Regulatory Committee Agenda - Waipa District Council

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"This building, which has been erected at a cost of £800, is built of kauri throughout, on
a concrete foundation. 3 The entire length of the building is 80 feet. It consists of library,
lecture room, smoking room, and two committee rooms. The library is a most
comfortable and elegant room, with a handsome bow window, facing west. The size of
the room is 24 feet by 24 feet, with handsome mantle-piece and registered grate. The
lecture room, 34 feet by 24 feet, very lofty, with handsome ceiling and fireplace, fitted
up in a first class manner. The room is furnished with comfortable and substantial
chairs, and three large tables, and will now accommodate about forty members."
(Waikato Times 24 November 1877:2).
The Waikato Times description does not mention the museum and sample rooms that were
noted in the Auckland Star article, nor did later articles.
5.4.2 Identification ofthe Cambridge Farmers Club House
The excerpts provide a working hypothesis for identifying the CFC club-house fabric in the RSA
building. The building is described as a large hall, 80 feet in length (24.38 meters) 4 constructed
of kauri on a concrete foundation. The building featured lofty rooms, including:
• Main lecture room- 34 feet x 24 feet (10.36m x 7.32m) with a handsome ceiling and
fireplace;
• Library 24 by 24 feet (7.32m x 7.32m) with a west facing bow [bay] window and a
handsome fireplace mantle-piece and registered grate (fire box];
• Smoking room; and
• Two committee rooms
5.4.2.1 Building style and exterior features
The club-house was described as elaborate and lofty, an apt description for an ltalianate
neoclassical building design. The ltalianate style (southern) wing of the building faced Alpha
Street; toward the town centre (figure 4). In the 1870s through early 1900s the front elevation
of commercial buildings, institutions, and residences were elaborate and the rear sections plain
3 The foundation is described as concrete and brick. "The contractor is getting on very fast with this building. The foundation Is
of concrete and brick. The timber Is the best kauri.• (Walbto Times 22 September 1Bn:3) the concrete and brick foundation Is
still evident on the exposed footings of the original buildin&- lnvestiptlon under the building and In the attic should confirm the
plan of the club building.
4 The building was constructed using Imperial measurements (inches and feetl and later metric. Both measurements will be
given but Imperial measurements will be the primary measurement referred to during the discussion of the CFC and Wells
periods of occupancy and on sketch plans relating to those periods.
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