Book reviews - celebrating Rotorua's history

This week we review some gems in our collection, which celebrate Rotorua's history and people.

100 years of Rotorua / by Ian Rockel

This book was published in 1979 by then Rotorua Museum director Ian Rockel, ahead of the 1980 Rotorua Centenary.

Rockel divides the book into sections looking at various aspects of Rotorua's history including growth, tourism, industry, forestry, people, construction, transport, government, farming, church, and the district's founding settlers.

The book also features over 150 photographs illustrating the history of Rotorua's first 100 years.

This book can be found on the 1st Floor,
NZ History / Travel and 2nd Floor Rotorua Heritage at 993.423Z ONE

This book review was written by Graeme


The Parish of Rotorua, 1889-1989: 100 years by St Luke's Church, Rotorua

This book was published to celebrate 100 years of St Luke's Anglican Church in Rotorua. The cover shows the original St Luke's (circa. 1905) and the replacement St Luke's which opened in 1975.

Beginning with  a brief history of early missionaries in Rotorua, the book then contains snapshots of events and meeting minutes, celebrating the years. Photographs illustrate throughout.

Features of the "new" church are described, along with a list of the vicars who had served over the 100 years.

The book concludes with a look to the future, and the centennial programme for the for the week long celebrations.

This book can be found on the 2nd Floor, in the Don Stafford Room
 in the Rotorua Heritage Collection at 289.93 PAR

This book review was written by Trish

City of Rotorua Museum and Arts Centre / published by Rotorua City Council c.1969?

This booklet was published to showcase the new museum which opened officially on the 1^st November 1969.

Their aims for this museum were ‘to reflect the background and perhaps foretell the future of this vibrant district’

‘It has been established and is supported entirely by the Rotorua City Council in the belief that such an institution is a pre-requisite to the cultural maturity of a growing city’

The booklet shows the grandeur of the Bath House in black & white photographs and describes the very first exhibitions.  At this time the Art Gallery was in a small corner of the museum and was managed by the Rotorua Society of Arts.

Don Stafford, here pictured as curator of the Museum : With thanks to the Daily Post
for this article published in 'Picture Post' July 1969 pg. 15

The Government Gardens / Philip Andrews c2005

This colourful and informative book was written by local historian Mr Phil Andrews. His introduction sets the scene with this description of the land before it became the Government Gardens that we know and love today.  It was described as “dreary, swampy, scrubby place… a howling wilderness”

The Fenton Agreement which was signed in 1880 was debated and negotiated between the Te Komiti Nui o Rotorua (The Great Committee) and Judge Fenton on behalf of the government of the day. 

Phil gives us a readable history of each of the many features and buildings of the gardens and throughout this book there are photographs of what it once was and how it was in c2005 as photographed mostly by John Wheadon. 

The older photographs and postcards were supplied from various sources as noted with each image.  Phil includes aerial photographs which show the location of each historical feature in the gardens and also the wider Sanatorium Reserve Sites.

A number of the features, buildings and memorials have been restored to their original pristine state, with the Bath House still awaiting earthquake strengthening and upgrade of the buildings most historic features. 

Photo by Alison Leigh 2013

These book reviews written by Alison

The Pride of a Century: the Daily Post centennial issue, August 28, 1980

Stories are amazing and can instil in the listener or reader a sense of tradition and history. For this writer, my imagination was stimulated. I was able to see through the lens of story-telling the pride that local people have in their place, their town, their city. The issue is more the development of a township with its history of tourism and unique thermal attractions. The stories reflect a sense of pride in the people and events that shaped this place, Rotorua. Some highlights include a historical timeline spanning 630 years from the discoveries of Ihenga to the amalgamated local government body, The Rotorua District Council. One of my favourites I have to stay are the stories of the development of transport from the horse drawn to horse powered. There was one advertisement that brought back memories of the 80s and the 'big hair' fashion trend. Thank you to the "Hair Shop and Rodneys Hairdressing Salons".

Features of the issue:

• Thermal nurseries - garden centre
• Two Miss New Zealand's - Maureen Waaka 1962, Linda Ritchie 1971
• The creation of the township of Rotorua and local government
• Memories of how the town has changed through the eyese of local people
• Notable people in Rotorua's history: Rotohiko Haupapa, Guide Rangi, Roger Dansey
• Advertisements such as, "Aunt Janet's Prize Baking Flour"
• The land wars
• The growth at Ohinemutu
• Introducing electricity
• Congratulations from local businesses
• Te Arawa Maori Trust Board created as a result of the Tamihana Korokai vs The Solicitor General case
• Sports
• One of Rotorua's oldest drapery firms, The Gardner Group
• Tourism - unique thermal attractions i.e. pink & white terraces, thermal pools, geysers
• Mokoia Island history
• Whakarewarewa
• Transport
• The eruption
• The world wars
• Services - police
• My favourite - The Hair Shop and Rodneys Hairdressing Salons

Advertisement, The Hair Shop and Rodneys

This centennial issue of The Daily Post can be found in
 the Don Stafford Room at 993.423Z PRI OVERSIZE

The book review was written by Ani

Missionaries and Early Rotorua Churches

Missions 1831-1880's : Church of England

c.1831 Thomas Chapman & Archdeacon Henry Williams. [Church of England] His 1st Visit to this region.

Part of an Embroidered Wall Hanging, showing the Chapman family,
done by Rotorua Embroider's Guild for the Rotorua Library.

c.1835 Te Koutu Mission Station - destroyed by Te Waharoa 6 Aug 1836.

c.1838 Chapman returns with Mr & Mrs Morgan set up on Mokoia Island.  Mrs Morgan gives birth to the first European child in the district, sadly he died just months later on 16 October 1838 and is buried on Mokoia Is. She had another son 1 month prematurely before leaving the island in 1839.

The Morgan’s left Rotorua c.October 1840 after Mrs Morgan began suffering ill health and it was decided she would be better in Tauranga.

Chapman carries on without the Morgan’s and work gets underway for a new mission at Te Ngae.

1843 Bishop Selwyn arrives on 31^st Oct and conducted the Confirmation within the bounds of the ‘Diocese of Waiapu’ 55 Maori were confirmed.

Chapman returns to Rotorua in 1843 and Rev. Spencer .... 

1843 Rev. Seymour M. Spencer arrived at the Te Ngae Mission and resides there until 1845 leaving the area due to ongoing unrest between tribes he moves his family to Kariri at Lake Tarawera where he establishes Te Mu, and is in residence there until c.1861 He is then posted to Auckland leaving the whole Maketu-Rotorua area in the care of Ihaia Te Ahu.     Spencer returns often but Te Kooti’s attack on Te Arawa forced the abandonment of Te Mu.

The 1870's passes without a permanent priest or church existing in the area. Periodically there were visits from various Priests - Marist, Benedictine and Franciscan. 

1876 Chapman returns to visit his Mokoia Island mission, only to die overcome by heat in Hinemoa’ s Pool on 22 Dec 1876. His body was taken to Maketu to be buried with his first wife who had predeceased him in 1855. 

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume X, Issue 1084, 30 August 1881 

from Papers Past

1880-1881 Principal Arawa chiefs are making moves to set aside a piece of land at Ohinemutu to build a church, it was to be called St Faith’s.  Part of the Muruika Peninsula is decided on and locals called in Tuhoto to lift the tapu on the area which was a burial ground for earlier residents of that pa.  

Reverend Ihaia Te Ahu is appointed 1^st Vicar of St Faith’s in 1882 and remains until 1889.

St Faith’s is consecrated in 1885. The following postcard shows both the original St Faith's 1885 and the new St Faith's 1914.

Postcard : Overlooking Ohinemutu, circa 1930s. St Faith's Church is visible.
Photograph taken by Sydney Charles Smith. PAColl-5932-33 Alexander Turnbull Library.

Rev. F.H. Spencer (son of Seymour) took up residence there in 1887 and remains until 1895.

Rev. S. Ingle arrived to take the post in 1896 and Ratema Te Awekotuku is admitted as a deacon. Te Awekotuku serves there until 1902 followed by Walter Tuahangata Fraser until 1905. 

Frederick Augustus Bennett (born Ohinemutu 1871) is ordained as a deacon in 1896, followed by in 1897 as a priest… takes charge of St Faith’s c.1905-1917 he is ordained as the 1^st Bishop of Aotearoa. Serves until his death in 1950 and is buried under the sanctuary of ‘his’ church.  During his time the new St Faith’s was built and the older one moved and turned to face west c1910 it was still used as a Sunday school & church hall until Feb 1936 when it collapsed during a severe gale. The pieces of the old church were then removed from the site altogether.

Find more information here on the official St Faith's website