Old Tauranga: Reminiscences of Sixty Years Ago - notes by Henry J Vickery

Mr H. J. Vickery, in a letter to the Editor, gives his reminiscences of Tauranga sixty years ago as follows:

After having put in seven years at the Thames goldfields, the trade slackened and an arrival from Tauranga stated that things were booming there, and anyone who could use a saw and hammer could get a “bob” an hour, so I decided to try Tauranga. The s.s. Southern Cross was running at that time, Captain Sellars being in charge. Garraway, a West Indian gentleman, was mate. Chris Faulkner and Ted Ainsley were boys on the boat at that time.

We landed at Tauranga on November 20, 1874. The shops on the Strand were very small. There was a butcher’s shop, and a baker’s. Mick Leahy had a shoe shop, the late George Bonner being with him. There were two hotels on the Strand—the Masonic and the Tauranga, on the present sites. Mr Morrison had another hotel at the corner of Willow Street and Harington Street.

The Strand shops from Harington Street to Hamilton Street were all burnt down about fifty-two years ago. Another fire destroyed that portion from Wharf Street to Fred Bates’ boot shop.

Now for the buildings on the Camp. There were about three. Mr Walmsley had one house and Sergeant-Major Heeney another. Mr Wm. Salt and Mr Tommy Whitaker lived there also.

We had horse racing on the Camp one year. The Mounteds used to practise there.

In Harington Street the buildings on the north side comprised the old wooden post office, which resembled a church. Mr Sheath was postmaster and used to wear a bell-topper.

In Hamilton Street there was one little house on the north side, the rest of the street being bare. On the south side Samuel and Jacobson had a corner shop and there was a dwelling house next door occupied by Mr Kohler. Mr Kohler fell in the harbour one night and was drowned. Further up the street Mrs Lemon had a boarding house.

In Wharf Street there were no buildings on the north side. On the south side was Mr Bodell’s shop at the corner, next Peter Shaughnessy’s tailor’s shop. Next was a shop kept by Captain Norris. On the site of Carter’s corner shop was a blacksmith’s shop owned by Salt and Sons. Right up to the top of the street was an open space. Mr Campney was having a house built where Mr Green now resides.

Spring Street, where the Star Hotel now stands, used to be a duck pond, surrounded with yellow daisies. There used to be a town pump in front of where the Regent Theatre now is. The late Mr James Fenton had a firewood yard by the side. At the corner of Durham Street Davy Bill had a livery and bait stables and for some distance down Durham Street Mr Saunders had a market garden. Mr Mickey Hannon was having a new house built in Durham Street. It is still there. There were about four houses in Durham Street at that time and plenty of briar bushes. Briars also flourished in Elizabeth Street.

First Avenue (on the north side), was all horse paddocks. On the south side of First Avenue there were four houses—one where Mr J. Page now lives. Other houses were occupied by Mr A. W. Burrows, Mr P. Collins, and the corner house by Dr Armitage.

In Second Avenue, on the north side, was an open space, and on the south side Shuff Redfern lived in a cottage, which has since been enlarged and is still occupied. A small cottage lower down was occupied by Mrs Jones.

In Third Avenue, on the north side, the late Mr Bickers used to reside. The south side was bare.

Fourth Avenue was all bare and in Fifth Avenue there was one house at the Cameron Road corner. I believe the late Captain Tovey lived there.

Sixth Avenue was bare and the other Avenues have been built on since.

In Devonport Road, on the eastern side, opposite the Star Hotel, lived Mr Abraham Warbrick. Next was Jimmy Tadhunter’s boarding house. Further up the late Captain Tunks used to live. Next was Captain Turner’s house, which was the last one on the eastern side. On the western side there was a little cottage where the late Mr Wm. Harvey used to live, it is still standing. Devonport Road was about bare of houses all the way up the western side.

Cameron Road was very bare, however. There was the Catholic Church (Father Mahoney). This church was re-built later. There were no houses until one reached Mr John Conway’s. There was another house close by. A little further on was another cottage where the late Mr Darby used to live. On the west side of Cameron Road there was Mr Crabbe’s store. On the Sixth Avenue was where the late Mr Hartis Piercey had his stables. Some old residents will remember old Tom Snowden and Jasper, who used to work for Mr Piercey.

I forgot to mention that in Spring Street, where the Power Board’s office stands, there used to be the Springwell brewery owned by Messrs Wrigley and Sons.

Where the Presbyterian Church now stands was an open space and covered with Bathurst burr.

Things took a start when the Katikati settlers arrived. We were building the Bank of New Zealand at that time.

The tourists for Rotorua used to travel via Tauranga. People bought property, of course, on mortgage. When the railway was finished from Auckland to Rotorua, oh! didn’t things go down. There was nothing doing, and it was a job to live here.

Where Mr E. E. Hammond now lives in Second Avenue Mr Vickery sold that section, three-quarters of an acre, for £50. The house that I now live in comprised four rooms then, with a quarter of an acre, was sold for £65. The rent I used to pay was two shillings a week.

When the Te Puke settlers arrived in Tauranga by the Lady Jocelyn, we were building the Star Hotel for the late Mr Thomas Wrigley.

I notice that there is a new building going up in Second Avenue and that about fills the Avenue. We are now ready to have the street beautified.

Three churches have been built since I came here. The old Catholic Church is used as the presbytery. The late Canon Jordan was preaching at the Quarter Acres, in an old school house in Eleventh Avenue.

These are the old residents who will remember these old times, as near as I can remember: Canon Jordan, Mrs Norris, Messrs James Munro, Jack Kennedy and Fred Kennedy, H. J. Bickers and T. Crabbe, Archie Snodgrass, the Youngs (Te Puna), Mrs Lesvey, and Mr and Mrs W. Harvey.

Source: “Old Tauranga: Reminiscences of Sixty Years Ago—Notes by Mr H. J. Vickery,” Bay of Plenty Times, vol. LXII, issue 11477, 23 July 1934, p. 2.