Auckland's Supreme Court Building
One of the grandest buildings in Auckland is the striking Supreme Courthouse on the corner of Waterloo Quadrant and Anzac Avenue. A Hstoric Place Category 1 listed building, it has been described by Heritage New Zealand as a 'powerful example of Gothic Revival architecture'. Ref: 4-2587, showing the corner of Queen St Victoria St West and ( from left) the Courthouse, Guardroom, stocks, gaol, gallows and bridge over the Ligar Canal, 1850s, Sir George Grey Special Collections Built in 1868, it was not the first courthouse to serve Auckland’s growing population. There were in fact two earlier buildings. In 1842, the first was constructed on the land bordered by Victoria, Elliott and Darby Streets. Besides the courthouse there was a gaol, gallows, exercise yard, and even stocks. From the outset, though, the site was condemned as sub standard. The New Zealand Southern Cross expressed its distaste in its June 8th 1852 issue, saying, 'It is really too bad to pen up a judge,...