LANDMARKS DISAPPEAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1921, Page 5

LANDMARKS DISAPPEAR.

CHANGES IN NEW PLYMOUTH. HALLS LOST BY FIRE. V.C. HOTELKEEPER. Year by year the old landmark* of early New Plymouth are becomng fewer, and from various causes the buildings of the seventies are being reduced to a small number. The recent fire at the clothing factory in Brougham Street threatened what had been a well-known social centre of earlier days, as the building was used as a public hull for many years. It was built in 1860 by the Freemasons of the town, who formed a company for the purpose, and it passed through a number of hands till it was subsequently converted to use as a factory.

Speaking of old landmarks to a Daily News reporter, an early settler (Mr. W. F. Brooking) recalled some interesting particulars of other well-known buildings of former days. The Oddfellows Hall in Devon Street, on the town aide of Liardet Street, about opposite the (Empire Theatre, and which wae built in 1865-6, was one of these. It was the biggest hall the town possessed then and all the leading social functions of the season were held there. Various Governors who visited New Plymouth in those days were entertained at the hall and It was the scene of many brilliant functions. During the eighties a fire originating in an adjoining property resulted in the destruction of the hall.

Where the Courtenay Street school now stands there existed a group of buildings used by the Provincial Government. These have all disappeared. The Government offices were subsequently situated in Egmont Street, opposite what was known as Mt. Elliott, an eminence which existed on the vacant site opposite the railway station. The hill was cut down in 1895-1900 and the spoil was used for reclamation purposes in connection with the railway yards. Going back to earlier days Mr. Brooking recounted some facta of the topography of New Plymouth, as it was then, which are little known to the present-day generation. In the locality which is now known as Crocker’s corner there used to be an old Maori house amidst fern and scrub, and tracks led off from there to Waitara and up Eliot Street to what was termed Maoriecot Hill, and much different from the existing rise. Ono of the schools of former days was situated in Robe Street, where the County Council offices now stand. There still exist some buildings th.origin of which date back a good many years. The Criterion Hotel was built in 1879 by a local firm and it was taken over by Mr. W. Cottier, the then licensee of the Masonic Hotel, on the opposite ride of the street and where the Bank of New Zealand now stands. A building which was used as a flour mill at the top of Currie Street still does duty in another capacity. It was erected in 1865. Another building of those days was the Taranaki Hotel (now the Royal). Among those who occupied tho position of licensee of this house war, a well-known figure, Antonio Roderiquez. Re had won the V.C. during the Maori wars in 1866. As a. member of the mounted corps, under Captain Mace, he was instrumental in the rescue of a number of his comrades in an ambuscade down at Warea. “Tony” became a hotelkeeper, a position which he held for some years. Of recent memory there was the Theatre Royal, which was built in 1884. It was first known as the Alexandra Hall and later carried on under ita other name till destroyed by fire in 1916. Oddly enough now the old theatre rite is bounded on each side by two up-to-date buildings, the properties of the A.M.P. and the New Zealand Insurance companies respectively.