This large two-storey wooden building was built in 1878 on the "Market Place", an area between Robe Street and Silver Streets, facing down Queen Street.
It accomodated a number of government functions including post & telegraph, customs, survey, education, native affairs, crown lands and public works. It allowed this wide variety of government departments to be located in one place for the first time since European settlement.
It was probably designed by a Government architect and the contractors were Messrs. Berry and Newman. The Taranaki Herald complimented the contractors on their work, but were not so impressed with its architectural beauty or internal arrangement of the rooms.
The estimated cost of the building was £6,000.
When the 'new' Post Office and clocktower was built on the site in 1906-07, the Government Buildings (or at least the rear portion) remained as part of the new complex. Finally, in the late 1960s the entire site was cleared and eventually a new clocktower built.
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