Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Club.

Progress, Volume XVI, Issue 5, 1 January 1921, Page 109

Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Club.

The original building was a substantial warehouse and factory, three storeys high, with a halfburied basement; situated at the corner of Albert Street and Swanson Street, and occupied by Buchanan and Co., manufacturing jewellers. The whole interior of the building was remodelled and renovated and another storey added. As now completed, the building, which is entirely devoted to the activities of returned soldiers, has four storeys and a basement. It is lignted and warmed throughout by electricity, and an electric dual-control passenger elevator serves ail floors, so that disabled soldiers can arrive at any level of the building they require, without tire necessity of negotiating the stairs.

The main staircase is built round the elevator enclosure, and for lire resisting purposes is constructed of very heavy jarrah timbers. The main exit from the building has thus been rendered as fire resisting as the nature of the original structure would permit. Each upper floor also has direct communication to outside fire escape galleries at the back of the building. The basement is entirely devoted to a large restaurant capable of accommodating from 80 to 100 diners. Here the kitchen arrangements are most modern and complete with gas cookers, grillers, automatic water heaters, urns, etc., and a gas heated carving table.

The ground floor is mainly occupied by a large well-furnished lounge smoking room, with a reading and writing" room adjoining. The lounge has a panelled oak wainscotting and a white fibrous plaster ceiling. The colour scheme is dark brown and white, with big comfortable chairs and chesterfields upholstered in black leather. The tan curtain hangings, blue-grey Venetian blinds, and heavy rugs complete the cosy comfortable effect. Space has been found on the ground floor to accommodate the office of the Returned Soldiers’ Association.

The first floor accommodates the manager’s private quarters, 4 single bedrooms, and a quiet rest room devoted to the special needs of limbless men. The remainder of this floor is occupied by a linen room, store rooms, and a large bathroom. This bathroom has two slipper baths and a range of showers. All the baths, lavatory basins, and showers are connected with an unlimited supply of hot water from three large automatic califonts. A separate bathroom and lavatory is also provided on this floor for the use of the females of the staff: separate access being provided from the basement and ground floor by a small staircase. The second floor is devoted entirely to cubicles —22 in number—and the necessary lavatory accommodation, each cubicle being furnished as a single bedroom. Special attention has been given to the ventilation and emergency exits from this

floor, which has windows on all four sides of the building.

The top floor is a large billiard room, with five full-sized tables and lavatory accommodation adjoining. h rom the windows of this room splendid views are obtained of the harbour and surrounding city.

The original building was bought by the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association for the sum of £ 12,500, and when the refitting, furnishing, etc., is paid for the club will have cost in all about £23,000. The bulk of this money was provided by the Auckland Women’s Patriotic League, augmented by the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association, and to a smaller extent by the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association and the country branches of the Women’s League. Although the club has been open only recently, its popularity is already proved by the fact that its accommodation is regularly taxed to the full.