Hawkridge to Mayfield House

Mayfield House, previously  known as Hawkridge, has been part of Tauranga since 1905. It was located on Moffats Road, Bethlehem, Tauranga, on a 144-acre portion of land. Constructed by James William Oliver, the house was typical of New Zealand homes of the time, featuring weatherboard cladding, a corrugated iron roof, a gable-fronted room on the left, and a verandah across the front. The house also had three sash windows onto the verandah, a finial on each gable, and two brick chimneys—one likely for a fireplace and the other for the kitchen. Oliver was a dairy farmer, the son of Charles and Martha Oliver, who had purchased 820 acres in 1899 near Bethlehem, Tauranga. James Oliver's portion of 144 acres sat alongside the main Waihi highway. After clearing enough land for farming, he began constructing his home.

The kauri timber used in Mayfield House was transported from Mercury Bay in the Coromandel. It arrived down the coast by the scow "Pearl" and was brought through Tauranga Harbour to the Wairoa Bridge. From there, horse-drawn drays delivered the timber to the building site. The cost for timber and delivery was ten to fifteen shillings per one hundred feet. Puriri blocks served as the foundation, and the roof and guttering were provided by Chappell's Hardware in Tauranga.

In November 1909, James Oliver sold the property to Major Edwin Mayfield, an Englishman and former army officer. Mayfield, who had also trained as a solicitor at Cambridge University and played rugby for the university, named the home Hawkridge. He added a new wing to the building to accommodate his family of six children—five sons and a daughter.

Major Mayfield saw great potential in the local climate for fruit growing. He and his partner Neil Chater bought the original Golden Queen peach cuttings from the Reeve family and established a canning factory on the property, producing canned fruit under the brand 'Tauranga Peaches, Hawkridge Orchards.' He partnered with a relative, Mr. N. Chater, to plant 60 acres of peaches, apples, and pears. The initial success led them to establish a canning factory on the property to distribute Golden Queen peaches across New Zealand. Unfortunately, the fruit venture was short-lived. By the 1920s, peach crops were decimated by ripe rot, pear trees were cut down due to government orders following fire blight outbreaks, and apples failed to thrive. The focus shifted to growing grapefruit and other citrus fruits, with Hawkridge Orchards becoming known for these crops. In the 1930s, there was even an attempt to grow tobacco, but this was short-lived.

In 1926, Major Mayfield returned to England, leaving the property under the management of his sons Gerrard and Athelston. Gerrard lived in the house with his family, but both brothers left to serve in World War II. Only Athelston returned. After the war, Athelston sold much of the land, retaining just 20 acres of citrus and the family home. By 1966, all of the land except for the house and two and a quarter acres had been sold, and the property was then owned by Mr. T. Gower. The Mayfields continued to live at Hawkridge for nearly fifty more years.

In the early days of Tauranga, the Mayfield House was not just a home but also a social hub. It hosted weddings, christenings, birthday celebrations, and festive gatherings. With no electricity, telephone, or nearby shops, homes like Mayfield House were pivotal in community life. The property’s spacious lawns saw croquet and tennis matches, children’s games, and marquee events for special occasions. Kerosene lamps and candlelight illuminated the formal gatherings held on the grounds, and a well provided water and served as an icebox for home-brewed beverages. An underground chamber was used for food storage before the advent of refrigeration.

In 1995, Sir Paul Adams, a local developer, purchased the property. He later offered Mayfield House to Tauranga Boys' College, which accepted it as a valuable addition to their educational facilities. As part of his development plans, he offered Mayfield House to Tauranga Boys' College to be used as a learning centre. The house was moved to its current site on Nicholson Field at Tauranga Boys' College in May 1995, where it became part of the educational facilities. Today, Mayfield House serves as a sports pavilion overlooking the cricket pitch, ensuring its continued presence and use within the community.