The Changing Face of Gisborne City

By one of its less comprehensible decisions, the City Council recently decided to write finis to the traditional freedom of Christmas Eve crowds in Gisborne to take over the main street on that festive night unmolested by traffic.

The only virtue of the decision appeared to be that the Transport Department would be relieved of an irksome chore. When public opinion was revealed to be in fairly strong opposition, the Council changed its mind, decided then to give the crowds freedom of the street from Lowe Street to Derby Street.

By another decision, the Council decided to move the pie-cart from its present central location to somewhere in Peel Street down past the Police Station.

The city's pie-eaters, and the proprietor, couldn't see the sense in this, and a week ago the decision was still subject to review.

A small change: Christmas Eve crowds will now roam as far as Derby Street.

Stanley Road bridge is now almost ready for traffic

New Community Hall in Kaiti is nearing finishing stages

Piles are on the site and work will start soon on this bridge in Grey Street. It should be open well before the Christmas season.

Agreement has been reached between the City Council and the Cook County Council on the controversial diversion of Lytton Road to come out at this point in Awapuni Road, adjacent to the golf club buildings (right). This will avoid having the links intersected by a public road.

Fast progress is being made with the erection of the Sheepfarmers' new supermarket at the Gladstone Road Disraeli Street intersection.

Another project which could make some headway in the near future is the reclamation of Taruheru River mudbanks for off-street parking. Suggestion from Ministry of Works is that the rubble from buildings scheduled for demolition...the old Council Chambers, the Government Buildings in Reads Quay, and the old Redstone Building in Lowe Street..be dumped into the river.

Reconstruction of Gladstone Road past Turanganui Gold Course is still in preliminary stages. This P.&.T. gang is laying a new cable under the footpath.

Good progress is being made with the new Assembly Hall at the Girls' High School.

The demolition boys have wrought a mighty change in Reads Quay, The courthouse, long the imposing seat of justice in Gisborne, and badly damaged by fire last year, is almost no more. In its place, in due course, a new building will rise on the ashes of the old, for which all connected with the administration of justice in the city, now scattered in makeshift quarters elsewhere, will give heartfelt thanks.

The scene earlier in the month shortly after demolition began

Little remained last week

No longer to ring to the sound of the crier's command, "Silence in the Court!"

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 75 : September 8, 1960

The Changing Face of Gisborne City