Business in Rotorua : Timber Mills

Early Timber Mills c.1888-1915.

Book Review : Tall trees & tramways / by Bryon Somervell c2011.

Mr Somervell, local Rotorua resident until his death in 2013, wrote this book about the early mills of Mamaku, Rotoiti, Ngatira, Oropi, Te Whaiti, Urewera, Maungapohatu, Pukareao and Reporoa-Rerewhakaaitu, and the tram-ways built to transport the timber to sale yards.

Most of these mills are no longer in business, but in their heyday when native trees were plentiful, the owners employed many men in various jobs.  The earliest mill belonged to the Steele brothers who were able to purchase leases, from the government railways owners, of bush land in what is known as Mamaku, in 1888. The brothers continued in business until 1954, owning some land also in Tutanekai Street which bordered Amohia & Eruera Streets, of Rotorua where they sold the timber, built an Assembly Hall and a stately home.   Other early pioneers in this industry were the Kusabs brothers, A.W. Roe & Co., Arahiwi Timber Co., and a number of smaller mills.   The author has researched widely and in depth to bring us this fascinating look at Rotorua history and the founding industry that continues to this day.   Illustrated throughout with photographs and maps.

Steele's Assembly Hall, Tutanekai Street. Original photograph owned by Rotorua Museum

Business in Rotorua : A spotlight on Tutanekai Street

Businesses of Tutanekai Street 

Tutanekai Street named after the famous Te Arawa Chief who fell in love with Hinemoa highborn chieftainess of Owhata.

When the Rotorua Town was formally laid out, Tutanekai Street began with Hotels and Guest Houses as the main businesses, Steele's timber yard, C.A.C. Clarke's Cordial Factory and little else as Arawa Street was the focus of the CBD at that time.

Many of the buildings we see today on Tutanekai Street were built in the late 1920's to 1930's such as Graeff's Building, Woolliams Building, Musgrave's Building, Inverness Building, French's Building (demolished 2016), Jubilee Building, Harris & Co Building, Central Chambers, Mokoia Buildings and the Rotorua Buildings.

Photograph by Faeryl Rotherham,
Other photographs of building facades can be seen on Kete Rotorua

Hotels and Guest Houses of Tutanekai Street
Tarawera House c.1891
Windsor House c1898
The Palace Hotel (moved to Tutanekai from Lake Road) c.1899
The Waiwera built 1903
The Australia built c.1900
Thirwell House c. 1901
The Empire built c.1907
The Waverley c.1917

Postcard from the Dave Fuller Collection

Rotorua's 1st Assembly Hall was built by the Steele Bros. who owned a large Timber Yard on the corner of Eruera and Tutanekai Streets in 1899. This was to continue as Royal Pictures,  King's Theatre and later the Majestic Ballroom. Dismantled in the 1930's to make way for McKenzies Department Store.

Published in the Daily Post, City Celebration Issue, January 1963

Industry in Rotorua : the early years

Industry providing jobs in Rotorua c.1880's-1930's 

Rotorua has long been the stronghold for saw milling.  One of the 1st mills was the Rotoiti Sawmill Co. which was established at the lake edge, the other belonged to the Steele Brothers leased in 1888 in the Maraeroa-Oturoa block and not long after this they set up a new timber yard which was sited on the corner of Eruera and Tutanekai Streets and took up the entire block back to Amohia Street. 

Don Stafford records in his 'Founding years of Rotorua',  that "Railway construction, probably more than anything else, gave impetus to the development of a timber industry for Rotorua" 

Joan Boyd records for us the history of Afforestation in NZ and principally here in Rotorua in her book 'Rotorua forests : a history' c.1980.  

By the late 1890's a nursery was set up in Rotorua at the foot of the hills adjacent to the Whakarewarewa thermal area 1. , following this afforestation began in 1901 at Waiotapu, the planting of the trees was undertaken by good-conduct prisoners at the Waiotapu Prison Camp. 2.  This planting continued apace and by "1926 some 47,000 acres had been planted on the Kaingaroa-Waiotapu blocks." 

Joan's book gives a great insight into why Rotorua still has a forestry industry today. 

Another not so well-known industry in Rotorua c.1889-1900 was Sulphur Mining which was started by a Mr J.H. Taylor c.1889 when he purchased two pieces of land which encompassed the area "known locally as 'Sodom and Gomorrah' as sulphur deposits there were substantial" p.318 by 1893 Mr Taylor had sold his sulphur business to a Mr Wilson, By then other sulphur deposits were being worked by Maori... in Tikitere and Taheke" p.319. Don Stafford records that during this time "shipments of 100 tons to Auckland were not uncommon. Francis Moss Boord was one of the 1st and probably largest dealers."

Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19021211-4-3

Another industry in Rotorua in the 1920's was our Rotorua 'mud' which made good 'face powder' which 'takes the tone of any complexion' as reported in the Bay of Plenty Times 4.8.1927. This industry was still very much in vogue in 1936 when the Rotorua Morning Post reported this :'Tourist Department workman commenced excavating a quantity of thermal mud from a blowhole on the Arikikapakapa extension reserve' to be sent to health spas in England.

With thanks to the Don Stafford Collection, Commerce folder for this interesting snippet. 

*Tourists of today are still buying Rotorua Mud products at all good souvenir shops.


To read more of Rotorua's history look out for books by Don Stafford, Phil Andrews and Enid Tapsell.

 

Iconic Business of Rotorua Past

A Spotlight on C. A. Clarke & Son Ltd

Advertising in Wise’s N.Z. Post Office Directory 1954

You can view this advertisement at www.ancestry.com via the Rotorua District Library

Bottling began in 1883 in a shed at Utuhina, and by 1967 the firm had some 30 employees.  The factory was on Tutanekai Street , where the Novotel Hotel is now (2012). The plant was probably the only cordial factory in the world to operate on geothermal steam. Their bottles all had the letters 'CAC' on them in glass raised letters. 

A new factory opened at Ngapuna on Friday 1^st December, 1967. It incorporated a heat exchange system that generated the steam and hot water required to sterilise bottles.

When the factory moved to Ngapuna it was where the Timber Yards are now (2012). The site on Tutanekai Street was bought by Reg Durrant who operated a supermarket there, called DURRANTS, and later it changed hands becoming a Woolworths Supermarket. 

Four generations of the Clarke family were involved in the manufacture of aerated waters and cordials.

You can view this image at Kete Rotorua

http://rotorua.kete.net.nz/rotorua_local_history_businesses/topics/show/140-c-a-clarke-and-son-ltd

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)

Who's Who in Rotorua

Here's a sample of Who in 1964

Star Electrical existed in Rotorua from the early 1960s as two separate shops, one on each side of Tutanekai Street. By 1967 the site of the Old Empire Hotel was bought by R. Archibald and the hotel demolished by Flowerdays Demolition Co. for £5000.

Star Building was then built to join the two shops together as one.  This building now houses the Dollar Value shop, Pagani fashion store and Vegas fashion (2012)

This photograph taken by Library Staff in 2012.

From the 1964 Who's Who in Rotorua.

 Rotorua Library has, from 1961-1990, the 'Who's Who in Rotorua' publication which gives a snapshot of Rotorua's business heritage.