The Ray White office building stands pride of place on the corner of Waiuku’s Queen and
Bowen Streets, being one of the township’s original buildings and a survivor of the 1916 Waiuku fire.
Waiuku’s 1916 fire destroyed many buildings and offces in Queen Street.While it has been home to many businesses over the years, its present occupant – the Ray White Waiuku Real Estate team – is a perfect match.
Being a family business with a strong sense of values which underpins everything the company does, the Ray White team identifies with the town’s strong family values and pride in its heritage. Subsequently, it brings these same values to the local real estate market in a unique customer-centric approach.
The Ray White team agrees Waiuku is a great place for the young, the elderly and those looking to raise a family; that it is a town noted for its a ordability and complemented by a wonderful ruralinfluenced lifestyle, a fantastic surf beach and a peaceful harbour.
With a unique blend of living options including residential, lifestyle and rural properties, all within a short distance of the township, the team prides itself on matching the right person with the right property and providing an exceptional level of care and service just as it is a
match for their business ‘home’.
This business ‘home’ was constructed for Mr. Charles W. Flexman in about 1871 and soon became known as Flexman’s building. It is believed to be Waiuku’s second oldest commercial building, after the Kentish Hotel and still has numerous original weatherboards as well as the original kauri shingles in place underneath the roofing iron.
To put the era in context, the street was of course dirt in those early days and transport was by horseback. By 1908 our building was occupied by S. Perrin & Co, Universal Providors. Fortunately for the town – and today’s Ray White team – the building survived a disastrous fire on the opposite side of the street in 1916 and soon after the Waiuku Town Board declared part of the business district a ‘brick only’ area as a precaution against further fires.
By that time the ‘Flexman’s building’ had been taken over and refurbished for J. Black, Tailor and General Draper. Today, it retains its original general form, however the upper storey windows were replaced in 1970 and the present owner has recently added a set of windows identical to the originals. He has plans to restore the appearance of the building’s upper storey to that of 100 years ago.