Rotorua at Christmas Time, 30 Years Ago

Christmas 1988

As Christmas nears once more I thought it would be fun to look back 😊 

Daily Post, 23rd December 1988.

Can you remember when :

Your holiday movies were at the Odeon Theatre and the Majestic Theatre.

Your Christmas dinner of Roast Lamb leg, didn't actually cost you and arm and leg.

You could take your Christmas visitors to see the new Water Organ in the Orchid Gardens.

Daily Post - December 20th, 1988 pg.1

Or in the wet weather you could rent a video or two from DIC.

Your holiday snaps could be developed in 1 Hour!.

A photo of your little one on Santa's knee was worthy of a space on the front page of the Daily Post.

Daily Post December 24th, 1988 pg.1

Geyser Court had many interesting shops and a cafe.

You could buy a house and be a landlord for under $100,000. 

At the Stock Cars the entry fee was $8 per adult and children for free if with an adult. BUT Unescorted Children had to pay $3 entry fee.  -- Huh, Unescorted Children, really!  

Your Holiday weather forecast was for a big storm and gale force winds. Known as Cyclone Eseta, We copped the tail end of the cyclone but it still caused 60 mm of rain to fall here in the 24 hours to 9.am on the 29th of December. Campers flocked to the shops because there was nothing else to do!

What else happened in 1988? 

• Sophia Street residents were evacuated from their homes as steam vents appeared in their lawns.
• Father Takuira Mariu, of Rotorua, was appointed as the country's first Maori Catholic bishop.
• Alpine horns were heard playing in Tutanekai Mall
• Susan Devoy won her fifth successive British Open title at Wembly
• Rotorua Round Table donated a Cot Death Monitor to the Rotorua Hospital
• The National Speedboat Championships at the Blue Lake 
• New Zealand's longest serving police woman, Senior Constable June Berry of Rotorua retired.
• An ancient .22 calibre pistol was stolen from the Rotorua Museum.
• The  NZ Maori Arts & Crafts Institute (Te Puia) staff went on strike over work-related conditions.
• Rotorua Maori Affairs staff were 'stunned' by the proposed abolition of their department.

You can reminisce along with us here at the Library any day! The Heritage & Research Area on the 2nd Floor has all the issues of the Daily Post on microfiche and film continuously from 1931-2018.  

See our list of available titles and dates for the Rotorua Newspapers here

Front cover of the Christmas Menu for the Denbies Guest House.
Courtesy of Mrs B. Reid

This post written by Alison

Business in Rotorua : a Then & Now project

From : Rotorua Public Relations Office, Tourist Guide c1969

Business in Rotorua
Then	Details	Now
The Old Grand	This was Rotorua’s old picture theatre. It was also used as stables, a cabaret, a skating rink and a furniture store.	Robert Harris Café 1205 Tutanekai Street
Durrants Super Value (Located at the north end of Tutanekai Street)	First major supermarket in Rotorua.	Do you have a memory about this business? Come in and tell us your story.
Arawa Wine & Food (106 Tutanekai Street)		Atticus Finch (1106 Tutanekai Street - Dwyer Building)
The Palace Hotel Originally at Ohinemutu (corner of Lake Road & Ranolf Street)	It was moved to the corner of Tutanekai and Arawa Streets	Do you have a memory about this business? Come in and tell us your story.
Sheaf’s Pharmacy (272 Tutanekai Street)	Proprietor Douglas E. Sheaf, operated from 1928 to 2003. Following the closure of Sheaf’s, this location housed McKenzie Fashions (closed in 2015).	Jubilee Café Deli (1202 Tutanekai Street – Jubilee Building)
C. A. Clark and Sons (located on Tutanekai Street)	An aerated drink factory, that was located on Tutanekai Street for 66 years.	Do you have a memory about this business? Come in and tell us your story.
Café Royal (48a Pukuatua Street)		Do you have a memory about this business? Come in and tell us your story
Odeon Theatre (1132 Tutanekai Street)	Built on the site of the old St James Theatre. The Odeon was originally to be named the ‘new’ St James Theatre. It opened on 21st March 1966 and closed 23rd September 1993. Owned and operated by Rotorua Civic Theatres Ltd, c1940… "Incorporated in the Odeon Theatre building are 8 shops, originally the idea was to create a ladies shopping  area with such shops as clothing, chemist, hairdresser, and cake retail" Excerpt from Daily Post. 18 March 1966	Destiny Church
Arjays Maternity Wear (68 Hinemoa Street)	This shop was located next to Wickett’s Drapers.	Do you have a memory about this business? Come in and tell us your story.
The Kensington (Fenton Street)	An eatery	Do you have a memory about this business? Come in and tell us your story.
Rotorua Printers (47 Haupapa Street)	Opposite Bryce’s Buildings where it was in c1940. The Commercial Printing Dept. moving to this site by 1957 and here it stayed until 2006.	Lakes Prime Care Radiology
RM Transport & NZ Rail/Road Services. (Northwest corner of Hinemoa and Tutanekai Streets		Royal Court Apartments (Hinemoa Street)