377:
401:
413:
31:
389:
314:
speed stripes in each of the four corners of the tower. It is neatly capped with a circular flat round disk for a roof, matching the four circular clock faces of the turret. The tower is surmounted with a flagpole, which for many decades the tower flew a flag that symbolised
Hastings as the fruit bowl of New Zealand.
313:
There are three intermediate steps to the main part of the tower with three tiers of patterned infill panels and above them are louvres and the faces of the clock. The infill panels between the stripped columns have a strong saw-tooth design pointing upwards accelerating the height of the tower, with
306:
The
Hastings Clock Tower is an excellent example of mid-1930s Art Deco Moderne. The tower is square in plan, and at street level there is a recessed door indicating the tower frontage. At the rear is a niche, and either side are two plaques installed in 1995 to memorialise those who died in the 1931
339:
The
Hastings Clock Tower was commissioned as a symbol of triumph over adversity to commemorate the rebuild of Hastings following the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. Although not intended to be an official earthquake memorial, the clock tower has become the central identity for the earthquake, where
277:
The tower cost £1,126 to build, which was more than the
Hastings Borough Council had intended. However, those excavating the site struck old, underground wells and a site further back had to be permanently leased from the Railways Department. A 'Gents Electric turret striking and chiming clock',
297:
The council were "eminently satisfied with the completed result" but the proprietor of the
Hastings Hotel across the road complained that his guests would be kept awake by the quarterly chimes through the night, so the chimes were timed to turn off at 11:00pm. The new landmark of "low
265:
The judges of the design competition were local architects Harold Davies (1886–1976) and Eric
Phillips (1897–1980), whose firm Davies & Phillips was responsible for designing the majority of Hastings' rebuild. Davies & Phillips had extensive correspondence with
253:
In 1934, the
Hastings Borough Council ran a national competition inviting designs for a clock tower to enhance the town's aesthetic beauty and restore a familiar sound, which people missed after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, of the old town clock striking the
343:
The memorial element of the clock tower was formalised in 1995 when two brass plaques were added to the base of the tower. The plaques alphabetically list the names of 98 people who died during the earthquake with the names split across the two plaques.
673:
285:
Mayor George Roach was keen to see the old clock tower chimes reused despite their crashing down to the street during the collapse of the tower. The destroyed post office had been opened in
October 1911 and was a
317:
As the most prominent landmark of
Hastings, the clock tower has become iconic as a symbol for the city, being recreated and represented in ephemera, merchandise, and commemorative memorabilia.
668:
400:
282:, was procured from W. Littlejohns and Co. Ltd. in Wellington, and the chimes were salvaged from the debris of the Hastings Post Office tower that was destroyed in the 1931 earthquake.
327:
In 2022 the tower received a façade colour palette change change to pastels of greens, pink, yellow and blue. The façade enhancement further emphasizes the ornamental
663:
498:
310:
The front door is capped with the coat of arms for the
Borough of Hastings, surmounted with a semi-circular verandah. Incised above the verandah is the date 1935.
274:, about the dangers of demeaning competitions with inadequate prize money. Sidney Chaplin was awarded 25 guineas as first prize winner for his clock tower design.
552:
412:
653:
376:
103:
678:
258:
chimes every quarter hour. A young Hastings architect, Sidney George Chaplin, won the competition and supervised the erection of the tower facing
290:
design in red brick, with a turret clock and chimes donated by local solicitor E. H. Williams. The clock was named "Big Ben" in reference to the
245:
and was not intended as a memorial; however, in 1995, brass plaques were added to the tower in memory of those who died during the earthquake.
658:
271:
234:
233:. Designed by Sidney George Chaplin, and erected in 1935, the tower is located in the Hastings central business district alongside the
478:
453:
388:
633:
532:
242:
96:
638:
287:
230:
81:
30:
605:
321:
291:
255:
190:
298:
earthquake-fearing buildings" symbolised hopes and expectations of renewed progress and prosperity.
320:
In recognition of its historical importance, the Hastings Town Clock has a Category 1 listing with
528:
474:
449:
259:
238:
209:
580:
307:
earthquake. The base is formed to allow for seating and congregation around the tower.
267:
647:
553:"Hastings District Council CBD Heritage Inventory Project: #3 Hastings Clock Tower"
279:
241:
and Russell Street. The clock tower was designed as a symbol of recovery from the
406:
Clock tower doorway with Hastings Borough Council coat of arms and the date 1935
53:
118:
105:
473:(2nd (2006) ed.). Napier, New Zealand: Art Deco Trust. pp. 30–32.
328:
63:
606:"National Memorial List: Hastings Clock Tower Memorial Plaques"
674:
Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Hawke's Bay
262:
adjacent to the railway crossing in the centre of Hastings.
448:. Hastings: Victoria University Press. pp. 295–297.
340:
annual memorial services have taken place on 3 February.
634:
Hastings District Council CBD Heritage Inventory Project
499:"Historic HB: Chimes still ringing out after 112 years"
581:"Hastings Town Clock Category 1 Heritage List #1075"
527:. New York: Simon and Schuster New York. p. 3.
205:
197:
188:
184:
176:
168:
163:
155:
150:
142:
134:
95:
87:
77:
69:
59:
49:
44:
23:
669:Buildings and structures in Hastings, New Zealand
418:1931 earthquake memorial plaque installed in 1995
471:Spanish Mission Hastings: Styles of Five Decades
229:is a public landmark in the New Zealand city of
8:
20:
639:1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake casualty list
446:City of the Plains: A History of Hastings
349:
364:"Their sun went down before it was noon"
429:
372:
664:Monuments and memorials in New Zealand
235:Palmerston North-Gisborne railway line
191:Heritage New Zealand – Category 1
204:
196:
187:
7:
654:Art Deco architecture in New Zealand
546:
544:
492:
490:
439:
437:
435:
433:
585:Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand
382:Hastings City Mall with clock tower
272:New Zealand Institute of Architects
14:
411:
399:
387:
375:
335:1931 earthquake memorial plaques
270:, at that time president of the
237:adjacent to the intersection of
29:
497:Fowler, Michael (27 May 2022).
523:Ashton-Warner, Sylvia (1960).
351:THIS PLAQUE WAS ERECTED BY THE
347:The plaques carry the wording:
1:
355:TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE PEOPLE
159:Plastered reinforced concrete
679:1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
659:Clock towers in New Zealand
357:WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE
243:1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
695:
119:39.6420278°S 176.8429444°E
560:Hastings District Council
353:HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL
219:
215:
40:
28:
16:Clocktower in New Zealand
551:Cochrane, Chris (2007).
124:-39.6420278; 176.8429444
361:ON 3RD OF FEBRUARY 1931
164:Design and construction
366:
359:EARTHQUAKE AT HASTINGS
331:beauty of the tower.
278:otherwise known as a
469:Shaw, Peter (1991).
394:Clock tower at night
322:Heritage New Zealand
294:chimes from London.
227:Hastings Clock Tower
73:Russell Street South
24:Hastings Clock Tower
444:Boyd, Mary (1984).
292:Westminster Quarter
256:Westminster Quarter
115: /
60:Architectural style
45:General information
35:Clock tower in 2024
503:New Zealand Herald
206:Reference no.
260:Heretaunga Street
239:Heretaunga Street
223:
222:
151:Technical details
686:
621:
620:
618:
616:
602:
596:
595:
593:
591:
577:
571:
570:
568:
566:
557:
548:
539:
538:
525:Incense to Idols
520:
514:
513:
511:
509:
494:
485:
484:
466:
460:
459:
441:
415:
403:
391:
379:
130:
129:
127:
126:
125:
120:
116:
113:
112:
111:
108:
33:
21:
694:
693:
689:
688:
687:
685:
684:
683:
644:
643:
630:
625:
624:
614:
612:
604:
603:
599:
589:
587:
579:
578:
574:
564:
562:
555:
550:
549:
542:
535:
522:
521:
517:
507:
505:
496:
495:
488:
481:
468:
467:
463:
456:
443:
442:
431:
426:
419:
416:
407:
404:
395:
392:
383:
380:
371:
363:
362:
360:
358:
356:
354:
352:
337:
304:
251:
193:
177:Main contractor
123:
121:
117:
114:
109:
106:
104:
102:
101:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
692:
690:
682:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
646:
645:
642:
641:
636:
629:
628:External links
626:
623:
622:
597:
572:
540:
533:
515:
486:
479:
461:
454:
428:
427:
425:
422:
421:
420:
417:
410:
408:
405:
398:
396:
393:
386:
384:
381:
374:
370:
367:
336:
333:
303:
300:
268:William Gummer
250:
247:
221:
220:
217:
216:
213:
212:
207:
203:
202:
199:
195:
194:
189:
186:
185:
182:
181:
178:
174:
173:
172:Sidney Chaplin
170:
166:
165:
161:
160:
157:
153:
152:
148:
147:
144:
140:
139:
136:
132:
131:
110:176°50′34.60″E
99:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
79:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
61:
57:
56:
51:
47:
46:
42:
41:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
691:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
651:
649:
640:
637:
635:
632:
631:
627:
611:
607:
601:
598:
586:
582:
576:
573:
561:
554:
547:
545:
541:
536:
530:
526:
519:
516:
504:
500:
493:
491:
487:
482:
480:9780958269704
476:
472:
465:
462:
457:
455:0-86473-022-5
451:
447:
440:
438:
436:
434:
430:
423:
414:
409:
402:
397:
390:
385:
378:
373:
368:
365:
348:
345:
341:
334:
332:
330:
325:
323:
318:
315:
311:
308:
301:
299:
295:
293:
289:
288:neo-classical
283:
281:
275:
273:
269:
263:
261:
257:
248:
246:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
218:
214:
211:
208:
200:
192:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
162:
158:
154:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
128:
107:39°38′31.30″S
100:
98:
94:
90:
86:
83:
80:
76:
72:
68:
65:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
43:
39:
32:
27:
22:
19:
613:. Retrieved
609:
600:
588:. Retrieved
584:
575:
563:. Retrieved
559:
524:
518:
506:. Retrieved
502:
470:
464:
445:
350:
346:
342:
338:
326:
319:
316:
312:
309:
305:
296:
284:
280:turret clock
276:
264:
252:
226:
224:
169:Architect(s)
78:Town or city
18:
615:20 December
590:20 December
565:20 December
508:20 December
302:Description
201:6 June 2005
122: /
97:Coordinates
91:New Zealand
54:Clock tower
648:Categories
610:NZ History
534:9997548396
424:References
198:Designated
180:A. Hampton
329:Art Deco
231:Hastings
156:Material
82:Hastings
64:Art Deco
369:Gallery
249:History
88:Country
70:Address
531:
477:
452:
135:Opened
556:(PDF)
146:£1226
617:2023
592:2023
567:2023
529:ISBN
510:2023
475:ISBN
450:ISBN
225:The
210:1075
143:Cost
138:1935
50:Type
650::
608:.
583:.
558:.
543:^
501:.
489:^
432:^
324:.
619:.
594:.
569:.
537:.
512:.
483:.
458:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
