PAST BURNED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 722, 23 July 1929, Page 9

PAST BU RNED

l Insurance Co. Destroys 5 Old Documents 3 SOUTH BRITISH CHANGE-OVER ! 'I‘HREE tons of old papers and docuv ments went to the incinerator lwlieu the South British Insurance Company moved into its new premises in Shortland Street. Another three tons has yet to go be—fore the “clean-up" is complete. Many of these old papers dated from the early days of the company. which began business in Auckland 57 years ago. Yesterday morning the company conducted its business in the. magnifi—cent new premises in Shorllund Street for the first time. The change-over 'had been made during the week-end with amazing rapidity. Thousands of files and official documents and the accumulation of years in the way of office records had to be moved into the new building. The vacated building at the. corner of Queen and Shortland Streets will be taken over by C. F. Bennett. Ltd. land agents, when the alterations have been completed by the owners. the St. John's College Trust Board. The Queen Street frontage will be turned into shops. These are expected ,‘to be in use in three months‘ time. . The South British Insurance Com—- . pany began business in Auckland in _ 1872 as the South British Fire and Marine Insurance Company. but. it j went. into liquidation in 1908 and the L new company was formed. ' The original directors were Messrs. Albert Beetham. \Villiam Earl. “filliam C. Daldy. \K'. Morrin, Stannus Jones. Henry Chamberlin and A. Wardrop. The original premises were situated in Queen. Street. near the Customs Street intersection. About 50 years ’ ago the company moved to the position it has just vacated. This was formerly occupied by Sommerville’s grocer's shop, from which milestones were measured in the earlier days of Auckland. Sandstone from Derbyshire. marble from Italy, Sicily and Belgium, granite from Coromandel, and timber from Tasmanian and New Zealand forests. have been used in the finish and decoration of the company’s new 10storey building in Shortland Street. . one of the finest of the modern busi- , ness premises in the city. The South British Insurance Com—pany occupies the ground floor. the : Guardian Trust and Executors Company is housed on the second floor, and the remainder will be let as , oflices. Every modern idea of lighting and heating has been utilised, with the result that the oflicials of the com—pany work in ideal conditions.