On 30 June 1949 a permit was issued for the construction of a building for the Plunket Society. The builders were Boon Bros Ltd. and the estimated cost was £6,878.

Thomas H. Bates originally designed a two-storey building in 1947. According to the minutes of the local Plunket branch these plans were unacceptable to Plunket headquarters. Bates then re-drew the plans so that a second storey could be added at a later date.

The new Plunket Rooms, named in honour of the late Sir Truby King, were finally opened on 24 July 1950 by Dr. C. Taylor, Director of Hospitals.

The building was demolished in July 2013 to provide car parking for the adjacent New World supermarket.

A signboard to mark the location was erected in late May 2014.

Related documents:

Plunket building to be replaced by new structure (Taranaki Daily News 19 May 1948)

Plunket Rooms may be ready in January (Taranaki Daily News 5 November 1949)

Family centre to close (Daily News 26 March 1996)

Plunket sings sponsers' praises (Daily News 27 September 1996)

Car park plan for Plunket rooms site (Taranaki Daily News 30 November 2011)

Plunket puts future ahead of past (North Taranaki Midweek 14 March 2012)

'Pause and think' about buildings (North Taranaki Midweek 14 March 2012)

 

Please do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki. 
Contact us for more information or you can order images online here.