Time out as clock stops for repairs
For the first time in 16 years, the clock on Nelson’s Civic House has come to a halt as it undergoes repairs.
For the next fortnight, the clock will not chime as usual and it will not read the correct time. It last had a full overhaul in 2004.
Horologist, or clock technician, John Rodgers will disassemble, clean, inspect and put back together the bell, automatic winding and main clock over a two-week period.
Rodgers is the son of the clock’s original restorer, Henry Rodgers.
He said the maintenance work was a chance to fix faults that have been ongoing since 2019.
‘‘There are some parts of the clock that have not been touched since 1982 when my father installed the clock in the tower so it’s really a chance to check everything, remembering some of the parts are over a hundred years old.’’
The building known as Civic House was built in 1982, but the clock dates back to 1905 and is believed to have been built in England by J B Joyce & Co.
Nelson deputy mayor Judene Edgar said the Civic House clock was an indispensable part of Nelson’s history and cityscape.
‘‘To some it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing clock, but it is our clock. The story behind the clock and its tower are a unique part of Nelson’s history.
‘‘The fact that its preservation is in the hands of the son of the original
‘‘To some it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing clock, but it is our clock.’’
Nelson deputy mayor Judene Edgar
restorer is a lovely footnote in our city’s shared heritage.’’
It was originally part of the Chief Post Office, a building that was deemed an earthquake risk and demolished in 1970.
The clock’s parts were then disassembled, documented and put in storage for over a decade before Henry Rodgers began the restoration. This work was started in early 1982 and finished 18 months later after almost 1000 hours of work.
Part of the new clock’s structure included a unique electronic winding system made necessary after the Supreme Court ordered the almost completed new Post Office building to reduce its planned height by 25 feet.
A timer system also had to be added after complaints from local residents that the clock, that then chimed 24 hours a day, was keeping them awake at night.
It now operates from 7am to 10pm but Nelsonians may miss the familiar chimes during daylight hours over the next two weeks.