Hokitika Savings Bank building

The Hokitika Savings Bank was established in 1866, during the West Coast gold rush, under the auspices of the Savings Bank Act 1858. Its first premises were in an old courthouse in Revell Street, Hokitika, but in 1880 the bank moved to a new wood and iron building in Hamilton Street.{{sfn|Cyclopedia of New Zealand|1906|page=508}} In May 1925, the trustees of the bank agreed to erect a new brick and concrete building on the existing site in Hamilton Street, to mark the bank's 60th jubilee in 1926,{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1925a}} and draft plans were approved the following month.{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian''|1925b}}

Construction of the new building on the existing site and an adjoining section commenced in February 1926,{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1926a}}{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1926b}} and was completed in early 1927,{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1927a}}{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1927b}} at a cost £3,106.{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1927d}} During construction, the bank operated from temporary premises further along Hamilton Street, opposite Addison's store.{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1926a}} Barrister and solicitor, and future mayor of Hokitika, Albert Elcock began operating his practice from the new building in January 1927,{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1927a}} the Hokitika Savings Bank began trading from there the following month, on 17 February,{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1927b}} and the bank trustees held their first meeting there on 15 March.{{sfn|Hokitika Guardian|1927c}}

Designed in a stripped classical style and constructed of plastered brick, the Hokitika Savings Bank building presents street facades to Hamilton Street and Perry Lane on its southern and western elevations, with the main entrance on an angled facade at the corner, and a secondary entrance on the southern facade. The entrances and three bays of casement windows on the street facades are framed by simplified classical pilasters, and the building's parapet is topped by a cornice with supporting dentils. A mansard roof is clad with corrugated steel.{{sfn|Burgess|2015}}

The building was occupied by the Hokitika Savings Bank until 1964, when they moved to new premises in Revell Street. At that time, the building was purchased by legal firm Elcock and Johnston, who refurbished building in 1980, adding a second storey within the mansard roof space. In 1989, the former Hokitika Savings Bank building received historic place category 2 classification by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand).{{sfn|Burgess|2015}}

In 2020, the building was purchased by Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, who intend to use it for their offices once earthquake strengthening has been completed.{{sfn|West Coast New Zealand History|2020}}{{sfn|Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio|2020|pages=30–31}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Hokitika Savings Bank Building}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite web |last=Burgess |first=Robyn |url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/5051 |title=Hokitika Savings Bank building (former) |date=8 April 2015 |publisher=Heritage New Zealand |accessdate=16 October 2020}}
• {{cite book |title=Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts) |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc05Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d21-d7.html |chapter=Hokitika Savings Bank |year=1906 |publisher=Cyclopedia Company |location=Christchurch |ref={{harvid|Cyclopedia of New Zealand|1906}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19250509.2.15 |date=9 May 1925 |page=2 |title=Untitled |accessdate=17 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1925a}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19250701.2.16 |date=1 July 1925 |page=2 |title=Untitled |accessdate=17 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1925b}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19260122.2.38 |date=22 January 1926 |page=3 |title=Late locals |accessdate=16 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1926a}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19260208.2.18 |date=8 February 1926 |page=2 |title=Untitled |accessdate=16 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1926b}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19270104.2.15 |date=4 January 1927 |page=2 |title=Untitled |accessdate=16 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1927a}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19270216.2.34 |date=16 February 1927 |page=3 |title=Late locals |accessdate=16 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1927b}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19270316.2.5 |date=16 March 1927 |page=1 |title=Hokitika Savings Bank |accessdate=16 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1927c}} }}
• {{cite news |work=Hokitika Guardian |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19270420.2.11 |date=20 April 1927 |page=2 |title=Gratifying progress |accessdate=16 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Hokitika Guardian|1927d}} }}
• {{cite web |publisher=Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio |url=https://makaawhio.maori.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AR-2020-Full.pdf |title=Annual report |year=2020 |accessdate=17 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio|2020}} }}
• {{cite web |website=West Coast New Zealand History |url=https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28163 |title=Former Hokitika Savings Bank |date=23 July 2020 |accessdate=17 October 2020 |ref={{harvid|West Coast New Zealand History|2020}} }}

{{Refend}}

Category:1920s architecture in New Zealand

Category:Hokitika

Category:Heritage New Zealand Category 2 historic places in the West Coast Region

Category:Office buildings completed in 1927