Town Hall pot of gold
Cambridge’s historic Town Clock is causing trouble once more, despite Waipā District Council spending more than $720,000 on restoration works last year.
It’s stopped again ……
The clock stopped twice last week.
The first incident followed a power cut, which resulted in the weights running to the end of their cables. After rebalancing the weights, the clock was restarted. However, it stopped again just days later, prompting the council to call in a specialist clockmaker.
Staff believe the second interruption may have been caused by weather or atmospheric conditions affecting the power supply.
Last year’s restoration involved a range of specialist trades, including plastering, concrete and steel work, scaffolding, electrical upgrades, and clock maintenance.
Town Hall clock stopped
At the time, the council projected annual savings of $17,000 in maintenance costs, plus an additional $7500 from eliminating manual rewinding.
Cambridge News 24 July 2025
Originally installed atop the Post Office in 1908, the clock was moved to its current site in 1934, following the Hawke’s Bay earthquake three years earlier.
While the clock continues to challenge engineers, there’s better news for the adjacent Town Hall. The second phase of its upgrade has now been completed, bringing improvements to the Victorian and Edwardian rooms.
The works, which began in January, included roof repairs and replacements, as well as upgrades to catering facilities. The project was delivered on time and within budget last month.
Built in 1909, the Town Hall is a heritage-listed building that anchors Cambridge’s civic piazza. It shares the space with the Town Clock, a cenotaph, memorial walls, gardens and a Mare and Foal statue – making it a central part of the town’s historical and cultural identity.
Town Hall, the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
