On the 25th of May 1996, Central Library opened in its current location in the old C. M. Ross / DIC building. Designed by Athfield Architects, this award-winning building straddles the block between George Street and Te Marae o Hine The Square.
On this page we look back at some of the history of the library service in Palmerston North
The facade of Central Library facing Te Marae o Hine The Square:
In 1876, a private Reading Room was established by a group of residents. Over the next few years, the Council began to support the initiative, and then by 1879 it was being run by the Council as a lending library.
You can read notes made by well-known past Archivist Ian Matheson in 1977 about the history of the library on Manawatū Heritage. It includes all the different buildings the library has been housed in (apart from the current one of course), including periods of time when it was looked after first by the Working Men's Club and then the Volunteer Fire Brigade!
Read a brief timeline of Palmerston North public library services on an archived version of the library website from The Wayback Machine.
This includes the establishment of various branches of the library around the city and the incorporation of Ashhurst Library.
Explore more cool old library photos on Manawatū Heritage below:
A more efficient way to browse our collection and access your account
