Heritage state

Just a stone's throw from the Resene Head Office in Naenae, Patrick Street, Petone has celebrated the centenary of the first state houses built in the world. Petone is known for its firsts, being the first formalised European settlement of the New Zealand Company in 1840 whose settlers created the first bank and first newspaper in New Zealand.

Built under the Workers Dwellings Act 1905 introduced by Richard Seddon's Liberal government in response to extortionate rents and poor living conditions in working-class areas, 26 architecturally-designed, three-bedroom state houses were built on or near Patrick Street in Petone, all but one still standing today. The Patrick Street settlement was the world's first government housing development, the location selected partly because the land was already in public ownership. Keen to avoid the identical twin syndrome of the English council houses that sparked the concept, a competition was held to provide a variety of single and double storey architectural designs. Many homes were subsequently built in Petone before the remaining land was sold off.

In anticipation of the centenary Resene supplied copious amounts of paint to redecorate the state homes in traditional colour schemes. All colours were selected from the Resene Heritage colour range under the guidance of Ian Bowman, leading conservation architect and resident of Patrick Street.

Homeowners applied the paint finishes following the professional advice and specifications from Resene representatives. All looked resplendent for the centenary celebrations even if Wellington's weather had wrecked havoc on the carefully planned painting schedule necessitating long hours painting as the centenary drew closer.

Granted Category I and Category II historical status in 1984 and protected in the District Plan, the Patrick Street settlement has started the countdown to its bi-centenary toast.

From the Resene News – issue 2/2007

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