This tiny one roomed shop was constructed in 1896 for Kate Tonks (c 1850-1937), a successful Wellington business woman and property owner. Wises street directories indicate that by 1889 the shop was occupied by a boot maker. The shop was consistently occupied by a boot maker until at least 1955, except for a period from 1946-1955 when it was a butchers.
Tonks Family
Kate (nee Helyer) was born on the Isle of Wight and immigrated to Australia when she was 4. The Helyer family moved to New Zealand in c.1862, and her sister, Miss Elizabeth Helyer, later became the head mistress of Mt Cook Girls School. In 1873 Kate married Henry Edward Tonks, who was a Māori interpreter in the law courts. He also owned a steam mill, land agency, and grocery shop and acted as a wood and coal merchant.
The Tonks family had a long association with Cuba Street dating from c.1842 when Henry’s parents, William and Jane Tonks, arrived in Wellington. The couple built a house at 270 Cuba Street (now 17 Kensington Street) in 1862 and the family built several workers cottages in Tonks Grove (later renamed Tonks Avenue). The extended family were involved in many early business enterprises including the establishment of several brickworks; the reclamation of land between Panama and Waring Taylor streets; the supply of gravel and fill for various Wellington construction projects; and they also acted as merchants and importers, owned a shipping line, blacksmith shop, flour mill and bread factory.
Henry Tonks was declared bankrupt in 1877 and his estate was claimed by his many creditors. He died in 1884 at the age of 40, and left Kate to raise five children. The large section at the end of Tonks Avenue came to Kate in 1894 via her brother-in-law Enoch Tonks. It is possible that Enoch had held the land in trust to avoid claims by Henry’s creditors.
Kate subsequently constructed at least four buildings in Tonks Avenue and owned other buildings within the city, in Karori and beyond. Surviving buildings in upper Cuba Street that are associated with Kate Tonks include: -
- 272 Cuba Street (now 274 Cuba Street) – constructed as a shop for Kate Tonks and let as a bootmaker’s.
- 274 Cuba Street (now 268 Cuba Street) – constructed as a shop for Kate Tonks and let as a butcher shop.
- 276 Cuba Street – a known early residence
- 12 Tonks Avenue (relocated to 23 Kensington Street) – a large two storey house designed for Kate Tonks in 1905 by J.M. Dawson (later of King Cook and Dawson).
- 13 Tonks Avenue (relocated to 15 Kensington Street) – ‘Wharanui’, a large two storey house built for Kate Tonks in 1906. It is particularly significant as it is known to have been occupied by Kate Tonks in the years before she died in 1937. She is said to have lived there with her spinster sister, and to have operated the large, eight bedroom property, as a boarding house.
Kate died aged 87 in 1937. Her obituary noted her long-standing membership of the Salvation Army. She was survived by three of her sons, thirteen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.
After Kate’s death, the land remained in the Tonks family until 1950 when it was sold to Godfrey Phillips (NZ) ltd. In 1977 it was acquired by the Crown.
1990s: Norml Tattoo Studio & the Freedom Shop
In 1995 the “Freedom Shop” was established and began operating out of this building. Prior to this the building was occupied by the “Norml tattoo studio”, which it is sometimes still known as (see WCC District Plan listing, and Historic Places Trust Register). The Freedom Shop is a non-profit anarchist collective. They operated from this building until 2003 when they relocated further down Cuba Street due to the construction of the inner city bypass.
