Hughson's Hardware & Building Supplies (1955)

This building on the corner of St Aubyn Street and Dawson Street was built for Foodstuffs (Wellington) in 1955 as a warehouse for its 'Four Square' brand of grocery stores. A building permit was issued by the New Plymouth City Council on 28 February 1955 for a warehouse on Town Sections 598 and 599, with the expected cost to be £7,800.

However, after only three years in the building, Foodstuffs shifted their operation to a larger warehouse in Breakwater Road and this building was put up for sale.  

Hughson's Hardware Ltd. purchased the property in 1958 as a depot for their building and hardware supplies business. Following a fire in December 1965, a large part of the building had to be rebuilt. In 1972 the floor area of the warehouse doubled, with 5,500 sq. feet added. (Hughsons Centennial 1880-1980)

It appears that Hughson's may have ceased using this building in the mid-1980s.

When the new the police station was being built this building was used as temporary headquarters for the New Plymouth Police from January 2012 to September 2013.   

Related items:

Town Section 598, Taranaki Land Deed Index I3 page 413 and I5 page 572. (Archives New Zealand)

Town Section 599, Taranaki Land Deed Index I1 Page 378 and I5 Page 540. (Archives New Zealand)

Taranaki DP993 Sheet 1 (1893), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP2688 Sheet 1 (1909), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP10510 Sheet 1 (1971), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

£15,000 Damage in Fire and photos (Daily News 30 December 1965)

History In Hardware (Sunday Express 1 June 1969)

Hughson's Advertisement in 100 Years of Local Government (Taranaki Newspaper Ltd. Supplement 1976)

Hughson's Advertisement (Sunday Express 29 November 1981)