45 Parris Street, Original Waitara Bank of New Zealand (1877)

This unassuming house has a fascinating history - it was originally constructed in late 1877 as the first Waitara Bank of New Zealand.

In October 1877, the Bank of New Zealand called for tenders for the construction of a Bank in Raleigh - the location for this building was to be on Queen Street, Section 9 of Block 90 (present site of 38 Queen Street), right in the heart of Colonial Waitara.

In December 1906, the Bank of New Zealand called for tenders for the construction of new brick bank building in Waitara - necessitating the removal of the old 1877 building.

The building is thought to have been relocated from the Queen Street site to its present location on the corner of Parris and Bake Streets in early 1907 for use as a house.

For many years the bank retained it's original facade, until it was modernised in the 1960s-70s.

Locals recall that at one stage Sir Russell Mathews purchased the ornate front door for use at his home 'Tupare' on Mangorei Road.