EARLY ROTORUA

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 13

EARLY ROTORUA

TARAWERA ERUPTION. PA AT WHAKAREWAREWA. “From the birth of Rotorua to the present day,” was the text of an addreM with which Mr. A. Warbriek, late chief Government guide, entertained members of the Rotorua Rotary Club for 20 minutes at the club’s luncheon this week. Mr. Warbrick said that his memories of Rotorua went back to the ’sixties, a time when the , place was very email indeed. Ohinemutu contained most of the population, and Maoris outnumbered the white European race by-20 to 1. Rotorua proper was a wilderness of titree, road conditions were primitive, and accommodation scarce. The path to Whakarewarewa was just a rough track, and the Puarenga stream at Whakarewarewa, had no bridge, but was crossed by means of stepping stones. There were few Maoris at Whakarewarewa, as most of the population was about six miles out toward Wairoa. It was not until after the Tarawera eruption that tho natives removed the pa to the present site. The coming of the railway accelerated tho progrew of the town a great deal, but undoubtedly the Tarawera eruption threw it back again many years. Peopl© wer® frightened to come to Rotorua owing to the widely-held belief that the town would be.the next to go. Mr. Warbrick recalled that the old Rotorua racecourse took in the area that is now the Grand Hotel, and that the grandstand was on the site where the Presbyterian Church stands to-day. A feature of Rotorua life in the early days was the influx of visitors of a class which is rare to-day. This class represented the nobility of both . England and Continental countries.. Lords, grand dukes and earls used to arrive at the rate of two or three a month. They were an open-handed class who spent freely. Five guineas a day for a guiding fee was not considered out of the way, and tips ranged from a single sovereign to a handful, according to the mood of the donor. .• ■ < : / . One of Mr. Warbriok’s earliest recollections was the visit of the; Duke; of Edinburgh, who had with him Lord Charles Beresford. One notable part of their visit was an inspection of Mokoia Island, where they were taken over .the ground of the historic ■ raid by HongL which was then very fresh in the native mind. The Maoris graphically described to the Duke how the warriors stood on the shore of the lake facing the oncoming canoes, aid ready to give battle to the invaders. They ' were dismayed whhn spurts of flame flashed from the canoes and numbers of the defender* fell dead. Thia. was their first experience of gunfire and one that will live long in the annals of the rice.