Temporary Hillcrest Library to open at Hamilton Gardens


Image caption: Libraries Director Paula Murdoch at the entry to the soon-to-be Hillcrest Library at the Gardens.

Hamilton City Libraries is excited to announce a temporary home for Hillcrest Library while work continues at its Masters Avenue site. 

The new space, called Hillcrest Library at the Gardens, will open in the former Wintec building at Hamilton Gardens before the end of November. 

Libraries Director Paula Murdoch says the team is thrilled to keep services available for the Hillcrest community. 

“We know how important Hillcrest Library is to its community, so we’re delighted to offer this temporary space,” said Murdoch.  

“It means people can keep borrowing, attending events, and enjoying everything they love about their library while we work to recover from the fire damage.” 

Hillcrest Library at the Gardens will feature a smaller collection drawn from the wider Hamilton Libraries network, along with regular events and programmes. Customers can place holds on any item for free for pickup at the Hillcrest Library at the Gardens site. 

Murdoch explained why the books from the Hillcrest Library couldn’t be reused.  

“Unfortunately, smoke and water from the fire caused major, irreversible damage to the books. We’ve safely disposed of the books and are working on rebuilding the collection.” 

Minor building work is underway to prepare the space. 

“This is a great example of how we can adapt and keep delivering for our community,” says Murdoch.  

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to Hillcrest Library at the Gardens very soon.” 

Updates and the confirmed opening date will be shared on the Hamilton City Libraries website and social media channels. 

Frequently asked questions

We’re working to get the former Wintec building ready to open before the end of November. Keep an eye on this page and our social media channels for the confirmed opening date.

It’s too early to say. We need the insurance processes, strip-out and indicative costs for fixing the building before we know any timeframes. The next elected Council will be tasked with deciding what the next steps are for the Masters Avenue building.

A book conservator has checked the condition of the books that were onsite during the fire. Unfortunately, smoke and water caused major, irreversible damage to the books. We’ve safely disposed of the books and are working on rebuilding the collection.

Books can be returned to any other Hamilton City Libraries branch or some Hamilton City Council facilities.

All holds that would have gone to Hillcrest are being sent to Chartwell Library. If you have a hold but would prefer to pick it up from a different library, contact our team and we can arrange that for you.

When Hillcrest Library at the Gardens is open, holds collected from here will be free of charge.

Follow Hamilton City Libraries on Facebook, check back in on this page, or sign up to our monthly newsletter, ePaanui, for email updates.

In August 2025, a fire broke out at the dairy next to Hillcrest Library. As a result, the library at the Masters Avenue site is temporarily closed.

What happened?
The fire caused significant damage to the dairy, which was part of the same Council-owned building as the library. We have been working to keep the site and people safe, liaising with insurance providers, and determining the next steps for both the building and the library.

What we’ve done so far:

  • Secured the building for safety.

  • Started our insurance processes.

  • Approved Hamilton Gardens as a location for a pop-up library.

  • Safely disposed of collection items that suffered smoke and water damage.

What’s still to come:

  • Announcement of the opening date for Hillcrest Library at the Gardens.

  • Working through our insurance claims to rebuild our collection.

  • Internal strip-out of damaged wall linings, flooring, and ceiling material to understand the full extent of the damage.

  • Council to decide what the next steps are for the Masters Avenue building.