An aerial photograph of the Oamaru block being sold by the
Gillies family from Thames St (foreground), Ribble St
(left) and Dee St (right), but excluding the narrow white
building (left centre). Photo by Bayleys.
The last business link with the Gillies family, which
played a major role in the development of Oamaru from the
1920s, is being offered for sale.
The family is selling a large block of land and buildings in
the central business district in Oamaru from where the late
George Gillies established extensive business and commercial
holdings in Oamaru and other areas, including Lower Hutt.
The 13,665sq m site is probably the largest commercial area
in private ownership in central Oamaru and has a rateable
value of $2.538 million.
Except for one building at 66 Ribble St, which is owned by
Spelean NZ Ltd, the land makes up about two-thirds of the
block fronting Thames St and between Ribble and Dee Sts.
It includes extensive commercial and industrial buildings,
most rented out, and also some vacant land and is being sold
through real estate agents Bayleys, with tenders closing on
March 31.
At one stage in the 1970s and 1980s, the Gillies family owned
the foundry in Tyne St, two car dealerships, allied motor
trades, electrical contractors and appliance showroom,
engineering, service stations and manufacturing plants, which
included producing the Mackay space heater and then modern
log and solid fuel burners.
The late George Gillies, who established extensive business
and commercial holdings in Oamaru. Photo from North Otago
Museum.
During the past decade, the family has reduced its
holdings, including, in 2006, selling Gillies Foundry and
Engineering to Hynds Ltd, which retained the Gillies name when
it renamed it Gillies Metaltech.
The Thames-Ribble-Dee St block is being offered for sale as
one parcel, but is divided into 17 titles.
Bayleys' agent Robin Hyndman said the land parcel offered a
prospective buyer numerous options, from retaining the
existing titles as rental properties, most of which were
occupied, through to redevelopment or selling off some titles
and redeveloping others.
George T. Gillies arrived in Oamaru from Dunedin in June 1920
to start a Dodge Brothers car dealership.
He set up his dealership in the block now being sold on
Thames St that was still metalled and, after heavy rain,
trucks would get stuck.
In 1923, he put in the first visible petrol pump in New
Zealand.
From there, his commercial interests grew, Mr Gillies' faith
in North Otago demonstrated when he expanded the business
before the end of the depression, including building a new
465sq m showroom.
In the same year, an electrical department was opened in the
same block.
The department handled a wide range of contracts, including
private hydro-electricity generation schemes in remote parts
of New Zealand.
In 1943, Gillies bought the North Otago Engineering Company's
foundry in Tyne St, throughout the following decades
modernising it with new buildings and installing machinery to
keep pace with technology.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.