Rotorua Early Settler Family : Family History Month 2019

Brief  History of the Woolliams Family

Woolliams is a well-known name in Rotorua as it seems two brothers Louis and Thomas Edwin moved to Rotorua in 1905. In c1903 their father had moved here from Tauranga, as his death notice in the NZ Herald suggests that, perhaps he retired here.

Louis Woolliams managed/ and or owned the Thirwell Guest House on the corner of Eruera and Tutanekai Streets while he was working there he had another Guest House built further up Eruera Street which opened in 1909, this was the Mansions Private Hotel which remained in business until it was given to Waikato Health Board – see Daily Post, 9.03.1964. It was then demolished c1965/66 to make way for the new T&G Building a three storey office block.  Louis was very active in the Rotorua Business scene and was a Borough Councillor from 1923-1928, returning in 1933-until his death in 1939. See his full obituary in Evening Post 13 July 1939. Source:  Papers Past.

Thomas E. Woolliams was employed by Mr R. Griffiths of Arawa House, on various contracts, which he did for two years. He moved on to be a driver for the Rotorua Transport Co., then worked in forestry and later the Borough Council. Thomas and his wife Henrietta left Rotorua to move to Hawera in c1934 for health reasons. See his full obituary in Bay of Plenty Times, 22 July 1938. Source: Papers Past.

On the corner of Eruera & Tutanekai Streets a building which incorporates several shops still has the name Woolliams Building on the façade and the date 1931. From an earlier news article printed in the Thames Star, 23 July 1923 - Mr T. Woolliams owned a block of shops which was destroyed by fire, on this same site.

This photograph shows the Woolliams Building, taken by Alison 7th August 2019.

Since this time there have been other well-known members of the Woolliams family also involved in Council, Mayor T. Ray Woolliams who also owned and ran Fairy Springs, Hells Gate and Waimangu Thermal Valley. Owned an IGA in Eruera Street and then opened the Foodlands Supermarket in Hinemoa Street.

Portrait taken for the Mayor's Hall of Fame at
Rotorua District Council 1979.

To read more about this family see Don Stafford’s history of  Rotorua books.  I also found members of the family in Births, Deaths & Marriages Historical Records, Archives NZ, The AW Cenotaph Database, and the Bay of Plenty/Rotorua Electoral rolls online via Ancestry.com,  these sources along with Papers Past have provided quite a bit of genealogy information.

This is just one family that have seen Rotorua develop as a thriving city.  There are many more which can be researched in the Heritage and Research collection of the Rotorua Library. Talk to our staff on the 2^nd floor for more help in tracing your family members whether from Rotorua or elsewhere in NZ.

This post written by Alison, with thanks to the Don Stafford Collection.