Manor Place Conveniences

Last updated

Manor Place Conveniences
Manor Place Station by Market Reserve, 1919 (cropped).jpg
The conveniences, deliberately screened by vegetation, as they appeared in 1919.
Manor Place Conveniences
General information
Architectural style Edwardian
AddressIntersection of Manor Place, Hope Street, Princes Street
Town or city Dunedin
CountryNew Zealand
Year(s) built1912
Owner Dunedin City Council
Design and construction
Architect(s)George William Gough (1863–1936)
Official nameManor Place Conveniences
Designated7 July 2023
Reference no. 9840

The Manor Place Conveniences is a building in Dunedin, New Zealand, registered as a Category 2 historic place by Heritage New Zealand. It is the only Edwardian urinal in New Zealand with its original interior.

Contents

History

By the early 1900s, the previously run-down reserve at Manor Place had been beautified, and a bandstand constructed. The council considered that the urinals that had been built in 1876 were letting the area down, and new facilities were proposed after a public petition. The proposal was meant to include toilets for women and men, as at that time women only had available public facilities at St Clair beach and in the Octagon. [1] The building was constructed in 1912, and again included only urinals. [1]

Architectural plans by G. W. Gough, 1912 Manor Place Public Urinal plans, 1912.jpg
Architectural plans by G. W. Gough, 1912

The building was designed by the council surveyor, architect George William Gough, and built by August Ferry. [2] Heritage assessor Alison Breese, who wrote her master's thesis on Dunedin's underground toilets, notes that it is not recorded who made the decision to build the toilets in an octagonal shape, or why. [1] [3]

The interior features wall-to-wall white tiles, including some Arts and Crafts-style feature tiles, marble surfaces, Twyford "Adamant" ceramic urinals and toilet roll holders made from kauri. [4] [2]

The conveniences were closed to the public in 1976, although they were used by bus drivers after this point. [2]

Heritage listing

The building was listed as a Category 2 historic place by Heritage New Zealand in 2023. [2] [4] [5] The listing records that there are no other early urinals like this left in New Zealand with their original interior, and calling it "a rare surviving record of the major achievements and thinking of early 20th Century sanitation, public health, technology, and city design". [2] In the 2023 Southern Heritage Festival, a walking tour of Dunedin's conveniences began at the pub 'The Bog' on George Street and finished at the Manor Place Conveniences. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin</span> City in Otago, New Zealand

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The city has a rich Māori, Scottish, and Chinese heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selwyn College, Otago</span> Residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand

Selwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university. It is named after George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand and is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin. It was opened on 15 January 1893. It was Otago's first residential college and on the model of an English university college it included students of all subjects. Women were admitted in 1983. The main building is listed as a Category II Historic Place. Selwyn is one of the most popular colleges in Dunedin, its 214 available places oversubscribed every year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin railway station</span> Railway station in New Zealand

Dunedin railway station is a prominent landmark and tourist site in Dunedin, a city in the South Island of New Zealand. It is speculated by locals to be the most photographed building in the country, as well as the second most photographed in the southern hemisphere, after the Sydney Opera House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Street, Dunedin</span> Street in New Zealand

George Street is the main street of Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs for two and a half kilometres north-northeast from The Octagon in the city centre to the foot of Pine Hill. It is straight and undulates gently as it skirts the edge of the hills to its northwest. South of The Octagon, Princes Street continues the line of George Street south-southwest for two kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Octagon, Dunedin</span> City centre of Dunedin

The Octagon is the city centre of Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is an eight-sided plaza with a circular one-way carriageway, bisected by the city's main street, and is also the central terminus of two other main thoroughfares. The Octagon is predominantly a pedestrian reserve, with grass and paved features, and is surmounted by a statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Several of Dunedin's significant buildings and institutions adjoin the plaza, which is also a major hub for public transport in Dunedin, primarily taxi services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princes Street, Dunedin</span> Street in Dunedin, New Zealand

Princes Street is a major street in Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs south-southwest for two kilometres from The Octagon in the city centre to the Oval sports ground, close to the city's Southern Cemetery. North of The Octagon, George Street continues the line of Princes Street north-northeast for two and a half kilometres. Princes Street is straight but undulating, skirting the edge of the City Rise to its northwest. The part of the street immediately below The Octagon is the steepest section, as the road traverses an old cutting through Bell Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moray Place, Dunedin</span> Street in Dunedin, Otago Region, New Zealand

Moray Place is an octagonal street which surrounds the city centre of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. The street is intersected by Stuart Street, Princes Street and George Street. Like many streets in Dunedin, it is named for a street in the Scottish capital Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regent Theatre, Dunedin</span> Theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand

The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand, with a seating capacity of about 1,650. It is in The Octagon, the city's central plaza, directly opposite the Municipal Chambers and close to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Public Art Gallery</span> Art gallery in Dunedin New Zealand

The Dunedin Public Art Gallery holds the main public art collection of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located in The Octagon in the heart of the city, it is close to the city's public library, Dunedin Town Hall, and other facilities such as the Regent Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toitū Otago Settlers Museum</span>

The Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a regional history museum in Dunedin, New Zealand. Its brief covers the territory of the old Otago Province, that is, New Zealand from the Waitaki River south, though its main focus is the city of Dunedin. It is New Zealand's oldest history museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Street, Dunedin</span> Street in Dunedin, New Zealand

Stuart Street is one of the main streets of Dunedin, New Zealand. As with many of Dunedin's streets, it is named after a main street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Edward Technical College</span> Former school in Dunedin, New Zealand

King Edward Technical College is a former technical college in Dunedin, New Zealand. The college was established in 1889 as the Dunedin Technical School when the Caledonian Society of Otago instigated night education classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Exchange, Dunedin</span>

The Exchange is an area of central Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Dunedin, New Zealand

The Dunedin Town Hall, also known as the Dunedin Centre, is a municipal building in the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. It is located in the heart of the city extending from The Octagon, the central plaza, to Moray Place through a whole city block. It is the seat of the Dunedin City Council, providing its formal meeting chamber, as well as a large auditorium and a conference centre. The oldest part of the building has been called the only substantial Victorian town hall still in existence in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Law Courts</span> Historic building in central Dunedin, New Zealand

The Dunedin Law Courts is a notable historic building in central Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. They are located at the corner of Lower Stuart Street and Anzac Square, directly opposite the city's historic railway station. Since 1902, the building has been used as the city's law courts, and contains four court rooms, including the ornate High Court, as well as housing the offices and library of the Law Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Cenotaph</span> War memorial in Dunedin

The Cenotaph in the southern New Zealand city of Dunedin stands in the centre of Queens Gardens, close to the city centre. It is the city's main war memorial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warehouse Precinct</span> Dunedin suburb

The Warehouse Precinct is an urban area of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Sited on reclaimed land at the northernmost tip of the Southern Endowment, it lies between 1 and 2 kilometres south of The Octagon, the city's centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cargill Monument</span> Monument in Dunedin, New Zealand

The Cargill Monument is a notable public monument in central Dunedin, New Zealand. It is dedicated to the city's founding father, Captain William Cargill, and is approximately 7.5 metres (25 ft) in height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics' Institute</span> Private lending library in Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics' Institute is an adult education institute based in a heritage building in Dunedin, New Zealand. The private organisation provided classes and a library for members. Presently it operates a subscription lending library, and includes a basement theatre that has been operated by the Dunedin Collaborative Theatre Trust since 2016. The Athenaeum building is one of the oldest athenaeums in New Zealand still used for its original purpose, and is classified as a "Category I" historic place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, previously known as the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Hall Theatre</span> University of Otago building, Leith Street, Dunedin, New Zealand

Allen Hall, also known as the Allen Hall Theatre, is a building at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is named after James Allen, Vice-Chancellor and then Chancellor of the university, who was instrumental in raising funds for building the hall. Originally the student association building, opened in 1914, the hall now operates as a theatre. Allen Hall is known for the series of Lunchtime Theatre performances. The hall and archway are registered as a Category I historic place by Heritage New Zealand.

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Hare, John (31 July 2023). "Another loo makes the list". www.heritage.org.nz. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Manor Place Conveniences". Welcome to Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  3. Breese, Alison (2020). How Convenient are our Conveniences? The demise of the underground facilities in Dunedin 1910-1980s (Master's thesis). University of Otago. hdl:10523/9939.
  4. 1 2 "A matter of conveniences". Otago Daily Times Online News. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  5. "'Ignored' toilets recognised as significant heritage building". Otago Daily Times Online News. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  6. "Loo Walking Tour - SOLD OUT". Southern Heritage. Retrieved 9 December 2024.

45°52′27″S170°30′20″E / 45.87423°S 170.50555°E / -45.87423; 170.50555