Daniel West was active as an architect in Timaru from the late 1850s until shortly after 1902. His career began in the 1850s when he arrived in New Zealand and worked as a carpenter before establishing himself as an architect. From 1870 onwards, he held the position of architect to the South Canterbury Education Board and was responsible for designing numerous school and commercial buildings in the region.
His major works include the Royal Hotel from 1859, the Old Bank Hotel in 1876, James Shepherd’s Store built between 1880 and 1881, and the Tourist Cycle Works in 1900. In 1907, shortly before his retirement, he partnered briefly with Hall to design the Arcade Chambers.
The Timaru Custom House represents the final phase of Daniel West’s architectural practice. It shows his transition from the Victorian-influenced commercial buildings of the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s to the more restrained and formal classical style used in public architecture after 1900. The building remains a rare surviving example of early 1900s customs infrastructure in Timaru and is significant for its association with one of the town’s most influential architects.
1880-81
James Shepherd’s Store
36 Stafford St & 11 North St
Daniel West
Victorian Commercial Classicism
1892
South Canterbury Times
16 Church St
West & Barber
Commercial Classicism
1876
Old Bank Hotel
232 Stafford St
Daniel West
Commercial Classicism
1872, 1876, 1886 & 1912
Dominion Hotel
334-336 Stafford St
West & Barber (1885/86);
Thomas Lusk (1912)
Edwardian Commercial Baroque
1901-2
Custom House
2 Strathallan St
Daniel West
Neoclassical
1859 + 1862 + 1872 + 1890
Royal Hotel
20 Cains Tce / 1-5 Beswick St
Daniel West
Victorian Commercial Classicism
1902
McKeown Building
Royal Arcade
200 Stafford St
Daniel West
Victorian Commercial Classical
1907
The Arcade Chambers
/Bowker Building
17 Royal Arcade
West & Hall
English Renaissance
1900
Tourist Cycle Works
187 Stafford St
Daniel West
Victorian Commercial Classical