Town clock

The town clock in Gladstone Road is one of Gisborne's most recognisable and identifiable heritage structures.

History of our town clock

The 1931 Napier earthquake caused structural damage to the Chief Post Office, which at the time was home to the town clock. That building was declared unsafe and a demolition order issued. 

After initially being turned down by central government for assistance.  In July 1933 the Post Master General advised that "after careful consideration the government had decided to donate the turret clock and chimes from the post office building to the council for incorporation in the Robinson Memorial Town Clock tower.

Constructed in 1934 at a cost of £448.10 ($897.00) and dedicated to the late R D B Robinson.  Mr Robinson died in 1933 after serving as Town Clerk for 43 years.

The Robinson Memorial Town Clock was unveiled 20 December 1934.

The clock today

The original flood lighting was removed in 1954 and replaced with neon lighting. In 1963 the tower was repainted.

In 2005 new lighting was put in at ground level, it allows the clock tower to be flood lit in any colour.

Each October to acknowledge breast cancer awareness the clock is lit up pink.

The clock stopped at 8.47pm on 20 December 2007 when an 6.8 earthquake rocked Gisborne district.

Design and construction

The 17 metre (56 foot) tower is constructed of reinforced concrete with a painted plaster finish.

The structure is a 4 sided flute main shaft with anachronistic paired stylised doric columns supporting the top of the bell tower. 

The clock components comprise of a one strike and 4 Westminster chimes.  The dial and hands are from the old Post Office building.  A new master-slave electric clock mechanism was installed at the time of construction.

A competition was run to come up with the design.  It's thought to have been 'reproduced' from a lighthouse advertisement.