MacEwans Machinery Ltd Building (1966)

This building on the corner of Robe and Devon Street West was built in 1966 for MacEwans Machinery Ltd. It was opened on 16 November 1966 by Sir Woolf Fisher, managing director of Fisher and Paykel Ltd.

It was designed by the local architectural firm Bowering, Thomson, Boon & Associates and built by Snowden Construction Ltd.

The building has two levels on the Devon Street frontage, but is single-storey on Robe Street. It included two retail showrooms, storage areas and offices, encompassing a total floor area of 21,000 square feet.

MacEwans Machinery Ltd. was established by Mr J.B. MacEwan in 1896, and until its name change, was known as J.B. MacEwan and Co. Ltd. The company first opened a Taranaki branch in New Plymouth in 1901. The company sold milking machines and the booming dairy industry in Taranaki offered plenty of scope for expansion. Eventually the company diversified its range of products and this new building erected in 1966 provided a large home appliance section as well as the traditional farm machinery.

In 1984 the home appliance section was bought by Wrightson Appliances and in March 1985, after considerable renovations, the store opened under the Wrightson's brand. 

At the time of the photograph above (2014) Venture Taranaki occupied the upper level of the building and a fitness company operated a gym (current 2024) on the ground floor of the Devon Street West section. The building was known as "Taranaki House". At present (2024) the TSB is the major tenant on the upper level - corner of Devon Street West and Robe Street.

Related documents:

New building to cost £67,000  (Taranaki Herald 18 June 1965)

MacEwans Machinery Ltd Supplement (Taranaki Herald 15 November 1966)

MacEwans Machinery Ltd (New Plymouth...city of challenge, c1980 TRCT993.482 NEW)

Changes at MacEwans (Taranaki Herald 19 May 1984)

Wrightson Appliances: Store has a personal touch (Daily News 20 March 1985)