Резиденция премьер-министра Новой Зеландии: История Премьер-Хауса

Official residence of the Prime Minister of New Zealand

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.

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 £2,900 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".

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 'Ariki Toa', or 'brave chief'. 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.

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 building received a Category 1 historic place ranking from 1988 and was listed as a heritage place in the Wellington City District Plan. 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 (150 years) 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. Since 1990, the house has been the official residence of Prime Ministers Geoffrey Palmer, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley, Helen Clark, John Key and Jacinda Ardern. Prime Minister Bill English did not live at Premier House during his term (2016–2017) because New Zealand law prohibits Wellington based MPs from claiming taxpayer funded accommodation in the capital. His successor, Ardern, based in Auckland, moved into the official residence. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins did not live at Premier House during his term in 2023. As a Wellington based MP, he had the same legal restrictions as English. Hipkins used Premier House for official functions. Current Prime Minister Christopher Luxon chooses to live in his own Wellington apartment rather than Premier House, citing maintenance issues. In March 2024, Luxon was criticized for claiming a $52,000 living allowance while living in his own mortgage free Wellington apartment, rather than live at Premier House. He was the first Prime Minister in thirty four years to claim the allowance. In early March 2024, Heritage New Zealand acknowledged that Premier House was in a dishevelled state as a result of the multiple purposes it serves. The site is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs while the Premier House Board provides advice on the long term stewardship of the building. Heritage NZ confirmed that it was working with other agencies to find solutions for long overdue upgrades to Premier House. In late March 2024, the Department of Internal Affairs released a 2023 report by the Premier House Board on the condition and future of Premier House. The report proposed four options for maintenance and refurbishment. The first option proposed a NZ$27 million long term maintenance plan to prevent deterioration over a period of 20 years. The second option proposed a phased refurbishment to address immediate risks at an estimated preliminary cost of NZ$43 million. The third option focusing on addressing building standards and heritage incrementally would cost up to NZ$80 million. The fourth option proposed a full refurbishment of the building over a period of two to three years at a cost of NZ$33 million. The board favoured full refurbishment over long term maintenance and also recommended negotiating a heritage covenant with Heritage New Zealand to ensure the site's continued protection.

The property has a land area of and a rateable value (in 2020) of NZ$23,300,000.

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".

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.

From 1976 to 1990 Vogel House in Lower Hutt was the official residence of the prime minister. It was used by Robert Muldoon.