By Roselyn Fauth

New Zealand National candidate Maurice McTigue pictured on top of the Government Life Building, dated 1985. In the background, the Centennial Memorial Building can be seen as well as a view of the surrounding area. South Canterbury Museum 2012/186.7042

I've been on a deep dive into the history of the Oxford Building. When the building owner died, the property was purchased by the Government Life Insurance, and the building lost its Oxford name and connections to the sites history until a restaurant revived it in 2013. Today's blog is sparked by the question, why did the Oxford Building become known as the Government Life Building?  It turns out that tha question takes us back to 1869...

The Government Life Insurance Office was created in 1869 with money provided by the New Zealand Government.

It was formed to offer low cost life insurance to gold miners and others whose incomes were uncertain. In those early days life could be unpredictable and often short, so according to historical accounts it was considered a social necessity for the government to step in. Private insurers were scarce. Hardship was common. A government backed policy felt safe. Government Life grew quickly and soon became the largest life insurer in the country.

And that is where Timaru enters the picture...

The Oxford built for DC turnbull - designed by turnbull and rule opened Dec 2025. Photo Roselyn Fauth 2025

Where Timaruans once went for their insurance

The first clue sits on Stafford Street in the former Hay’s Buildings, completed in 1907 and designed by Thomas Coulthard Mullions. The Edwardian premises once housed a mix of banks, insurers and commercial offices. Government Life rented rooms here. If you close your eyes it is not hard to picture a clerk in a high collar, ledger in hand, greeting local families who walked in to pay their premiums or seek advice. This was the start of Timaru’s Government Life presence and it grew from here.

By the early 1950s the department purchased the impressive four storey 1924-25 Oxford Buildings on the corner of Stafford and George Streets, designed by Turnbull and Rule. Once the government bought it, people began calling it the Government Life Building. Many Timaru residents still remember it that way. You would step off the footpath and into that interwar architecture, climb the stairs and take care of whatever insurance business you needed. 

Then, in the 1970s Government Life decided to build a new headquarters in Timaru and set its sights on George Street.

Construction began in 1973. For 18 months a massive crane towered above the CBD and going by newspaper reports, it became a landmark in its own right. When the eight storey building officially opened in 1976 it was the tallest commerical structure in town. A plaque was unveiled. Hundreds of guests filed up to the seventh floor for morning tea. Government Life moved in alongside Inland Revenue, Social Welfare, Customs, Health and the Ministry of Works. It symbolised a new era of centralised state services and a real vote of confidence in Timaru.

Photograph of the 1976 opening plaque for the Government Life Building on George St Timaru - Photo Liz Shea

Of course the story does not end there... Government Life became Tower Corporation in 1987, part of the sweeping reforms of that time.

Policyholders took ownership in 1990 and by 1999 Tower had become shareholder owned. Its life insurance arm was eventually sold in 2014 and renamed Foundation Life the following year.

What fascinates me is that you can trace the entire evolution of New Zealand’s public life insurance scheme simply by walking through Timaru. From the Edwardian confidence of Hay’s Buildings, to the interwar presence of the Oxford Buildings, and then the more brutal and modern architecture of the Government Life tower. These buildings hold stories about how we once cared for families, how the government provided security in uncertain times and how everyday people interacted with the State not through websites and phone apps but by stepping into real rooms staffed by real people.

Next time you wander down Stafford or George Street, take a moment to look up. The past is still there. It is in the facades and echoed in the spaces where generations of Timaruvians once stood to insure the things that mattered most. This little history was waiting to be found, and the buildings were holding it all along.

1910 New Zealand Government Life and Accident Insurance building, Stafford Street, Timaru, with men, horses and carts in the foreground. The Press (Newspaper) :Negatives. Ref: 1/1-008809-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/29939829

Side Quest: Was Privatisation a Good Idea?

Learning about Government Life has sent me off on a small side quest. Once you begin following the trail of a public institution through our streets, you cannot help asking bigger questions. One of them is... Was the shift from public life insurance to private ownership a good idea?

I am not a policy expert and I am certainly not here to make pronouncements, yet history gives us clues. Government Life was created to help people who could not afford private cover and it grew into one of the country’s most trusted institutions. In the late twentieth century everything changed. First it was corporatised, then mutualised, then finally de-mutualised and listed on the stock exchange. Governments of the day believed that business structures would make services more efficient. Others worried that something important might be lost in the process.

The evidence is mixed. As a commercial company Tower could raise capital, modernise and compete more freely. That was seen as progress at the time. Yet the original aim of Government Life had been affordability and public good. Once it entered the private market, I wonder if insurance became tied to profit and shareholders rather than social need. Some families have probably benefited from the new choices, while others may have found themselves priced out.

There is no tidy conclusion here. Instead there is an invitation to reflect and think critically. Standing in front of the former Government Life buildings in Timaru, you can feel the shift. A public service, created for the common good, gradually became part of the private financial world. Whether that was the right path is still open to interpretation, but noticing the turning point helps us understand how these decisions have shaped our society to who we are now.

Side Quest: What Did Government Centralisation Mean for Small City Centres?

New Zealand has been centralising its public services for a long time. And for cities like Timaru, that shift has had consequences.

When the eight storey Government Life building opened in 1976, it brought with it a cluster of departments. Inland Revenue, Social Welfare, Customs, Health and the Ministry of Works all came together under one roof. Hundreds of people worked there and many more passed through for appointments, paperwork or advice. Every day they walked across the CBD, bought lunch, browsed shops and connected with local businesses. A government office was more than an office. It contributed to the heartbeat and foot traffic of our main street.

Over the years that model changed. Many departments were gradually moved to regional hubs or national centres. Others became centralised through online systems or call centres. Not all of these decisions were wrong. Some genuinely improved efficiency and access. Yet for smaller cities there were ripple effects. Each office that closed meant fewer workers in town, fewer secure long term tenants for commercial buildings and fewer reasons for people to wander Stafford Street in the middle of the day.

It is difficult to measure the full impact, but you can feel it in the stories people tell. Shops that once relied on daytime workers struggled. Buildings that had housed government departments for decades sat empty or were repurposed. Young people lost pathways into stable public service jobs without needing to move away. The subtle fabric of community life was altered by decisions made far from here.

This is not a criticism of any particular government. I think it just reminds us that centralisation has a cost as well as a benefit. When everything is drawn towards the big centres, the smaller ones must work harder to keep their CBDs thriving and their communities connected. Heritage buildings, like Timaru’s former Government Life sites, help us see the shape of these changes. They stand as markers of a time when the State was woven closely into daily local life, not just through services but through people occupying real rooms in real streets.

Perhaps the lesson is not nostalgia, but awareness. Small cities like Timaru have always adapted. They continue to reinvent their CBDs with creativity and resilience. As we think about the future it is worth remembering that strong communities grow from everyday encounters. Offices. Shopkeepers. Lunchtime queues. Footpaths full of ordinary life. When those rhythms shift, the town will have to adapt too.

Side Quest: Who’s Actually Here? Government in Timaru

If you have ever wondered whether everything is now run from Wellington, here’s a quick wander through the agencies that still keep a physical footprint in Timaru. Start at 2 King George Place, where the Timaru District Council is our heart of local decision making employing aroun 317 people( According to Timaru District Council’s 2023/24 Annual Report says the council has about 317 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff). From there, wander down to 75 Church Street, home to Environment Canterbury’s southern office, keeping an eye on our rivers, air quality and regional planning.

A little further along the trail you’ll find national agencies; Oranga Tamariki supports families and children across South Canterbury, and the New Zealand Police keep their station at 20 North Street. There is a front-of-house location of Inland Revenue (IRD) 7 Beswick Street, I dont think they employ nearly as many as they used to.

These are just a few examples, but they remind you that government in Aotearoa is not only centred in Wellington. Some things still happen right here on the ground, close to the communities they serve.

Side Quest: In a Digital World, Does Face to Face Still Matter?

The more I followed the story of Government Life through Timaru’s buildings, the more I found myself thinking about how we protect ourselves today. We have moved so far into the digital age that many of the services people once queued for in town are now handled online. Insurance can be done on a website, although there are a few who have offices, and physical branches in Timaru. Banking is done on an app, but there are a few physical banks you can walk into to to withdrawl some coins for the tooth fairies and talk to their staff. Even simple questions that once led us through a doorway now disappear into a helpbot or a phone menu.

This is convenient in many ways. It saves time and lets us sort things out from home. Yet I cannot help wondering what we lose when we no longer talk to someone face to face about the things that matter. but also how its just good for us to see another face during the day. Insurance and banking are not just transactions. They are conversations about our wellbeing, our plans, and our fears. When those conversations shift to screens, I worry that something can change in the human experience of seeking help.

There is also a knock on effect for the places we live. When banks and insurers move online, they do not need large offices in the centre of town. Branches close. Counters disappear. Staff numbers shrink. This increases efficiency for the organisation, but it can reduce the life of a CBD. Every closed office means fewer people walking to work, fewer coffees bought on the way, fewer lunchtime errands and fewer friendly faces bumping into one another on the street.

A digital shift is a cultural shift. It changes how we use our towns and how our towns feel. We build fewer relationships with the people behind the desk. We learn less about local services. We simply pass through rather than participate. I wonder if the efficiency has improved our wallet.

None of this is a judgement on progress. Digital tools can make life easier and more accessible. They can open doors for people who used to struggle with in person systems. The question is not whether technology is good or bad. The question is what kind of connection we want to keep as we move forward.

When I walk past the former Government Life buildings, I am reminded that for most of our history, important life decisions involved walking through a door and speaking to another human being. Maybe that is something worth remembering as we build our future, so that convenience does not replace community, and our CBDs remain places where people still meet, talk and take part in the life of their town.

What This Little Question Taught Me

I would never have gone on this deep dive if I had not been curious about why the Oxford Buildings were suddenly called the Government Life Building. 

Following that curiosity took me through old plans, newspaper clippings, cabinet decisions and decades of public service history. It led me into conversations about how the government once protected its people, why life insurance mattered in the first place and how national policies ripple out into everyday towns like Timaru. It revealed how much of our story is written into buildings that many of us pass without noticing.

Reflecting on the past has taught me that history is not something distant. It is part of our streets, into the choices governments made, and into the way communities evolved around those choices. A name on a building tells you who we trusted at the time. A move to a taller office tells you which direction the country was heading. The shift from public to private, or from face to face to digital, leaves marks that remain long after the political moment has passed.

This whole journey started with one question about a heritage building, yet it has made me think about public good, centralisation, community and the rhythm of life in our CBD. It has reminded me that stories are hiding everywhere, waiting for someone to look twice. And perhaps that is the real gift of curiosity. It turns a simple observation into understanding, and a townscape into a conversation with the past.

Timeline of Government Life Insurance and Timaru

National Timeline

1869
Government Life Insurance Office established by the New Zealand Government to offer affordable life insurance, especially to gold miners and workers with uncertain incomes.

1870s–1940s
Government Life expands nationwide, building a strong network of regional offices and becoming the country’s largest life insurer.

1953
Government Life becomes a separate statutory body under the Government Life Insurance Act.

1987
Government Life is renamed Tower Corporation during national corporatisation reforms.

1990
Ownership is transferred to policyholders under the Tower Corporation Act. Tower becomes a mutual organisation.

1999
Tower demutualises and becomes a shareholder-owned company listed on the NZ and Australian stock exchanges.

2014–2015
Tower sells its life insurance arm to Foundation Life; Foundation Life is created in January 2015.

Timaru-Specific Timeline

Early 1900s – First known Timaru location

Government Life Insurance Office in the Hay’s Buildings

c.1907–1950s

• Government Life had offices in the Hay’s Buildings (229–237 Stafford Street).

• This is confirmed by the Timaru District Council heritage assessment for the Hay’s Buildings.

• These offices were rented rooms, not owned by the department.

Early 1950s – Major expansion

Government Life purchases the Oxford Buildings

Early 1950s

• Government Life purchases the Oxford Buildings (148 Stafford Street), built 1924–25 for D. C. Turnbull & Co.

• After the purchase, the building becomes widely known locally as the Government Life Building.

• This move reflects the growth of Government Life in Timaru and the need for a larger, more permanent presence.

1973–1976 – The new high-rise era

Construction of the Eight-Storey Government Life Building

December 1973

• Construction begins on a new eight-storey Government Life tower on George Street.

• Its huge crane becomes a temporary Timaru landmark.

1974–1976

• The building grows level by level, drawing public interest as the tallest structure in the CBD.

1976

• The building is officially opened.

• It houses Government Life and several government departments, including: Inland Revenue, Social Welfare, Customs, Department of Health, and Ministry of Works

This building marked the peak of government presence in central Timaru.

Late 1980s–1990s – After corporatisation

Changes to Government Life’s footprint

• After Government Life becomes Tower Corporation (1987) and then mutualised (1990), office rationalisation begins.

• Many regional offices reduce staffing or close as services become more centralised and later digitised.

After 1999 – Post-demutualisation

• Tower continues to operate in NZ as a private company.

• The old Government Life tower on George Street remains a commercial office building with changing tenants over time.

Summary: A Timaru Story in Three Buildings

In Timaru, the story of Government Life can be traced through three distinct sites, each representing a chapter in New Zealand’s public-service history:

1. Hay’s Buildings – rented rooms in the early 1900s.
   Government Life begins modestly in Timaru.

2. Oxford Buildings – purchased in the early 1950s.
   A strong, stable government presence in the centre of town.

3. George Street Tower – built 1973–76.
   The high point of government centralisation and local employment.

Each location marks a shift in how the government served its people, from personal face-to-face contact to later layers of corporatisation and digital transformation.