Mount Cook Police Station (Former) and retaining wall

• 1893
• Original construction
• 1903
• Original construction
• 1912
• Building alterations and additions – two storey structure (now removed)
• 1956
• Building modification
• 1959
• Building modification
• 1960
• Building modification
• 1975
• Building modification
• 1979
• Building alterations – 1912 addition demolished
• 1986
• Building modifications

• unknown
• Not assessed

Not assessed

The former Mount Cook Police Station has been described in the past as a stern, no-nonsense, four square block, standing with uncompromising severity on a prominent site at the intersection of Tory and Tasman Streets. It is a two storey building, with a symmetrical main façade. The street frontage onto Buckle Street has five round arched openings on each floor, the unusual feature of the openings is the black and white glazed brick banding over and between the heads of each opening. This treatment helps to lift the façade from the commonplace and, when combined with the decorative quoins, creates a striking composition. It possesses a notably rare feature in the rosettes that have been places on each alternate quoin.

The black and white banding is repeated at eave level with the lower black band projecting out from the main face. There is black and white brick banding above this that projects out even further. This decorative effect is an effective companion to the banding above the windows. The building is capped by a plain roof, originally clad in corrugated iron. The precision and craftsmanship of the brick construction is an outstanding feature of this building.

The interior features no grand spaces due most likely to its utilitarian purpose, but the geometric tile floor in the entry is of note, as is the generous balustrade and newel post to the Kauri main stair.

The former Mount Cook Police Station has been constructed in polychrome glazed brickwork laid in English Bond. Each header is stamped with a distinctive broad arrow which marked bricks made at the local Mt Cook gaol. The building stands on a plastered plinth levelled to match the road levels.

The windows and door is timber and the roofing was originally corrugated iron. The partitions are plastered brick with native timbers, and other interior materials include tile and Kauri finishes.

The former Mount Cook Police Station is a local landmark on its prominent corner site, adding a distinctive note to the character of the surrounding area. The building is located on the northern slopes of Mount Cook. The Station is visible from a number of different view shafts in the area due to its corner site (Tory, Tasman, and Buckle Streets).

This building is part of an area typified by character buildings. The National War Memorial and Carillion, as well as the former National Art Gallery and Museum are sited prominently to the east of the Station building.

• 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 former Mt Cook Police Station is one of the country’s most important historic buildings associated with policing. The building is notable for its plain form, and severe character, that is offset by a distinctive decorative scheme. Decorative elements include the distinctive arrow marks made by the prison brick-makers, the nationally-rare use of polychromatic glazed brick, and equally-rare use of a moulded rosette quoin detail.

• Group

  Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

  The building and its associated brick yard-walls have a strong stylistic and historic association with the adjoining Tasman Street Brick Wall (WCC Heritage Object ref 16/54). 
  
  Both the building and the brick walls are part of military, penal and museum history of Puke Ahu/ Mt Cook and can therefore be seen as a group along with the nearby National War Memorial and Carillion, and the former National Art Gallery and Museum.

• 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 Station building, and its associated brick yard-walls, have townscape value due to their siting on the prominent corner of Buckle and Tasman Street.

• Association

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

  The former Mt Cook Police Station was one of three police stations opened in Wellington in 1894 to deal with the increasing pressures of a growing population. The former Station is primarily of historical importance due to its associations with the early Police Force in Wellington and New Zealand, the growth of Te Aro and Mount Cook, and the legacy of the former Mt Cook Gaol and brickworks that were sited close by (where the former National Art Gallery and Museum is).

• Archaeological

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

  Puke Ahu Pa – Maori site of significance. Pre 1900 building.

• Educational

  Does the item have educational value for what it can demonstrate about aspects of the past?

  Together with the Tasman Street wall, the former Mt Cook Police station has significant potential for public education around the uses of the area in the past, prison brick-making, the police force in Wellington, and the changes that have occurred in the area over the past century.

• Technological

  Does the item have technological value for its innovative or important construction methods or use of materials?

  This building is of some technical values as it demonstrates 19th and early 20th century brick construction and finishing techniques. Its decorative features, particularly the polychromatic brick, the quoin rosettes, and the distinctive arrow marks made by the prison brick-makers are distinctive and are a significant feature of the construction.

• 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 former Station building contributes to a sense of place and continuity in the suburb of Mt Cook as it is an important physical reminder of the historical past of the Mount Cook area and its connections with the now demolished Mt Cook Gaol and brickworks.

• Public Esteem

  Is the item held in high public esteem?

  This building is a significant landmark on a prominent intersection which adds significant character to the area. This building is well known to most people in the area, particularly for those who either live in the area or who drive past as part of a commute to the urban motorway.

• 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 former Mt Cook Police Station retains authenticity and integrity as it has had few modifications carried out that have negatively affected the building and retains a significant amount of original materials. A 1912 addition was removed during the 1979 refurbishment of the building but this has not negatively affected the building. The station was earthquake strengthened during a 1980 restoration.

• Rare

  Is the item rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influential, or outstanding?

  The former Mt Cook police station is an important historic building associated with policing and the gaol system in Wellington. It is one of the oldest existing purpose built police stations in New Zealand and a physical reminder of over a century of police and penal associations with this site and the area in general. The survival of the distinctive arrow marks of the prison brick makers adds to the significance of this building as this is an unusual feature – these bricks were used extensively in public buildings but the markings were often hidden so that the origins did not show.

• Importance

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

  This building is local landmark situated on a prominent intersection and adds a distinctive note to the character of the area. 
  
  This building has been recognised as being of National importance as one of eight purpose built police buildings constructed prior to the turn of the century to deal with increases in the crime rate, three of which were situated in Wellington, this building has important ties to the police force in New Zealand and the expansion of Wellington, and in particular Te Aro. This building is the last physical remnant of over 130 years of police and penal associations with the Mt Cook and Te Aro areas and between 1896 and 1910 it operated as the site of New Zealand’s police training centre. It has technical and architectural values for the craftsmanship that is seen in its design and finishing’s, and as one of few buildings where the distinctive arrow marks of the Mt Cook Gaol bricks can be seen in situ.

Not assessed

• Alexander Turnbull Library. Negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: 1/2-090208-G
• McCracken, Helen. Mount Cook Police Station (Former), Historic Places Trust, unpublished registration report. 10 September, 2008.
• Wellington City Council, “13 Buckle Streets,” Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Non-Residential Buildings. Wellington City Council, 2001.

• Inventory Report

Not available