Wellington Working Men’s Club

Hannah’s Buildings; 101 Cuba Street, 103 Cuba Street, 105 Cuba Street, 107 Cuba Street, 109 Cuba Street, 111 Cuba Street, 113 Cuba Street, 115 Cuba Street

101-117 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
❰ ❱
Image: Charles Collins, 2014

Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2014

Cityview GIS 2012
Cityview GIS 2012
1904 plans for the front elevation of 109-117 Cuba Street (WC Archives 00053:112:6214)
1904 plans for the front elevation of 109-117 Cuba Street (WC Archives 00053:112:6214)
1904 plans for the ground floor layout (WC Archives 00053:112:6214)
1904 plans for the ground floor layout (WC Archives 00053:112:6214)
1908 plans for the front elevation of 101-107 Cuba Street (WC Archives, 00053:148:8230)
1908 plans for the front elevation of 101-107 Cuba Street (WC Archives, 00053:148:8230)
1908 plans for the ground floor plan, including the footprint of 109-117 Cuba Street and a rear building (WC Archives, 00053:148:8230)
1908 plans for the ground floor plan, including the footprint of 109-117 Cuba Street and a rear building (WC Archives, 00053:148:8230)
1908 plans for the first floor, incorporating the layout of 109-117 Cuba Street (WC Archives, 00053:148:8230)
1908 plans for the first floor, incorporating the layout of 109-117 Cuba Street (WC Archives, 00053:148:8230)
Johnny McGuigan, Bud Millar and Owen Banks enjoy a beer on the centenary of the Wellington Working Men's Club and Literary Institute, 9th of July 1977 View of patrons and bar facilities, Wellington Working Men's Club.. Further negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1977/2627/5A-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23183845
Johnny McGuigan, Bud Millar and Owen Banks enjoy a beer on the centenary of the Wellington Working Men's Club and Literary Institute, 9th of July 1977 


National Library reference: View of patrons and bar facilities, Wellington Working Men's Club.. Further negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1977/2627/5A-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23183845

The site of the Masonic Hotel in Cuba Street next to the Wellington Working Men’s Club, November 1979. Derelict site in Cuba Mall, Wellington - Photograph taken by Ross Giblin. Further negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1979/4155/3a. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22440222
The site of the Masonic Hotel in Cuba Street next to the Wellington Working Men’s Club, November 1979. 


National Library reference: Derelict site in Cuba Mall, Wellington - Photograph taken by Ross Giblin. Further negatives of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1979/4155/3a. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22440222

Map

  • Constructed

    1904 - 1908

  • Heritage Area

    Cuba Street Heritage Area

  • Architect(s)

    Thomas Turnbull and Son

  • Builder(s)

    109-117 Cuba Street - John Moffat; 101-107 Howie & Matthews

  • This building is comprised of an ornate pair of Edwardian neo-Classical buildings which have architectural and townscape value for the rich detail and elaborate decoration on both of the façades. The Wellington Working Men’s Club is one of the finest structures in the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

    The buildings were built in 1904 & 1908 for R Hannah and Co., the hugely successful shoe manufacturer, importer and retailer.

    This building is part of a group of Edwardian commercial buildings on Cuba Street which demonstrate the commercial growth and building boom on Cuba Street and contribute to the sense of place and continuity of the Cuba Street Heritage Area. The building has group value as one of several commercial buildings in the vicinity built for R Hannah & Co.

    This building also has historical importance for its association with the Wellington Working Men’s Club and Literary Institution who occupied the building for a number of years.
    The architect, Thomas Turnbull and Son, was one of Wellington’s finest architectural practices. 

  • Downloadable(s)

    Download this content as PDF

  • close History

    • During the 1860s and ‘70s, the buildings along Cuba Street were mostly single-storied timber domestic dwellings. Commercial buildings were slowly established, but it was not until trams brought people to the street in the 1880s that the commercial potential of the street was unlocked. With retail income growing, the gradual improvement in the quality of building saw some of the street’s finest buildings constructed in this area. Perhaps the best known of these is the building erected by prominent Wellington businessman Robert Hannah in two parts, in 1904 and 1908, later known as the Wellington Working Men’s Club, at 101-117 Cuba Street. Hannah already owned a shop occupying a portion of the site before he began building.

      101-117 Cuba Street is in fact two buildings, both designed by Thomas Turnbull and Son. Thomas Turnbull had previously designed a five story brick building on Lambton Quay for Hannah which was built in 1894.  This building superseded Hannah’s existing three story brick building on Lambton Quay, which served for many years as factory, warehouse, and principal retail depot, and later, from 1894, as the firm’s head quarters.   Thomas Turnbull and Son also designed a family home for Hannah on Boulcott Street; Antrim House was named for the county of his birth and was built in 1905.

      Robert Hannah was born in Northern Ireland in 1846. He did a cobbler’s apprenticeship there before migrating at the age of eighteen to Queensland, Australia, where he spent several years. In 1866 he arrived in Hokitika during the West Coast gold rush. In 1868 he opened his first shoe shop in Charleston. When the gold rush ended, he moved to Wellington and in June 1874 opened premises on Lambton Quay.

      R Hannah & Co. became a hugely successful business. By 1893 Hannah had ten shops and a factory employing more than 250 people. Robert Hannah is regarded as an entrepreneur of his times. “He was reputed to be a shrewd and hard businessman, who also cared deeply for his staff. He paid them above the going wage, and worked hard to keep them employed during the [the 1880s] Depression years.”

      Hannah’s eventually became New Zealand’s biggest shoe manufacturer and retailer. At the time of Hannah’s death in 1930 there were 19 branches in the North Island, 11 in the South Island, and a factory in Wellington. Today Hannah’s is still a major retailer, with 52 stores nationwide, however the shoes are no longer made in New Zealand.

    • Modifications close
      • 1904
      • construction (6214)
      • 1908
      • construction (8230)
      • 1938
      • new verandah along whole building (B18109)
      • 1944
      • boiler house at rear of building (B23180)
      • 1944
      • remove cappings and pediment over main entrance (B23302)
      • 1954
      • convert to office use for TAB (B35726)
      • 1965
      • alterations and modernisation for Working Men's Club (C18422)
      • 1972
      • new lift shaft and machine room (C35108)
      • 1979 - 1980
      • demolish part of the rear of the north building and strengthen north building (C52346, C52598, C53110)
      • 1987
      • demolish part and strengthen south building, six storey addition at rear of south building, additional two storeys on north building (D5290, D5354, D5936),
      • 1997
      • convert to apartments (SR34478, SR38154)
      • 1998
      • Council (WCC) grant of $50,000 towards the construction of a verandah to resemble the original on the Cuba Street façade and a legal encumbrance. 1998 WCC funding from Earthquake Risk Building Fund.
    • Occupation History close
      • unknown
      • A number of business have occupied the retail spaces in this building since it was constructed. Certain spaces have been selected to represent the type of businesses that occupied this building. Please note that the dates are approximate as they reflect the listings in Stones and Wises.
      • 1910 - 1930
      • R. Hannah & Co, boot manufacturers (103) (Stones 1910-11, 1915-16, 1920, 1925, 1930),
      • 1935 - 1955
      • Te Aro Furnishing Co (Stones, 1935 1940, 1945, Wises 1950-51, 1955)
      • 1950 - 1975
      • Whale & Son, butchers (Wises 1950- 51, 1955, 1961-62, 1967-68, 1971-72, 1975)
      • 1980
      • Eatox Butchery (Wises 1980),
      • 1985 - 1990
      • Supa Butchery (Wises 1985, 1990)
      • 1910 - 1930
      • Sims Hardware (Stones 1910-11, 1915-16, 1920, 1925, 1930,
      • 1935 - 1985
      • FullerFulton Ltd, grocers & delicatessen, (Stones , 1940, 1945, Wises 1950-51, 1955, 1961-62, 1967-68, 1971-72, 1975, 1980, 1985)
      • 1908 - 1909
      • Okareta Hotel
      • 1910 - 1950
      • Hotel Grand Central (Stones 1910- 11, 1915-16, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, Wises 1950-51)
      • 1955 - 1961
      • Totalizator Agency Board Head Office (Wises 1955, 1961-62)
      • 1967 - 1990
      • Wellington Working Men's Club and Literary Institute (Wises 1967- 68, 1971-72, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990)
      • 1910 - 1916
      • Thomas Crouch, watchmaker (Stones 1910- 11, 1915-16)
      • 1930 - 1955
      • Zavros Bros Restaurant (Stones 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, Wises 1950-51, 1955)
      • 1961 - 1971
      • Kenya Coffee House (Wises 1961- 62, 1967-68,1971- 72)
      • 1975
      • Athina Takeaway Bar (Wises 1975)
      • 1980
      • Adrienne Coffee Lounge (Wises 1980)
      • 1985
      • Salokina Coffee Lounge (Wises 1985)
      • 1990
      • Narnia Narnia (Wises
  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close

      The Working Men’s Club is made up of two buildings, both designed by Thomas Turnbull and Son for prominent Wellington businessman, Robert Hannah. The first permit was issued in September 1904 and the second in October 1908. Both buildings are constructed in load-bearing brick masonry with timber roof trusses. The earlier building (south) had four shops, offices and yards on the ground floor, and manufacturing floors in the remaining two stories. The later building (north) had three shop frontages, and hotel accommodation on the first and second floors.

      The Cuba Street facades for the composite building are an example of Edwardian neo-Classical architecture and are notable for their rich detail and elaborate decoration. The older building (completed in 1904), to the left, is the more heavily detailed and features distinctive recessed arches in the centre of the façade and at the main entrance. This building employs a full repertoire of Classical features - rustication, pediments, urns, balustrades, intricate keystones, arched windows - in a rich ensemble. The newer building (built in 1908) is more restrained in detail but still quite elaborate in its execution, with an emphasis on generous fenestration and clear shop frontages. Its main feature is a large Baroque arch that rises two stories and is richly decorated.

      The composite building retains most of its original street frontage – the jeweller’s shop in particular is in authentic condition including its shop-front. However, the building is unfortunately disfigured with an inappropriate and bulky modern verandah at street level which detracts from its value in the streetscape.

    • Materials close

      Both buildings are constructed in load-bearing brick masonry with timber roof trusses. Rendered brick finishes.

    • Setting close

      The Working Men’s Club is part of Block 3 of the Cuba Street Heritage Area and this block is the principal pedestrian zone of Cuba Mall. It includes the local landmark of the Bucket Fountain and a variety of landscaping, trees and street furniture and a number of interesting and important buildings.

      This block and the next have the highest concentration of Edwardian commercial buildings in Cuba Street and consequently have the highest architectural, heritage and streetscape value in Cuba Street. The most important of the surviving Edwardian buildings are found on this block. The characteristic scale is three tall stories, a level defined by the Wellington Working Men’s Club and reflected in the Farmers Building, Hotel Bristol, Barbers Building, and others. There are a number of two-storied buildings, including Iko Iko and the former Gear Meat building; the tallest building on the block is no. 126 (occupied by the Friendly Bakery) at a high four stories.

      Most of the buildings have flat-roofed verandahs attached at the first floor which have a strong similarity of form and scale; several buildings have fire-escapes leading down to these verandahs. The verandah to Murphy’s Irish Bar has been converted to a balcony with a discrete metal railing. The two heritage buildings in this block that did not originally have verandahs, the Working Men’s Club and no. 126, have unsympathetic modern verandahs recently added which detract from their streetscape and heritage values.

  • close Cultural Value

    This building is comprised of an ornate pair of Edwardian neo-Classical buildings which have architectural and townscape value for the rich detail and elaborate decoration on both of the façades. The Wellington Working Men’s Club is one of the finest structures in the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

    The buildings were built in 1904 & 1908 for R Hannah and Co., the hugely successful shoe manufacturer, importer and retailer.

    This building is part of a group of Edwardian commercial buildings on Cuba Street which demonstrate the commercial growth and building boom on Cuba Street and contribute to the sense of place and continuity of the Cuba Street Heritage Area. The building has group value as one of several commercial buildings in the vicinity built for R Hannah & Co.

    This building also has historical importance for its association with the Wellington Working Men’s Club and Literary Institution who occupied the building for a number of years.

    The architect, Thomas Turnbull and Son, was one of Wellington’s finest architectural practices.

    • 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?

        This building is comprised of an ornate pair of Edwardian neo-Classical buildings which have architectural value for the rich detail and elaborate decoration on both of the façades. The Wellington Working Men’s Club is one of the finest large Edwardian Buildings in the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

      • 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?

        This building is part of a significant group of Edwardian commercial buildings on Cuba Street which contribute positively to the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

      • 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?

        This building contributes greatly to the townscape of Cuba Street. It occupies a block that has the highest concentration of Edwardian commercial buildings in Cuba Street.

    • Historic Value close

      • Association

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

        This building is associated with the commercial growth and subsequent wealth of Cuba Street which resulted in a building boom and the construction of many fine Edwardian commercial buildings.

      • Association

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

        This building has historic value for its association with prominent Wellington business man Robert Hannah, and the successful Hannah’s enterprise.

        This building has historic value for its association with the architectural firm Thomas Turnbull & Sons.

        This building also has historical importance for its association with the Wellington Working Men’s Club and Literary Institution who occupied the building for a number of years.

    • Scientific Value close

      • Archaeological

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

        It is known that there has been pre-1900 human activity on the site; hence this site has archaeological potential.

    • 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?

        This building is part of a group of Edwardian commercial buildings on Cuba Street which contribute to the sense of place and continuity of the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

    • 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?

        This building retains most of its original façade and street frontage despite the addition of a verandah and the building’s conversion to apartments.

      • Representative

        Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

        This building is a good representative example of Edwardian neo-Classical commercial architecture.

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail

    • District Plan Number

      16/ 78.1

    • Legal Description

      Lot 1 DP 15298

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      2/ 7209

    • Archaeological Site

      Pre-1900 human activity on site

    • Current Uses

      unknown

    • Former Uses

      unknown

    • Has building been funded

      No

    • Funding Amount

      Not applicable

    • Earthquake Prone Status

      124 Notice

  • close Additional Information

Last updated: 10/10/2017 4:26:24 AM