Here's some vintage postcards of Alexandra Square back in the day...

Market Place Alexandra Square has been a horse paddock, a market reserve, a site for travelling circuses, a place to play hockey or cricket, and a place that needed beatifying.

Laid out by Samuel Hewlings for the Government (this area was once known as "Government Town")

In 1904 Timaru's first band rotunda was built at Alexandra Square and twelve garden seats, at a cost of £600, a gift to the people of the city, by Mr Charles Bowker, who lived in College Rd, in a two storied house named "The Pines." This was the first civic gift of the kind to the city. Later, open-air meetings and band concerts were held here. Today, there is a fountain, a playground, and some old gnarly trees. Named after the wife of King Edward VII, Alexandra of Denmark. The immigration barracks were on the western site of Alexandra Street which is on the west side of Alexandra Square. Mr Bowker also donated the Bowker Gateway in 1940.

While you are there, check out the Timaru Milling Company Fountain: "1883 - 1983 This fountain was donated to the people of Timaru by the Timaru Milling Company LTD on the celebration of their centennial. It was officially opened by Mr. P.C. Allport, Chairman of the Timaru Milling Company on Thursday, 1st December 1983. The fountain depicts silos which are used to store locally grown wheat for milling into flour and pasta."

Timaru Herald, 30 June 1905, Page 4

... the Association had carried out some important work during the year, and in Alexandra Square and Caroline Bay they had made improvements, to the town, more permanent perhaps with the necessary care, than any building, and they might fairly congratulate themselves on the work they had done within the last sixteen months. The total cost of the work on the square was £94, including the cost of fence around the rotunda, but not the cost of work done by the Borough Council. The report recalls the offering, three years ago, of a ten guinea prize for plans for improving Caroline Bay (an offer generously taken on their hands by the Mayor Mr Craigie); the acceptance of plans. The fence along the promenade was not in the original scheme. There remained much to be done in the Bay, and the committee suggested that if any further planting were to be done, more use should be made of native shrubs. Another suggestion was the erection of a permanent ornamental iron fence in place of the post and wire fence now there. This was only put there as a temporary measure to keep people of the young grass, but it was now generally recognised that it is necessary to have a permanent fence if the grounds are to be kept in order. Mr Sealey doubted the wisdom of planting a "live" fence there; he preferred an ornamental post and chain. Mr Harney suggested making pockets in the steep clay faces in which to establish flowering plants. As there is not enough soil on the upper terrace, some 20 or 30 loads of road scrapings should be put on. Mr Newman asked if it would not answer be to gather the seaweed that washes up, to be used as a fertiliser, as well as to get rid of it. Others thought it would not pay. The general meeting was closed, and the committeemen present met and re-elected Mr Oddie as secretary and Mr Thomson as treasurer, and the committee then adjourned.