The rival Empire Hotel stood opposite. Before it was built, a cabinet maker's workshop was here. In 1868 a disastrous fire started here destroying two thirds of the CBDs early wooden buildings. Property worth about $8 million today was lost and over 120 people were left homeless with just the clothes on their backs. While the original building on the corner has been demolished, the addition to the Empire Hotel is still there. The wine list from the 1900s included sherries, ports, clarets, champagne, colonial wines (Muscadine, Hock, Constantia, Frontignac, Chablis, Burgundy, Riesling), and liqueurs. Before the Empire Hotel, the Clarendon Hotel stood here run by Mr O'Meeghan before buying the Grosvenor Hotel from Mr T. Meikle.
This is a Street Scene of the commercial area in Timaru and the Old Bank. Across the road a scene of utter devistation unfolded in 7 December 1868 destroying two thirds of the early business part of town. This paved the way for many of the heritage buildings we see today. Some of these buildings were demolished to make way for larger modern buildings.
Photo by Muir & Moodie studio. Dry plate negatives Te Papa (C.014407)
Church St., Timaru, N.Z.. Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 17/04/2025, https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/23507 Low quality image. For further information on use of low quality scans and on how to order a high quality image please see conditions of use.
Stafford St., Timaru, N.Z.. Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 17/04/2025, https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/23601
Stafford St. Timaru, N.Z.. Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 17/04/2025, https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/23759
Looking across Strathallan Street from site of P.G.G Website Hocken Snapshop. hocken.recollect.co.nz/24022
