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KAMO
THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
KAMO Hotels
FEBRUARY 2016
The current Kamo Hotel
From Kamo The Story of a Village by Diana Menefy
T
he credit for the commercial centre of Kamo goes to the foresight of Thomas Wakelin, Kamo Hotel being one of the first buildings to go up on his subdivision. Although he never had anything to do with the running of the hotel it is said that he organised its construction then sold it. A visiting correspondent from the Auckland Weekly News described the hotel in December 1880 as a large edifice that occupied a prominent position in the village. It was single-storeyed. Matthew Frost More Whitelaw is thought to have bought Kamo Hotel and then sold it on two years later to build the Star. It seems more likely that he managed it, as to sell an established business to set up another in competition to it doesn’t make sense. Whatever the circumstances, Whitelaw was definitely the proprietor in 1880. In March 1882 the licence was transferred to Thomas Davis on condition that a bathroom he added to the premises.
Davis was replaced by David Munro in September and everything went smoothly until late May 1883, when the building was totally destroyed by fire. The book goes on to say “The run of managers didn’t do much for the maintenance of the hotel. On 15 February 1904 the Inspector of Nuisances for Kamo Town Board reported that the pigsties and drainage from the urinals at Kamo Hotel
were a danger to public health. The board decided to notify the hotel proprietor that the sties needed to be thoroughly cleaned, and kept clean, and that the drainage be kept in thorough working order.” “At some time during the next few years the hotel was enlarged, with additions going onto the top storey to give a total of fifteen bedrooms, mostly upstairs. The hotel now boasted twenty-four rooms, including a storeroom, two bars, a commercial room and kitchen. John Morrison Morron took over in 1929 and sold the business on to William and Edna (Bill and Peter) Brydon in June 1935. The wooden building only lasted another sixteen months, on Saturday, 3 October the Northern Advocate the following Monday highlighted the event: “The fire was the most spectacular seen in Whangarei district for many years… Tongued flames leapt 40 and 50 feet into the sky, and sparks cascaded fort a distance of several hundred yards… People had arrived from all directions and many hundreds, standing at a safe distance because of the intense heat, watched… When the fire bell rang at Whangarei, dance halls quickly cleared of patrons… a number left picture theatres and there was a general exodus of cars, push bicycles and even pedestrians from the borough towards Kamo...” Valma Wilkinson, nee Brydon, was eight at the time. She recalls:
The second Kamo Hotel
“The night of the fire I was kneeling down beside my bed saying my prayers. I said to Ima (her sister) my knees are getting hot. She said I was being silly. But I wasn’t, our bedroom was right over the kitchen where the fire started. Very little was saved. An old piano riddled with borer. After the
fire we lived for two years in the stables behind. The old woodshed was made into a bar. In those days you had to keep the hotel going or lose your licence.” The hotel was at its busiest during the mining era. Valma has vivid memories of the miners with their helmets in the bar after shifts, the miners’ corner with its photographsthe bus used to stop at the hotel on its way to and from the Hikurangi mine. Sale days used to see farmers and and stock agents propping up the bar-Valma is sure most of the transactions were made at the hotel. Then came World War 2. The hotel was the army headquarters during the war.
COAL MINERS DON’T MISS OUT ON A HOME COOKED MEAL, JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE AWAY FROM HOME.
Great Staff, Great Atmosphere and the Best Beer in Town! Gaming room, Restaurant, Garden Bar, TRY OUR FAMOUS BEEF SEAM!
In the tradition of the Kiwi country pub, The Kamo Hotel offers home style comfort food such as a full roast dinner, lasagne, lamb shanks and pork ribs. If you aren’t conquered by the generously sized main meals, there is also a dessert menu to tempt you. The kiddies are looked after as well with favourites like cheese burgers, fish and chips and chicken nuggets on the menu. You can be sure you’ll never leave the Kamo Hotel hungry.
567 Kamo Road, Kamo
2 Station Road, Kamo, Whangarei
PHONE: 09 435 2956
OPEN FROM 11AM 7 DAYS A WEEK BISTRO OPEN: Lunch – Monday to Friday 12 - 2pm Dinner from 5.30pm every day