Premier House
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 £2900 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. Dental clinic. In 1935 Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage, faced with rebuilding the country's economy in the midst of the Great Depression, lived in  Seddon's former residence at 47 Molesworth Street, later purchasing a house high in Northland. Premier House was turned into a school for dental nurses and a children's dental clinic, known to all as "the murder house". It had 40 chairs, later 50. Before fluoridation the molars of the nation's children were soon cored with amalgam. At the time, Mr Langstone, the Minister of Lands, was living there and a new house was built for him in the grounds on the site of the stable. During the war the garden grew vegetables for the local Armed Forces Service  Clubs. Restoration. After many years of institutional use, by the 1980s the building had fallen into disrepair. It was rescued from this decline by Michael Bassett, Minister of Internal Affairs, who initiated moves for the restoration of the building to its early grandeur. The restoration was undertaken by Auckland's Grant Group Architects and L.T. McGuinness Construction between December 1989 and 1991. The internal walls were retained and all rooms and most passages were left in their original position. Fire sprinklers, central heating and air conditioning systems were installed along with a new hydraulic lift. The interior decoration carefully reproduces  many 19th-century period features, while the overall design is modern. The decor includes a considerable collection of New Zealand art, both old and new. The conservation of Premier House, as it was renamed, was a 1990 Sesquicentennial project. That year Geoffrey Palmer and his wife, Margaret, became its first official residents. In 2018 the house was upgraded, with repairs and maintenance undertaken, at a cost of NZ$3 million. Official residents continued. Exclusions. Prime Minister Bill English (2016–2017) did not live at Premier House during his term because New Zealand law prohibits Wellington-based MPs from claiming taxpayer-funded accommodation  in the capital. His successor, Jacinda Ardern, who is based in Auckland, moved into the official residence. Value. The property has a land area of 1.5 hectares (14,569 square metres) and a rateable value (in 2020) of NZ$23,300,000. Other official residences. 64–66 Harbour View Road. From 1939 Michael Joseph Savage (until 1939 at 47 Molesworth Street) lived in a house "Hill Haven" at 64–66 Harbour View Road, Northland, Wellington, which was subsequently used by his successor Peter Fraser until 1949. It was purchased for Michael Joseph Savage "because it is now not necessary (to be within easy walking distance of  Parliament) and a Prime Minister is no longer bound to the lowly areas of the Thorndon flats". 41 Pipitea Street. From 1950 Sidney Holland lived at No 41 Pipitea Street, Thorndon. The house was subsequently used by Walter Nash, Keith Holyoake and Geoffrey Palmer, and as a ministerial residence by Jim Sutton and Nick Smith. The house was also used for the Pacific Island Affairs Ministry. Vogel House. From 1976 to 1990 Vogel House in Lower Hutt was the official residence of the prime minister. It was used by Robert Muldoon and others.