BNZ Building

The Ōtaki Bank of New Zealand c1920.  Built in 1918, the front was altered in 1967 when it was the Ōtaki Borough Council building.  It is now the Ōtaki Museum.  Photo: Ōtaki Historical Society Inc

Location: 49 Main Street, Ōtaki

Built in 1918 as a branch of the Bank of New Zealand, the BNZ building stands at the centre of the Ōtaki historic precinct. It is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Main Street.

The Ōtaki Borough Council acquired the BNZ building in the 1960s. From 1966 until 1989 the building was the council's administrative centre, where decisions were made on the future of the town and the surrounding borough. In 1989, Ōtaki became part of the Kāpiti Coast District Council in the amalgamation of local authorities throughout New Zealand. The Council used the building as its Ōtaki Service Centre. The Otaki Heritage Bank Preservation Trust lease the BNZ building from the Council. This Historic Place – Category II building is now home to Ōtaki Museum, displaying and preserving the rich bicultural history of Ōtaki.