Collier's Building, 16 Devon Street West (1925-26)

Collier's Music House was established in New Plymouth in 1875 and at one stage had branches in Ōpunakē, Hāwera, Whanganui, Taumarunui and Palmerston North. This building once housed Taranaki's first radio station, 2YB, which began broadcasting from here in April 1929. In 1932 the station moved to the Empire Building in King Street (now the Victoria Building) from where it operated until 1952.

A permit was granted for the Collier's building on 12 September 1925. The estimated cost was £3,700, the architect was T.H. Bates and the builder was Frank Amoore. Bates called for tenders in August 1925.

The Taranaki Daily News described it as an "imposing structure" in this 1926 article.

Collier's moved from the building in 1991 to new premises on Devon Street East. The business finally ceased trading in 1995.

After 29 years in the building Roger French closed his photographic shop in 2024. 

Related items:

Business Expansion (Taranaki Herald 27 April 1926)

Collier's Advertisement (Taranaki Herald 10 December 1930)

Mid-city musical era at an end (Daily News 23 October 1991)

Last Post plays for Collier's music shop (Daily News 17 March 1995)

Collier's Building Heritage Inventory Entry, Chris Cochran, New Plymouth CBD Heritage Inventory (1995)

2YB kept the home fires burning (Daily News 16 November 1996)

Taranaki DP1255 Sheet 1 (1898), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP1271 Sheet 1 (1899), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Taranaki DP3839 Sheet 1 (1919), ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)