OLD HOTELS AND IDENTITIES

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 27, 16 July 1952, Page 5

OLD HOTELS AND IDENTITIES

In Taupo's Early Days

(By

H

.H.)

Back in the 'seventies of the last century the proprietors of the then Lake Hotel were Messrs Gallagher and Rickit. The licence was appiied for on February 9th, 1875. The application stated that the House was to be built of wood, and to contain a public bar, two sitting rooms, six bedrooms, and four stall stables. "Premises owned by ourselves and known as the Lake Hotel." Taupo s "G.O.M." The proprietors at the time were well known re&idents though strangely I cannot recall Mr Gallagher at all though I knew Mr Rickit well. 1 wrote a small sketch on Mr Rickit as long ago as in March, 1923 when I then called him the G.O.M. of Taupo, for indeed he was a grand old man, and came, I understand, from England and then to the Bay of Plenty and joined the then A.C. Force; or rather, that is the impression he himself gave to me when I used to call at his well-known general store and have a chat. He used to sit on the counter and tell his customers the story of early Taupo. He was the father of those well-known women, Mrs Gillies, Mrs Joe Story, Mrs George Reid and the late Mrs Wallace and Miss Rickit — indeed a delightful family. I recall an episode while chatting to Mr Rickit at the doorway of his store, when I espied two pretty girls coming along Tongariro Street and naturally asked Mr Rickit who they were. "Now my boy," he said, "keep your eyes off them for they are my daughters." No need to mention names — but I kept my eyes off them — for the time being. Mr Rickit was a typical and delightful Englishman. He died, I believe, on April 4th, 1926. Incidentally, the Taupo Domain Board was established in 1895 and had as its members in 1900 the following: Mr J. Gallagher, chairman; Messrs W. G. Noble, J.P., J. Crowther, J. Rickit and R. Ross, all wellknown and respected names today. Hotel Has Good Report The reports by Serg.-Major Dundas (Serg.-Major in the A.C. Force), dated May 21st, 1879, on both the Lake Hptel and the Taupo Hotel states: "The Taupo Hotel has been kept by Mr T. S'. Noble, and the Lake Hotel by Mr J. Gallagher for the last 12 months in a very creditable manner and no complaints of drunkenness, incivility or want of accommodation has been received. The accommodation is ample comprising ten bedrooms and three sitting rooms in the Taupo Hotel and six bed- 1 rooms and two sitting rooms in the Lake Hotel which are all well and eomfortably furnished and kept clean and in good order. There is a stable on the premises of each of the houses with the required number of stalls. These hotels have always been well conducted and no improper characters have been allowed to them.

Reminiscences This hotel has wonderful reminiscences during the fifty years. I can well recall the picture shown in the Taupo Times of June 4 last. To the north end of the then hotel bar an extension of the hotel comprising a verandah and store room, and in this room many folk, more than in recent years, used to congregate and play twro-up and other then popular games of chance, leaving the hotel much poorer than when they arrived. There used to hang in the hall of the hotel a preserved trout with its twro mouths, which was alleged to have been the cause of the Napier earthquakes of 1931. Well, I can recall old Tamati te Kurupae, of ancient lineage, then living at the Waipahihi, telling me the cause of that ! 'quake. It appears a party of wouldbe anglers were rowed out in the Bay opposite the township, one mem-

ber of whom was the well-known publican, John Sheehan, to fish for trout. One of the members (if my memory be correct, Mr Sheehan, himself), landed a double-mouthed trout. This caused consternation to poor old Tamati who pleaded with the party to throw back the trout into the water, failing which the taniwha inhabiting the lake would get up in his fury, travel to Napier, Gisborne and Wairoa, and cause terrible earthjquakes, and then travel further up the East Coast. Lo and behold, the next morning at nearly eleven o'clock, the 'quake actually took place as stated, with the terrible results that we are aware of. I am not aware whether the taniwha has yet returned to Taupo Lake, but I understand so. This double-mouthed trout used to hang in the hall of the hotel until the description of "the cause of the Napier Earthquake" appeared in the Taranaki Press, winning the Christmas prize when somehow the trout was stolen. Rumour of Nudists Yes, these were grand old days at the Lake Hotel and one could peri; quite a number of interesting and true yams anent them. Then came the day when Taupo was "shocked" with the possibility of a colony of nudists at Acacia Bay. A story to that effect appeared in "N.Z. Truth'r and the issue of "Truth" was sold out in Taupo three times. The story caused great excitement and for the time being the road to Acacia Bay was more or less impassable by the number of cars visiting the "scene," The story was written chiefly from the Hotel Bar when Constable Brown was in charge of the then Taupo police. Then there was one Sunday evening when a party riding a motor cycle from Napier saw the writer anent a drink after the hard journey. . Naturally obliging the then proprietor was seen, and we procured the bar key. Lord Harry, the bar was full of customers all of whom were known except one unfamiliar face. On a request of the barman j "who the party was," the barman merely said "oh that is alright he is only the local bobby." And so we enjoyed a "bumper" in royal style,. He was a splendid policeman and well Iiked in Taupo and . district. Name ? Never mind ! This hotel was destroyed on the early morning of December 29, 1949, leaving only the part of the hotel ; which was the stable and it became the present hotel bar. An exceli lent photograph was taken of the fire at its height by Mr Fred Gradwell, of Taupo, a very able one,, highly sought after by collectors.