Hopwood Clock Tower
| Hopwood Clock Tower | |
|---|---|
Kerei Te Panau | |
 The tower in 2014 | |
| Alternative names | Hopwood's Tower |
| General information | |
| Type | Clock tower |
| Location | Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 40°21′23″S 175°36′40.82″E / 40.35639°S 175.6113389°E |
| Construction started | c. 1953 |
| Completed | 1957 |
| Cost | About £10,000 |
| Renovation cost | $1.7 million |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
The Hopwood Clock Tower, also known as the Palmerston North Clock Tower or Kerei Te Panau, is a clock tower in the centre of the Square in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The tower is named after local businessman Arthur Hopwood, who paid for it to be constructed in 1953.[1] The Māori name for the clock tower, 'Kerei Te Panau', comes from the name of a local Rangitāne chieftain.
The modern tower has two luminous features, a 'lantern cross' at its top and light-up glass panes at the base.
History
The four-faced clock was originally in the city's post office tower on Main Street, which was removed for safety reasons following the 1942 Wairarapa earthquake, and the clock put into storage. In 1953 local businessman Arthur Hopwood, whose family owned a hardware store, paid £10,000 for the council to build a new tower for the clock and chimes. A band rotunda was demolished to make way for it. The tower was completed some time in 1957.
The tower has been renovated several times. In 1960, a cross was put on the top temporarily for Christmas, but stayed permanently. It was replaced with a larger cross in 1981.[2] The sound shell at the tower's base was removed in about 1990.[3] The cross, a symbol that had become controversial as to whether it was still appropriate, blew down in 2006.[2] During refurbishment of the Square in the mid-2000s the building was checked against modern building regulations and it was deemed that significant strengthening was needed. The tower was demolished and renewed with a stronger structure that matched the old design. The lantern section, which features a cross inside, was added during this process.[4] This process was completed in March 2007 and cost $1.7 million.[5]
References
- ^ "'New' Palmerston North Clock Tower, The Square". Manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ a b White, Tina (23 March 2018). "The long and winding road to The Square of today". Stuff. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ "Clock Tower in the Square, looking towards Rangitikei Street". Manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "Hopwood Clock Tower". Manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ Cunningham, Peter (2011). "Hopwood Clock Tower – ECI enables innovation" (PDF). Buildmagazine.org.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2017.