1907: Fire at Parliament

1907: Fire at Parliament

At 2.00am on Wednesday 11 December 1907, a fire was discovered in Parliament Buildings. A large crowd, many in their dressing gowns, gathered to watch the spectacular blaze that raged for six hours.

By morning the wooden section of the building was in ruins. This structure had been built in 1873 in the Gothic style, to a design by government architect William Clayton. The General Assembly Library, built from reinforced concrete in 1899, was saved.

Following the fire, Parliament met in nearby Government House, the New Zealand governor’s residence, using the ballroom as a debating chamber.  In 1918 MPs moved into the new Parliament Buildings (still in use today), but parliamentary staff remained in Government House. A new residence was built for the governor in Newtown in 1910.

You can read more about the history of New Zealand's Parliament Buildings on the New Zealand History Online website

History of Parliament Buildings – NZ History Online

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