Premier House () is the official residence of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, located at 260 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand.
A private house purchased for the prime minister's official residence when government shifted its base to Wellington in 1865, it was first greatly expanded and then, as its wooden structure deteriorated, shunned in the 1930s by the more modest political leaders on learning the cost of repairs.
It was leased to private individuals for six years in the late 1890s, then returned to use as an official residence for the prime minister until the Great Depression, when a new government in 1935 wished to avoid "show". For more than half a century, the building was used as a dental clinic for children until it was renovated and recommissioned as Premier House in 1990.
Early history
Construction
The original house was built in the early days of the New Zealand colony in 1843 for Wellington's first Mayor, George Hunter. This house, or at least a portion of it, is still located at the southern end of the current building. It has been greatly expanded over the years. Later the residence of Nathaniel Levin, the house was bought from Richard Collins in early March 1865 to become the official residence of the nation's Premier. Wellington's The Evening Post thought the £2,900 price "must be considered cheap". Auckland's Daily Southern Cross described it as "one of the handsomest villas in the country", but Auckland's local morning paper, The New Zealand Herald, noted the acquisition with the comment "a piece of illegal extravagance". A few weeks later the Daily Southern Cross described the original plan to build a new house as a "monstrous waste of public money".
Expansion
The house changed little until Julius Vogel and his wife, Mary, arrived in 1873. Within a year they had turned it into an eight-bedroom mansion complete with conservatory and ballroom. The grounds featured what is thought to have been the country's first tennis court. The Vogels were noted for their lavish entertaining, resulting in the house acquiring the nickname of "The Casino".
In the 1920s it was known as 'Arika Toa', or 'home of the chief'.
Official residents
1864–1865 : Hon Sir Frederick Weld, 6th Premier
1865–1869 : Hon Sir Edward Stafford, 3rd Premier
1869–1873 : Hon Sir William Fox, 2nd Premier
1873–1875 : Hon Sir Julius Vogel, 8th Premier. Under Vogel's first premiership the house was greatly expanded. (1875–1876 : Hon Dr Daniel Pollen, 9th Premier for 7 months) 1876–1876 : Hon Sir Julius Vogel, 8th Premier. (1877–1879 : Hon Sir George Grey, 11th Premier) 1879–1882 : Hon Sir John Hall, 12th Premier 1882–1883 : Hon Sir Frederick Whitaker, 5th Premier 1883–1884 : Hon Sir Harry Atkinson, 10th Premier 1884–1887 : Hon Sir Julius Vogel as a cabinet minister in the government of Hon Sir Robert Stout, 13th Premier. More extensions were made to the house due to Vogel's poor health. His recurring gout resulted in an extra office being added for Cabinet meetings and in 1886 the construction of New Zealand's first lift. The country entered a Depression in the late 1880s and after the Vogels moved out, the new government tried to sell the property. MPs’ salaries had been cut, and the Liberal ministers of the 1890s had to live cheaply. But the press and public fought back. Wellington people valued its spacious grounds as a public amenity. Only the furniture was sold. Some suggested turning the site into an old men’s home or a university, but it stayed empty. 1887–1891 : Hon Sir Harry Atkinson, 10th Premier 1891–1893 : Rt Hon John Ballance, 14th Premier (1893–1906 : Rt Hon Richard John Seddon, 15th Premier. Following Ballance's death Seddon remained in his modest ministerial residence at 47 Molesworth Street and the Tinakori Street residence was leased out from 1895 to 1900 when it became a ministerial residence again.) Tenants 1893–1895 apparently vacant 1895–1899 : Sir Walter Buller, lawyer and ornithologist. 1899–1899 : Percy Smith, surveyor general and secretary for lands and mines and ethnologist. Official residents