Chief Post Office and Queen Street Railway Station
ca.1914 (William Archer Price) - 2023
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Historical image: General Post Office and the Queen Street Railway Station, Auckland. Price, William Archer, 1866-1948: Collection of post card negatives. Ref: 1/2-000609-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22763750
The Turnbull Library suggests a date for Price's picture of ca. 1911-12, but this can't be the case, as there is no sign of the first Endeans Building, which occupied the site next to the CPO and Railway Station entrance on the northern side (at left here). The initial Endeans Building (built in 1905) was largely destroyed by a fire in March 1913, and it's replacement—still there today—was built in 1914-15. Indeed, elements of the steel frame of the new building are visible in Price's image, which most likely would have been made in 1914.
Below, a detail from Price's image showing early stages of the construction of the new Endeans Building. Note that the original street verandah was retained, and ground floor businesses continued trading during construction of the new building.
For more on the history of the Endeans Buildings, see Heritage New Zealand's page here.
