public house on his sie since 1870 and he curren Backbencher Pub, which evolved from he earlier imber hoel, conribues o he ideniy, sense of place and coninuiy of Molesworh Sree. Senimen/Connecion: Is he iem a focus of communiy senimen and connecion? Level of culural heriage significance Rare: Is he iem rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influenial, or ousanding? This is a rare surviving example of an Edwardian building in Molesworh Sree. I is also one of Wellingon s increasingly rare older public houses. Represenaive: Is he iem a good example of he class i represens? The Backbencher is a good represenaive example of a radiional Wellingon pub. Auhenic: Does he iem have auheniciy or inegriy because i reains significan fabric from he ime of is consrucion or from laer periods when imporan addiions or modificaions were carried ou? The building facades o Molesworh Sree and Kae Sheppard Place are relaively unmodified and reain subsanial areas of original building fabric. Local/Regional/Naional/Inernaional Is he iem imporan for any of he above characerisics a a local, regional, naional, or inernaional level? The building is of local imporance. 15

16 5.0 Appendix 5.1 Background research Inser any relevan background informaion ino his secion. This may include: Addiional plans, such as hose for aleraions Chunks of ex from oher sources such as Cyclopedia of NZ, Papers Pas Addiional images 5.2 Research checklis (deskop) Source Y/N Commens 1995 Heriage Invenory Y 2001 Non-Residenial Y heriage Invenory WCC Records building file Y WCC Records gran files (earhquake srenghening, Y enhancemen of heriage values) Research noes from 2001 Non-Residenial heriage Invenory Plan change? Heriage Area Repor Heriage Area Spreadshee Y Heriage iems folder (elecronic) HPT websie Y HPT files Conservaion Plan Searched Heriage Library Y (CAB 2) WCC Permis Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 75, 16 Augus 1912, Page :170:9360 Corner Molesworh Sree and Sydney Sree [34 Molesworh Sree], addiions o Applican: Jones and Cameron. Owner: Saples and Co. Archiec: John S Swan. Permi/Consen 29 Jul

17 he Wellingon Hoel Legal Descripion: Secion 4 Town Acre :174: Molesworh Sree, aleraions o he Wellingon Hoel Applican: Humphries Bros. Owner: C Jansen. Legal Descripion: Secion 4 Town Acre 531. Permi/Consen 21 May :191:10524 Corner Molesworh Sree and Sydney Sree [34 Molesworh Sree], rebuilding of he Wellingon Hoel Applican: P Robinson. Owner: J Saples and Co. Archiec: Swan and Swan. Permi/Consen 11 Jun :484:B Molesworh Sree, aleraions hoel Owner: NZ Breweries. Builder: J Rawson Permi/Consen 08 Jul :42:C Molesworh Sree, cellar aleraions Owner: N.Z. Breweries. Builder: K Huggard and Co. Noe: Wgn Hoel Permi/Consen 13 Nov :77:C Molesworh Sree, hoel aleraions Owner: N.Z. Breweries. Builder: J Rawson Permi/Consen 24 Oc :603:C Molesworh Sree, building aleraions Legal descripion:. Owner: NZ Breweries Limied. Builder: FL Jeffries & Company Limied. Applicaion value: $8000 Permi/Consen 31 Jan :406:E Molesworh Sree, office Permi/Consen

18 building - pariions 00059:411:E Molesworh Sree, business addiions and aleraions Permi/Consen :362: Molesworh Sree Applican: Deparmen of Jusice Map/plan :530:E Molesworh Sree, Backbenchers Tavern - sign Permi/Consen :832:3 : 34 Molesworh Sree: Lion Nahan Ld File :103: Molesworh Sree, refurbish offices Permi/Consen 22 Feb :122: Molesworh Sree File :1085: Molesworh Sree, seismic srenghening Permi/Consen :1161: Molesworh Sree, inernal aleraions o cafe and bar Legal Descripion: Lo 1 A Permi/Consen