Home of Compassion Crèche (Former)

Unknown

18 Buckle Street, Te Aro, Wellington
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  • Constructed

    1914 - 1914

  • Architect(s)

    John Sydney Swan

  • Builder(s)

    Unknown

  • This was the first crèche dedicated to helping working class mothers and is the oldest remaining purpose-built crèche in New Zealand.

    The crèche was built for Mother Susanne Aubert and the Catholic religious order she founded, the Sisters of Compassion.

    The building has a significant amount of its original exterior and interior. It was moved in 2014 and integrated into the National War Memorial Park.

    See the timelapse video showing the three phases of the move. 

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  • close History
    • Built in 1914, at a time when New Zealand society still expected women to remain at home, the Home of Compassion Crèche was a pioneering institution in that it helped set the standards for later crèches which allowed New Zealand women to enter the workforce. The crèche was commissioned by Mother Mary Aubert (1835-1926), the founder of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion (later re-christened the Sisters of Compassion), New Zealand’s first indigenous religious order.

      Mother Aubert, with three of her sisters, came to Wellington in 1899. Inspired by St Joseph’s protection of his poor family, Mother Aubert worked to look after the poor and destitute of Wellington at a time when there was no social welfare and poverty was widespread in the slums of Te Aro. At the request of Wellington’s Catholic community she opened the St Joseph’s Relief Centre in Buckle Street. A soup kitchen, the first in New Zealand, was established there, along with a day nursery for the children of poor working mothers who were often unmarried or from broken marriages. Nearby, on the corner of Buckle and Tory Streets was St Joseph’s Church, while St Patrick’s College (1885) was immediately to the north.

      By 1913, the original crèche buildings were in poor condition. Mother Aubert was away in Europe seeking Papal recognition and financial independence from the local diocese. In her absence, plans were commissioned for a new building. Designed by John Swan, the new crèche was opened in 1914. Because Aubert had connections with Truby King, the founder of Plunket, the crèche was the first organisation in Wellington to use his standards of childcare. The Plunket Society aimed to raise awareness of the importance that domestic health and maternal wellbeing played in a child’s life.

      The Sisters were later forced to move their order to a new location on Sussex Street as a result of the State Highway One developments. For a while the crèche was used as a library for St Patrick’s College until it moved to Evans Bay in 1979. Following the demolition of St Patrick’s, the building has had mixed fortunes: it was untenanted for a number of years; it became an art studio in 1983, and later a car-parts shop. It is currently being used as offices.

  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close

      The Home of Compassion Crèche is a purpose-built crèche in an inner-city context.

      When looking at it today it appears unusual in that it is highly ornamented for a domestic scale building. It has to be remembered, however, that when it was built it was in the vicinity of the original St Patrick’s College which was a strong example of ecclesiastic Gothic architecture. The Home of Compassion reflects the architecture of St Patrick’s through its own ecclesiastical Gothic style which is evident in the crenulated parapet and the triple arched windows representing the Holy Trinity.

      The two side elevations have heavy walls of reinforced concrete with a shallow parapet and concealed guttering behind. One end features a heavy bracket which hides the eaves of the front façade. The windows are double hung with small fan lights above. They feature heavy, flat headed arches in cement render. At both ends of the building the roof is a gabled hip, clad in corrugated iron.

      The plan was simple. A central passageway had a large playroom and sleeping room on one side, and two smaller amenity rooms, as well as a pantry, bathroom, and WC, on the other. The rear main window is a three-sided bay window with an enclosed verandah on one side.

    • Materials close

      Concrete

      Masonry

    • Setting close

      The former crèche is located on the northern side of Buckle Street, opposite the north-western corner of the Basin Reserve. To the west it is bordered by an empty allotment, while to the east it is bordered by a small park. Since it is the only building left on the block between Taranaki Street and Cambridge Terrace its distinctive form provides visual interest to Buckle Street in the vicinity of the Sussex Street intersection.


  • close Cultural Value

    Built in 1914 this building has architectural value for the adept use of ecclesiastical Gothic ornamentation on a domestic-scale building.

    The building has historical value as it is the oldest remaining purpose-built crèche in New Zealand and was the first crèche dedicated to assisting working class mothers.

    The building is associated with Mother Susanne Aubert and the Catholic religious order she founded, the Sisters of Compassion. It is also the only building occupied by St Patrick’s College in its original location that still stands.

    The building has retained a significant amount of its original exterior and interior fabric and has authenticity.

    • Aesthetic Value close
      • Architectural

        Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

        The building has architectural value for the adept use of ecclesiastical Gothic ornamentation on a domestic-scale building.

      • Townscape

        Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

        The only building left on the north side of the Buckle Street block between Taranaki Street and Cambridge Terrace, the former Home of Compassion crèche’s Gothic ornamentation provides significant townscape value to the area surrounding the Sussex Street intersection.

    • Historic Value close
      • Association

        Is the item associated with an important historic event, theme, pattern, phase, or activity?

        The building has historical value for a number of reasons. It is the oldest remaining crèche building in New Zealand and was built at a time when attitudes towards the role of women in New Zealand society were starting to change. The building is also associated with the charity work undertaken by the Sisters of Compassion in Wellington, and stands as a reminder of the former Catholic institutions which once stood in the vicinity, including the former St Patrick’s College.

      • Association

        Is the item associated with an important person, group, or organisation?

        The building is associated with Mother Susanne Aubert, one of the most significant figures in the history of Catholicism in New Zealand, the religious order of the Sisters of Compassion that Mother Aubert founded, and the Catholic Church. It is the last surviving building occupied by St Patrick’s College, New Zealand’s oldest Catholic secondary school, on its original site.

    • Scientific Value close
      • Archaeological

        Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

        Since Mount Cook was the site of Pukeahu pa the area will contain pre-1900 human activity. The building is also located in the Central City archaeological site reference NZAA R27/270.

    • Social Value close
      • Identity Sense Of Place Continuity

        Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

        The building is a reminder of the focus of Catholic activity in this part of Te Aro, which included the institutions run by the Sisters of Compassion, St Patrick’s College and St Joseph’s Church.

      • Sentiment Connection

        Is the item a focus of community sentiment and connection?

        The crèche has sentimental value to the sisters and supporters of the Home of Compassion and those who attended it as children.

      • Symbolic Commemorative Traditional Spiritual

        Does the item have symbolic, commemorative, traditional, spiritual or other cultural value for the community who has used and continues to use it?

        The building has spiritual value as it was founded by the Sisters of Compassion on Catholic principles that were inspired by St Joseph.

    • Level of Cultural Heritage Significance close
      • Authentic

        Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

        The building has retained a significant amount of its exterior and interior fabric, therefore it has authenticity.

      • Importance

        Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

        The building has national importance as it was New Zealand’s first crèche dedicated to assisting working mothers.

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail
    • District Plan Number

      16/ 42

    • Legal Description

      Pt Sec 263 Town of Wellington Pt

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      1/Historic Place 3599

    • Archaeological Site

      Central City NZAA R27/270, Maori Site of Significance

    • Current Uses

      unknown

    • Former Uses

      unknown

    • Has building been funded

      No

    • Funding Amount

      Not applicable

    • Earthquake Prone Status

      SR Completed

  • close Additional Information

Last updated: 4/20/2017 3:39:08 AM