Three years after Napier was founded in 1851, Alfred Domett was appointed as secretary of the New Zealand colony and located in Ahuriri as its magistrate. He was instrumental in designating Napier as a borough (self-governing town) in 1874. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the event, the harp-shaped Napier Carillon was erected in Clive Square in 1974. It was a gift of Rothmans Tobacco Company. Rothmans of Pall Mall purchased the local National Tobacco Company in 1956. Every day from 11:30 a. m. until 2:00 p. m., the 19 bells ring out with engaging music on the half hour. Originally, the songs were played using a manual keyboard. Since 1997, a computer generates the four tunes heard during each segment. The musical selections rotate frequently.
