The very fine new dental school buildings situated in King Street were officially opened yesterday by the Hon R.A. Wright, Minister of Education.
The opening ceremony which began shortly after 3 o’clock in the lecture theatre on the ground floor, attracted wide public interest and drew a very large attendance. The Chancellor of Otago University, Mr T.K. Sidey MP, presided. A small group of junior students in a passageway made their characteristic noises during the earlier part of Professor Pickerill’s address, but fortunately tired of this before long.
The new building is approved of by experts who have a knowledge of American, British, and French dental hospitals. The University Council entrusted the work of preparing plans to Edmund Anscombe and Associates. The situation is in King Street, on the west side, between Frederick and Albany streets, in proximity to the General Hospital and the Medical School. Mr W. H. Naylor is the contractor.
The building is of three storeys and basement, the construction being of brick and reinforced concrete, with Oamaru stone facings. The outer dimensions are 177 feet x 50ft. The classic style adopted for the facade is skilfully worked up in such a way as to give an imposing appearance and minimise the narrowness. Oamaru stone matches well with the black-veined brickwork, and the ornamentation is impressive in its chaste simplicity.
On the top floor is the clinic, 177ft x 27ft, lit by 20 large windows and 20 roof lights. It contains, in two rows, 60 operating chairs. For each chair there is an all-metal fountain cuspidor, fitted with hot and cold water, a combined cabinet and table, an electric power plug, and an electric light with tilting action shades. Thirty of the chairs have electric engines. Each group of 10 chairs is provided with an electric steriliser.
Amusement devices
Authority has been granted to purchase various amusement devices for the children’s playgrounds at Caversham, Woodhaugh Gardens, Opoho, Mornington and the Museum Reserve, at a total cost of £335.
Quite comfortable tents
Quite a little canvas town has been erected on the borough reserve at North Balclutha, near the quarry where the main camp of the men engaged on the new road is located. There are 60 tents at present, and the camp has now been linked up with the borough water supply. The single men are housed in tents with two bunks, and the married men with children have two tents allotted to them.
The tents are quite comfortable structures, being fitted with wooden frame and floors and boarded up at the walls for two or three feet, and each has a sheet-iron chimney and fireplace. Another similar camp is being established on Mr B. Green’s property at Barnego, and there will be a smaller camp at Manuka Island.
Sharing of power
The boards concerned in supplying power in Otago Central are the Teviot Power Board, whose district extends from Rae’s Junction to the Vincent County boundary and includes Roxburgh, Miller’s Flat, Ettrick, and Coal Creek; and the Otago Central Electric Power Board, which has the whole of Vincent County for its outer area, this including the site of the Lake Hawea scheme and for its inner area the district from Fruitlands to Lowburn, including Alexandra, Clyde, Earnscleugh, Galloway, Cromwell, Bannockburn, and Ripponvale. At present the Otago Central Power Board is purchasing its power in bulk from the Teviot Power Board, which develops it on the Teviot River.
— ODT, 12.6.1926
