HELENSVILLE HOT SPRINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 70, 23 March 1910, Page 5

HELENSVILLE HOT SPRINGS.

- _' ~ -■ ..»„.,,' '.-...' .'.•.."*.' THE NORTHERN rTKAT.T-t' : RESORT. NEW BATH BTjfIJjiNGS. OPENING -CEa__MpN_:. — ■'" -'■■ (By Telegraph.--Own Reporter.) ~- ;.-•-. ; f '.',',',.'.' .... HELENSVILLE,Hhis day. , ' The; Helensville Hot Springs," situated at Parakai, about a.mile from Helensville South railway stati>_, were known . and "used by the Maori-, and . later' by the early settlers. - '''Ttoty,*; years _. ago there was an old..pump- and a primitive sort of bath, where anyone was.-at liberty to lave "his limbs in the grateful waters which welled.'up in the wilderness. But it was not ""all five .years ago that their .'claims., were Tecognised by the Government, and a grant made for giving better *acco'in_."3dation for the largely", increasing, .numbers, .who. discov- ' ered there was need.to go out of the district for health-giving ■• hot mineral baths. The building, pus • .-.up., was a very modest little affair, and has ""long been too small,' and' last-' year,, the Helensville "Domain Board, • which administers. the 38-acre reserve On. which the springs, are situated; secured a grant of ; £SOO : with which they v.have put up a fine swimming bath some 40 .teet by 25 feet, and added six-to the ntcaber of private baths. The Rev. H. Mason, of Otahuhu, whose" powers' "of" locating' underground water : are now so ;wi<k ,'y . known, has been over the ; reserve, :. _aa says- there is an unlimited supply of hot mineral water, which Only wants, tapping. When the big bath was:.first_p\*.t up,,tie flow available from the" one or two - springthen used was not suffioiecat to keep up tie ; temperature -:'.to' the 2 required figure, but under Mr." Mason's directions other sources were tapped, an.! there is how a great deal more hot water than" is needed. The baths are situated near.a small stream, which is a branch of < the Helensville Creek, and in this direction Mr. Mason found more water' than" the Board- is likely to require for many years. ■■■- Helensville people - take a " great pride in-tiis-- valuable '-asset, : and,-- thanks to the efforts of the live"-Board which was appointed, the Domain is rapidly assuming an aspect "worthy of'the magnificent springs, which are- the central feature. There is no doubt Jiis. spot will in time be the leading health resort \of the North Auckland - district, not' .'only on account of-its proximity, but by reason of the "special virtues of the waters, which in - some = respects ■'.' differ , entirely from those 'met at any other -thermal district in-the Dominion. Many people in tie far North who cannot spare the time to make the trip to Rotorua or Te Aroha, will be able to run down to Helensville, more especially when -the Northern --Main, Trunk line, is an - accomplished fact, and communication between the various districts is facilitated. Accommodation for visitors is provided in the comfortable boarding-house erected opposite^the s spring's' by Mr. Aitkenhead, and the people of Helensville .are doing their best to popularise the boon which has so long lain undeveloped, but is now - beginning to ;-, receive" the; "recognition to ; which. its value entitles it. ■ v .. The fine new bath . buildings, which were designed by Mr, Jackson, engineer to the'-Waitemata'douneij, were formally opened to-day in the presence of a large number of people. •-.. ~ ■'-, 1 Contrary ■ to' "■ expectations, the - day turned out' beautifully fine. , Among the guests who came up from Auckland, by the early train were Messrs. Lang,- M.P., and ! A.: E.; Glover, M.P., Hon. '„ Beehan, M.L.C., Messrs, .6. Knight, J. H. Braidney, Chas. Grosvenor, D. Cumming-'Jobh Wilson, Macfcy, J. H. O'Neil, V. Kerr-Taylor,' W..."Walters . and. Mr. Jackson '■■- (engineer to- the-Waite_mt_' i <.Co_nty ' Council);: There... was a. large, attendance of local people, >~ .-•';' •-..": .* ','T'';'.-*■• --■-'-• ?:,'.*..£•; i~r.Jas."_lc_~6d,- chairman of the 'Helehsyille' ; Domain "Board,;" pointed .' out that the "springs, belonged .te'-'theYpeopl-i of Auckland-"as: much as ""tot the people of Helensville,; andcbeiurged them to help at. development. "At. present time the' train arrangements were very much . ber hind hand, for .-it took ; three hours, to travel, the -36 miles; from Auckland to Heiehsvillei : which, was out of all reason. The-,,springs' were -~acknowledged to . be among the most valuable in the Domi'iion. v Dr. Lewis had' said that the time was not;far distant when they would be taking Helensville waters to-Rotorua for drinking purposes,, for. which \ the* were unequalled. '.. Referring to; the manner in which the Helensville 'people ; were handicapped -by slow trains, J__remarked that the Helensville trains were still going along at the same rate, "'although the Wail"a -trains-had been \ accelerated long ago. ":i ■• ,"..:,„ •—».!,.;'" ■'" Mr. Lang,' M.P., said" that in many places the distance would have been- done in; an .—He- complimented' the district on the splendid springs it possessed, and -oped - they would very.' soon occupy tho position to '"-which they were - justly - entitled. .•,-. -,v ; '..-.'.,: ''.-.--.■''- .'"'•■ ■-4 Mr/.' Glover, thought; the Government should do - more- to encourage ; the resort, and he promised bis - support- in .any!,measures-which .were.undertaken in. this direction. Trains • should be run to enable, city people to take week-end trips to this health-giving resort. -■-'-- ,- j The Hon. Beeban, M.L.C., spoke -in a similar strain. "■■ •"" ""—"...'. ,-,i ...: •. Mr. Stallworthy,';MP;, : speaking of .the improvements ;that ; had been "made, reminded' .those present that some £1500 had been ./received from, the Government. in the way- of grants,.' for. which .they - ,should be . grateful. ..." Excellent work" had been done with the money, and the secretary of the Tourist Department was very, pleased with the!- way things had been carried, out. There was still £700 due to the Board, but before that was.; handed ovef^' the " Government wisely ' wanted_ to know yyjiat was going to be done with it' •before it was handed over. He urged the people :of the district to. .do something personally in' the development ■of '• this splendid asset which they bad, such "as planting trees, etc.,'.to" show ".the." Govern-: ment they were thoroughly, in. earnest; Mr. Stallwor'thy was then handed: a key, with which he turned the lock, 'of the new swimming bath^and:, formally: de- ; elared it open.-; '._;;- :... , '...-.'.; The guests were shown over the buildings;* which are very up-to-date, and r kept in splendid order- ; ;by f Mr. Russell, the caretaker. ~" Subsequently ; everybody adjourned to the Tarak-ai"Hail,;a new-buiid-,ing, which was declared open in a" happy ■ speech by Mr-R.; Monk,, a former .representative of the district in Parliament , after which the guests were entertained at a' sumptuous luncheon in the building