The Story of the Temple Building

Following the discovery of gold in Otago in 1861 the Dunedin Jewish community grew rapidly. It included able and enterprising people such as Sir Julius Vogel (1835-1899), founder of the Otago Daily Times, a Provincial Superintendent of Otago and later a New Zealand Premier. As numbers grew it was decided a substantial place of worship was needed. The 1864 synagogue was the result.

When it opened it was a tabernacle of English bond brickwork set on very high bluestone foundations, designed by William Henry Clayton (1823-1877). In 1867 Clayton became Vogel’s father-in-law. In 1869, when Vogel was in government  Clayton applied for the new post of Colonial Architect and was immediately appointed. In Dunedin, apart from the synagogue, he is remembered for his All Saints Church on Cumberland Street and the old Port Chalmers Post Office, now the Maritime Museum. This first stage cost about L1,400.

It was intended to extend the building towards the street. In anticipation, in 1872, David Ross (1827-1908) was commissioned to design the impressive stone walls and ascending, steps, to provide an appropriate setting. However the congregation continued to grow and it was decided to build a larger synagogue a little further up Moray Place on the other side.

The old building was sold to the Freemasons who commissioned Ross, a Freemason himself, to expand and refit the structure. He built it upward and also forward towards the street. Ross is remembered for his grand house, Fernhill, for Johnny Jones, now the Dunedin Club; the Carey’s Bay Historic Hotel in Port Chalmers; and the exuberant Prince of Wales Hotel in Princes Street, among many other buildings. This work cost L1,100.

In 1932 the Masons felt the need to expand. For a cost of L3,611 they built a new wing to the south to accommodate a refectory, or supper room, and re-dressed the whole street front. Their architect was Eric Miller (1896-1948) although it is rumoured an itinerant Italian designer was also involved. The result was substantially the complex you see today with its Romanesque street façade featuring prominent decorative plasterwork and the metal framed stained glass windows.

Since Peter Duncan and Victoria Timpany acquired the building apartments have been installed on the first and second floors and a dealer gallery established utilising the refectory as the main exhibition space. Very appropriately they called the enterprise the Temple Gallery.

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