Bellamy's (or Bellamys) is the name given to the in-house catering service and dining facilities of the New Zealand Parliament. Named after an earlier British parliamentary institution, Bellamy's has been in existence since the establishment of the New Zealand Parliament in the 1850s. Originally the service was used exclusively by members of Parliament (MPs) and their guests, but now includes a restaurant open to the public. Bellamy's has been based in the Beehive since the summer of 1975–76.

History

John Bellamy was the deputy housekeeper of the British House of Commons who, in 1773, set up a small dining room for MPs. The original dining service expanded to include several lobbies for exclusive use of MPs. The British Bellamy's was destroyed in the

burning of Parliament The Palace of Westminster, the medieval royal palace used as the home of the British parliament, was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834. The blaze was caused by the burning of small wooden tally sticks which had been used as part o ...

in 1834. The name ''Bellamy's'' was later adopted by New Zealand's colonial parliament for its refreshment facility. New Zealand's earliest Bellamy's in 1854 was a lean-to attached to the rear of the

General Assembly House The General Assembly House, colloquially called "Shedifice" by the members of Parliament, was the first building to house the New Zealand Parliament in Auckland. It was in use by Parliament from 1854 until 1864 during the time that Auckland wa ...

, Auckland. In 1854 the first Bill passed by the New Zealand Parliament was the Licensing Amendment Act (informally called the "Bellamy's Bill") that permitted the sale of alcohol on the premises of Parliament. Bellamy's was modelled as a premier dining facility; silver plate, crockery and table linen were shipped from Britain. With the relocation of Parliament, Bellamy's moved to Wellington in either 1865 or 1867. In 1907 a fire destroyed the parliament buildings, including Bellamy's dining hall. Bellamy's was then based in Government House to the south of

Parliament House Parliament House may refer to: Australia * Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia * Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia * Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland * Parliament House, Darwin, Parliame ...

until its demolition for the construction of the Beehive in the 1970s. Bellamy's dining hall served as the main social gathering place for MPs and their guests. It was originally closed to women; the "No Women Permitted" sign over the dining hall was taken down in 1933 when the first female MP, Elizabeth McCombs, was elected. In the 1990s, the catering service was opened to all parliamentary staff as well as MPs. , a restaurant called ''Bellamy's by Logan Brown'' is located on the third floor of the Beehive, with table reservations now available to all members of the public. Other facilities include a members' only dining room and ''Pickwick's Bar''.

References

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External links

Bellamys by Logan Brown
Catering and food service companies of New Zealand 1854 establishments in New Zealand Parliament of New Zealand Companies based in Wellington

History

See also

References

External links