403
(6)
CONDITION OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
7. The Committee has obtained from the Director of Public Works the following information respecting the present Government Offices and the suitability of their accommodation for the departments located in them.
8. Government Offices, St. John's Place. The present building was erected in 1848 at an approximate cost of £14,393 and is situated about 100 feet above sea level, approached by Battery Pathway leading off Queen's Road at Ice House St.
The building consists of two floors, each containing thirteen rooms, and has a massive verandah on the western side.
The ground floor is occupied by the Public Works Department and the upper floor by the Council Chamber, Colonial Secretary's Department, and the Local Auditor.
The building is in a substantial state of repair and it is not anticipated that any exceptionally heavy expenditure will be necessary in the near future in order to maintain it in such a condition.
The accommodation provided for the Council Chamber, Colonial Secretary and Local Auditor appears adequate, but that provided on the ground floor for the Public Works Department is inadequate and badly arranged for the requirements of that department. The rooms are too small and insufficiently lighted.
9. The Supreme Court buildings consist of a two-storied building, the upper floor being devoted to the Courts, Registry and subsidiary offices, and the ground floor to the Land Office and Registrar General's Department.
The site on which they stand was obtained in 1847 from Messrs. Dent & Co. for the sum of £5,000, being then occupied by what were known as the "Exchange Buildings."
In 1848 certain alterations were made to the Exchange Buildings at a cost of £1,000 to render them fit for the purposes of a Court House.
In 1864 accommodation for the Registrar General's Department was provided in the north-east corner of the ground floor, but being found insufficient for the requirements of the department additions were carried out at a cost of $4,300.
In 1883 the Land Office, which had previously been attached to the Public Works Department, was transferred to this building.
From the foregoing account it will be seen that the buildings originally purchased in 1847 for the purpose of a Court House have undergone several extensive alterations and additions. The offices are now badly arranged, crowded on the site and ill ventilated, while those on the ground floor are also badly lighted.
Their general condition is such that a heavy expenditure on repairs will be necessary in the course of a few years if their occupation is to be continued.
The present accommodation is quite inadequate to meet the requirements of the Court and Registry, particularly the latter. By a recent arrangement the portion of the building previously occupied by the Attorney General and the Crown Solicitor has been placed at the disposal of the Postal Department, and offices have been rented elsewhere for those officers.
Post Office and Treasury.--The buildings, which had been erected in 1846, for a house for the Registrar General, on the site of the present Post Office and Treasury, and subsequently altered for the purpose of serving as a Post Office, were in 1864 found to be quite inadequate to meet the requirements of the Postal Department, it was therefore decided to pull them down and erect a new Post Office.
(7)
The present main buildings, which were completed in 1867 with certain additions and alterations carried out in 1884 and 1885, consist of a ground floor and basement occupied by the Post Office and an upper floor occupied by the Treasury Department.
The Post Office is badly lighted and ill ventilated and the Treasury Offices are inconveniently arranged.
The present buildings are about thirty years old and though the walls are still sound the renewal of the internal fittings and woodwork throughout will shortly necessitate a considerable expenditure if the occupation of the building is continued. The accommodation in the Post Office, in spite of the recent arrangement by which the offices of Attorney General and Crown Solicitor have been placed at the disposal of the department, is so cramped that there is not sufficient room to sort two heavy mails at the same time, while the space devoted to the business of the Parcels Post is insufficient to secure the safe custody of parcels. In fact, the requirements of the Colony have entirely out-grown the accommodation at present available.
For the Treasury a Strong Room and a Stamp Room are required, also a large room, easily accessible to the public, for accountants and cashiers, and better accommodation for the clerks are greatly needed.
11. Harbour Office.--The present building consisting of two stories, erected in 1874, is in a fair state of repair, but the accommodation afforded is not equal to the present requirements.
On the completion of the New Reclamation Works now in progress the site will no longer have a sea frontage and the buildings do not admit of further extension within the limits of the present site.
Having carefully considered the structural condition and the accommodation provided by the present Government Offices, and in view of the great difficulty of finding suitable accommodation for the several departments during the execution of such extensive repairs as most of these offices will shortly require, we consider it very desirable that the construction of new offices should be proceeded with at the earliest possible date.
THE DESIRABILITY OF LOCATING THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS UNDER ONE ROOF.
12. It is desirable for many reasons that the several Government Offices should be situated close together, if possible under one roof, as much loss of time and inconvenience to the public would be thereby obviated, and business greatly facilitated.
Were it not for the fact that the present offices at St. John's Place are in a good structural condition, are suitably and conveniently situated for the meeting of Council, and the accommodation afforded for the Colonial Secretary's Department appears adequate, we should recommend that in any project for the erection of new buildings accommodation should be provided for that department.
13. The following statement shows the approximate accommodation at present provided, and what appears to be required for the Court House, Treasury, Registrar General, Post Office, and Public Works:
Present Required Court House, Sq.ft. 12,300 sq. ft. 21,000 Registrar General, 2,460 5,000 Post Office, 3,100 6,000 Public Works, 5,000 11,000 Treasury, 7,000 14,000Page 403 appears three times at top, three times at bottom.
403
(6)
CONDITION OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
7. The Committee has obtained from the Director of Public Works the follow- ing information respecting the present Government Offices and the suitability of their accommodation for the departments located in them.
8. Government Offices, St. John's Place. The present building was erected in 1848 at an approximate cost of £14,393 and is situated about 100 feet above sea level, approached by Battery Pathway leading off Queen's Road at Ice House St.
The building consists of two floors, each containing thirteen rooms, and hus a massive verandah on the western side.
The ground floor is occupied by the Public Works Department and the upper floor by the Council Chamber, Colonial Secretary's Department, and the Local Auditor.
The building is in a substantial state of repair and it is not anticipated that any exceptionally heavy expenditure will be necessary in the near future in order to maintain it in such a condition,
The accommodation provided for the Council Chamber, Colonial Secretary and Local Auditor appears adequate, but that provided on the ground floor for the Public Works Department is inadequate and badly arranged for the requirements of that department. The rooms are too small and insufficiently lighted.
9. The Supreme Court buildings consist of a two-storied building, the upper ficor being devoted to the Courts, Registry and subsidiary offices, and the ground floor to the Land Office and Registrar General's Department.
The site on which they stand was obtained in 1847 from Messrs. Dent & Co. for the sum of £5,000, being then occupied by what were known as the "Exchange Buildings."
In 1848 certain alterations were made to the Exchange Buildings at a cost of £1,000 to render them fit for the purposes of a Court House.
In 1864 accommodation for the Registrar General's Department was provided in the north-east corner of the ground floor, but being found insufficient for the requirements of the department additions were carried out at a cost of $4,300.
In 1883 the Land Office, which had previously heen attached to the Public Works Department, was transferred to this building.
From the foregoing account it will be seen that the buildings originally par- chased in 1817 for the purpose of a Court House have undergone several extensive alterations and additions. The offices are now badly arranged, crowded on the site and ill ventilated, while those on the ground floor are also badly lighted.
Their general condition is such that a heavy expenditure on repairs will be necessary in the course of a few years if their occupation is to be continued.
The present accommodation is quite inadequate to inect the requirements of the Court and Registry, particularly the latter. By a recent arrangement the portion of the building previously occupied by the Attorney General and the Crown Solicitor has been placed at the disposal of the Postal Department, and offices have been rented elsewhere for those officers,
Post Office and Teasury.--The buildings, which had been erected in 1846, for a house for the Registrar General, on the site of the present Post Office and Treasury, and subsequently altered for the purpose of serving as a Post Office, were in 1864 found to be quite inadequate to meet the requirements of the Postal Department, it was therefore decided to pull them down and erect a new Post Office.
(7)
The present main buildings, which were completed in 1867 with certain additions and alterations carried out in 1884 and 1885, consist of a ground floor and basement occupied by the Post Office and an upper floor occupied by the Treasury Department.
The Post Office is badly lighted and ill ventilated and the Treasury Offices are inconveniently arranged.
The present buildings are about thirty years old and though the walls are still sound the renewal of the iternal fittings and woodwork throughout will shortly necessitate a considerable expenditure if the occupation of the building is continued. The accommodation in the Post Office, in spite of the recent arrangement by which the offices of Attorney General and Crown Solicitor have been placed at the disposal of the department, is so cramped that there is not sufficient room to sort two heavy tails at the same time, while the space devoted to the business of the Parcels Post is 'insufficient to secure the safe custody of parcels. In fact, the requirements of the Colony have entirely out-grown the accommodation at present available.
For the Treasury a Strong Room and a Stamp Room are required, also a large room, easily accessible to the public, for accountants and cashiers, and better accommodation for the clerks are grently needed.
11. Harbour Office.--The present building consisting of two stories, crected in 1874, is in a fair state of repair, but the accommodation afforded is not equal to the present requirements.
On the completion of the New Reclamation Works now in progress the site will no longer have a sea frontage and the buildings do not admit of further ex- tension within the limits of the present site.
Having carefully considered the structural condition and the accommodation provided by the present Government Offices, and in view of the great difficulty of finding suitable accommodation for the several departments during the execution of such extensive repairs as most of these offices will shortly require, we consider it very desirable that the construction of new offices should be proceeded with at the earliest possible date.
THE DESIRABILITY OF LOCATING THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS UNDER ONE Roos.
12. It is desirable for many reasons that the several Government Offices should be situated close together, if possible under one roof, as much loss of time and inconvenience to the public would be thereby obviated, and business greatly facilitated.
Were it not for the fact that the present offices at St. John's Place are in a good structural condition, are suitably and conveniently situated for the meeting of Council, and the accommodation afforded for the Colonial Secretary's Depart- ment appears adequate, we should recommend that in any project for the erection of new buildings accommodation should be provided for that department.
13. The following statement shews the approximate accommodation at pre- sent provided, and what appears to be required for the Court House, Treasury, Registrar General, Post Office, and Public Works:----
Court House,
Registrar General,
Post Office,
Public Works,
Treasury,
Present.
Required.
Sq.ft.
sq. ft.
12,300
21,000
2,460
5,000
3,100
6,000
5,000
11,000
7,000
14,000
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