The construction of these underground toilets, for men, in Brougham Street did not happen without a fight, as Puke Ariki researcher Stephanie Vaillant describes.
New Plymouth Borough Council General Manager, F.T. Bellringer, called for tenders in early October 1922 and in late October it was announced that Messrs. J.T. Julian & Sons. had been successful. Work began almost immediately, with the Taranaki Daily News reporting on 2 November 1922 (p.4) that a "start was made yesterday".
The final decision was to locate them on the left-hand side of the street, outside the Brougham Street Offices.
The part above ground was demolished in August 1970 and it's thought the underground toilets were filled with sand and covered over.
Puke Ariki holds two sets of plans for the public convenience and court documents.
Related documents:
Vexed Question (Taranaki Herald 10 June 1919)
Public Conveniences: New Plymouth Action Challenged (Taranaki Daily News 15 May 1920)
Going... (Sunday Express 9 August 1970)
And speaking of underground, remember this...? (TNL Centennial Supplement 1976)
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