Landing Service Building

(Former McRae’s Stone Store)
2 George St  and Station St
LN:326 C:1
1871
Architect is unknown, possibly W Williamson

This early store house constructed of bluestone stands opposite the original shoreline and was built in 1870 by Peter McRae. He was the owner of the Club Hotel on the corner of George and Stafford street. He borrow 700 pounds and began to build the front section of the building. The original part has three arched portals to east, two-storied and built in blocks of the local bluestone with a hipped roof.

The Landing Service Building (former) is a highly significant part of Timaru's history and probably Timaru's oldest surviving commercial building. It is the only survivor of the early landing services that operated from the beachfront prior to the construction of the artificial harbour, which were vital to the establishment and development of Timaru. The building indicates the historical line of the beach at Timaru, now a substantial distance away and is believed to be the only landing service building still extant in New Zealand. It was used as a warehouse for over 100 years and is a good example of nineteenth-century masonry construction in the local bluestone. 

Henry Le Cren and Captain Cain initiated the first commercial landing and shipping service in Timaru 200m north at the foot of Strathallan St. This service helped land the 120 immigrants that sailed direct from the UK to Timaru on the Strathallan in 1859. In 1864 the provincial Government took over the service and the first direct shipment of wool left to Britain on the May Queen that year. 

A competitive service was established beside the original Rhodes cottage. It was used by Timaru Landing and Shipping Company. The directors were G.G. Russell, F. Le Cren, R. Turnbull and J. Mendelson. Captain Cain was the manager. Until the breakwater was built in 1881, drays off loaded grain onto the first floor, to then load onto surf boats in front of the building. The Loan and Merc then Dalgety Ltd used it as a store for over a century.

Significant elements include dressed bluestone walls, and doorway arches. Lantern and dormer window.

Did you know? When threatened with demolition, this one of a kind building was saved and restored by the community in 1984.

 

WuHooTimaru Landing Services Building

 

TimaruLandingServicesBuilding FromStationSt 090431

 

2622 01 014A GeorgeStLandingService

Here you can see the boat launch at the foot of George Street, the Landings Service Building and beside it the Rhodes cottage. Hocken Snapshop hocken.recollect.co.nz/24023

 

LandingService nlnzimage 

1873 Landing terrace for Timaru Shipping Company, Timaru. Creator of Collection Unknown : Photographs of Timaru by Ferrier. Ref: 1/2-005348-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23134416

 

TimaruLandingServicesBuildings beforerestoration 141337 01

 

Not long after Timaru began to grow it became evident that the town and district needed better facilities to land and dispatch goods. The first major plan was drawn up by Otago Marine Engineer J M Balfour in the mid 1960s. By 1868 the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works was set up. Control of the foreshore was vested in the new board and in 1870 a groyne was built out the front of the beach but was swept away in a storm. In 1870s English engineer proposed building an island but Harbour Board opted for an alternative prepared by J M Goodall for a solid mole made of concrete blocks. The first breakwater was built in 1878-79 near the foot of Strathallan Street. Today the who structure is burred under accumulations of shingle. By 1887 and 1890 the first north mole was constructed to stop sand drifting back into the harbour. This then started to accumulate and build out to form Caroline Bay. Rock for this breakwater was brought by tramway from quarries near Gleniti which can still be seen at Centennial Park. Building the harbour caused dramatic changed to the coastline including the accumulation of shingle in front of the landing services building. It was once at the shore line and now stands over 400m from the sea. - New Zealand Historic Places Magazine, p8 May 1994

MA I367459 TePapa Timaru Breakwater From 1200

"The Breakwater is built of immense blocks of concrete, and afford great shelter to the shipping in the Port, which in the graiun season presents a very animated appearance, lying as it does in the centre of a very large agricultureal district". Timaru Breakwater. From the album: Scenes of New Zealand, circa 1880, Timaru, by Messrs F. Bradley & Co. Te Papa (O.042435).

 

TimaruTownMap 3000x96 1807136 190619 crop of CBD GeorgeST