What’s On - Summer 2013-14
Buildings & places of historic interest in Mercury Bay Tripot
The tripot or blubber pot was brought from Mercury Island by the Lions club after whalers in 1885 unsuccessfully tried to net whales passing between Mercury Island and the mainland. The pot now sits on the reserve on Buffalo Beach, just past the old hospital.
HMS Buffalo
Next to the tripot is the memorial plaque to the ship that lies beneath the waters of the harbour. In July 1840 under the command of Captain James Wood the vessel was anchored off Cooks Beach when a sudden storm blew up and the vessel was destroyed and drifted to where it lies today. Two of the crew drowned. The Buffalo made three voyages to New Zealand altogether to load Kauri spars to take to England.
Soldiers Memorial Park
The memorial Cenotaph was erected in 1919 to the fallen in the 1914 -18 war, and the RSA building and sound shell were later built there which provided the community with concerts through the summer months.
Undenominational Church, Albert St
Now St Andrews by the Sea. Built in the 1890s this church has been used by all worshippers.
Stone Store
This stone building beside the boat ramp on Trelease Point in Robinson Road was established in the early 1870s. It was used as a dairy for farm produce and the milk was put to set on wooden shelves along the walls of the store.
Mercury Bay Hospital
Lovers Rock
Whitianga Wharf
Stone Steps
This was established in 1898 as a six roomed building. Much fund raising was done by the community in the early days to ensure the hospital’s future. This was then subsidised by the Government, until it came under the management of the Thames Hospital Board in 1939. This facility was used by the Whitianga Community Services Trust until recently and the new Continuing Care Unit was built next to it. The first wharf was built in 1882, and the present wharf constructed in 1991.
Whitianga Information Centre
Originally the ladies rest rooms, opened in August 1949, it was subsequently used by the public health nurse who did Plunket work in the district. In 1990, the TCDC leased the building to the Mercury Bay Business Association who transformed it into the Information Centre.
Museum
Built as a dairy factory in 1934 on the Esplanade opposite the wharf. In 1977 the Whitianga Lions Club undertook to raise the money to buy the building as the local museum.
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This rock on Robinson Road was once an outpost of the Te Ana Pa directly across the water from this point. Years ago it was the site of a massacre revenge when six hundred people were slaughtered for maltreatment of Hongi Hiki’s niece. A cave-like storeroom at the base of the rock on the eastern side was hollowed out by Mr Trelease, a local slaughterman, who built the first wharf. Lovers Rock was cleared of all vegetation and became a popular area for courting couples. These steps at Ferry Landing were built in 1837 by a timber merchant owning a trading post and ship building yard. This was the first stone wharf in Australasia.
Houses
Have a look in Hannans Road, once called Scandal Alley. Some of the old design of wooden houses remain, erected in the 1880s by Mr Hannan for employees of the Mercury Bay Timber Company. Built entirely of wood - chimney, guttering, water barrels, roofs - for £10 each, when shiftworkers at the mill were earning 30 to 35 shillings a week. Rented to the workers for 1/6d a week.