The shift of the colony's capital from Auckland to Wellington in 1865 created demand for office space to accommodate a growing civil service. Colonial Architect William Clayton designed the capacious classical revival Government Buildings to meet the need. Consideration was given to masonry construction, but this was deemed too expensive, and instead wood was used, fashioned to look like stone. The building opened in 1876 and remains among the largest wooden office buildings in the world.
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Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Photograph by Andy Palmer
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