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Holloway Street
Carterton
Tel: (06) 379 5071
Opening hours :
Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm
Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm
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A library for Carterton was a priority for early settlers and the one established in 1874 was one of the longest surviving private subscription libraries in the country.
Early settlers were holding “readings” in each others homes as early as 1870. Listeners each paid a penny to be present and the money accumulated was spent on new books. As the book collection grew a room in Carterton’s first town hall was rented to house it.
A concerted fundraising effort in 1873 enabled the town to buy 200 books. Charles Rooking Carter, by then living in London, contributed more money and selected books. When they arrived in 1874 the library was established. Mr W. Parker was appointed librarian at a salary of seven pounds a year. Annual subscription was 10 shillings, with an entrance fee of 2/6. In 1875 the library had 50 members and was debt free.
By December 1878 some 700 volumes had been bought. Carter raised another fifty pounds in London on the libraries behalf and contributed another 12 pounds himself for more books.
In 1880 the community decided to build a library; Charles Carter helped again by obtaining the land and providing extra funds. The imposing mock-Roman building was completed in 1881 at a cost of three hundred and thirty six pounds, Mr W. Booth supplying the timber. The first trustee’s of the building were Mr Booth along with Mr Adam Armstrong and Mr R. Fairbrother. A Librarian’s residence was in the back of the library and until 1988 were still being used.
At the time of building the new library the citizens also decided to purchase a further 350 books from Featherston, who had purchased them from Melbourne but decided (for an unknown reason) that they were unsuitable.
Carter’s active interest in the project continued and by 1884 the collection had been built up to 2,388 books. On his death he bequeathed a sizeable part of his own collection to the town.
A public reading room was opened in 1896 and the Carterton Borough Council made an annual grant of twenty pounds for the library and for public use of the rest room.
Also in 1896 one Adam Ayles was appointed librarian. A former Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer, Ayles had been a member of the 1875 Nares expedition to the Artic in an attempt to be the first to reach the North Pole. The attempt failed but Ayles was hailed as one of the heroes of the expedition. He held the Carterton Librarian’s position for three years resigning in March 1899 under mysterious circumstances.
Throughout this time the library was managed by a voluntary committee elected annually. The Carterton Borough Council increased its grant to two hundred and fifty pounds and the Wairarapa South County Council contributed fifty pounds. However maintaining the building and service became an uphill battle.
In May 1963 at the library’s 87th Annual General Meeting the decision was taken to ask the borough to take over management. At the last meeting of the committee Mr W. Vaughan handed over the keys to Cr. Andy McCallum.
Since coming under Council control the number of books, range of services and size of building have all increased. In 1967 the Council decided to join the National Library Country Library Service scheme; today continued by the national Interloan scheme.
Saturday morning opening was introduced in 1995 followed by an automated catalogue and issuing system in 1996. A major renovation of the library building took place in 1998 with the new extension being opened by Mayor Georgina Beyer on 5 March 1999.
During 2001 the Carterton District Council entered into an arrangement with the South Wairarapa District Council to share a library service. The current Wairarapa Library Service operates a shared automated catalogue and issuing system, interloan service and summer holiday programme. The joint Library Committee sets strategy and policies for all four libraries.
The library now holds over 26,000 books with a staff of four and serving a membership (shared with South Wairarapa District) of 9,000.
Ewan Hyde
Please view archived information about Carterton here
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Carterton |
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A library for Carterton was a priority for early settlers and the one established in 1874 …more |
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Greytown |
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In October 1871, in a letter to the Mercury, the Hon. G.M. Waterhouse of Huangurua Station …more |
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The Featherston Library started life as the ‘Featherston Literary Institute’ in April, 1896. It was officially opened by Mr Alfred Matthews who had gifted the land and funds … more |
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