Post Office Precinct

The various sites within the Post Office Precinct were purchased by Ngāi Tahu Property in 1999 and 2000.

A vision was developed for a sensitive and integrated site, and for many years Ngāi Tahu Property worked closely with community and national organisations in order to ensure a precinct that would become a true asset.

The precinct totals 4364m² and includes five buildings, including the historic Old Courthouse.

Special care was taken during construction to ensure protection of Horne Creek, which runs through the precinct. Indeed, work on the fifth and final building stopped for a period last year and this year to avoid disruption of the trout spawning season.

The transformation of the Post Office Precinct by Ngāi Tahu Property has already received national recognition. The redevelopment of the Old Courthouse won an excellence award from the Property Council of New Zealand at the Council's awards ceremony held in Auckland this year. The redevelopment of the adjacent building, now the Pig and Whistle, also won a merit award.

Listed by the Historic Places Trust as category 1, the Old Courthouse now houses the Guilty Bar. The judges commended the conservation project for "propelling the past into the present" and commented on the exceptional degree of cooperation between all parties, including the Historic Places Trust, consultants and design team.