HOTEL HISTORY

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 31, 13 August 1952, Page 4

HOTEL HISTORY

A Hatepe Proposal

(By

H

.H.)

That delightful llittle fishing hamlet of Hatepe some 14 miles around the Lake towards Tokaanu, has a page in Taupo's hotel history. The locality was to be in a sylvan setting alongside the Lake nearby where Mr Robert Morihu has his cottage, but to the exact site I am not sure, as few now living can advise me. „ However, it was at Hatepe that Taupo was named by Tia, and of the celebrated ancestors who feame in the Arawa from Hawaiki. He is said to have rested late at night (Tauno) and slept neaf the waterfall nearby Mr Hallett's cherry orchard — Taupo-nui-a-tia. Incidentally this Mr Hallett is a descendent of Mr Hallett who gave first intimation of the incident at Opepe — now referred to as the "Opepe Engagement." It was also at Hatepe that Henry Hifl fouod a huge femur bone of the moa which was given to Lady St. Clair Erskine to be , given to some friends of hers in England. It is a pity that the self-same moa bone was not retained in New Zealand, or better still at Taupo. However it was near this site that the Hotel was to be built as long ago as 1883, but known by so few. Ap~ parently the authorities at that time reconsiderxl this application f» r l1 candearn but little of the building-to-be. No.v Hatepe has become the centre-point of Taupo's electric power scheme. The application was made to the Court at Taupo on May 14th, 1883 and read as follows: "I, HENRY WHITWORTH HOLE, of Taupo, do hereby give notice that I desire toj obtain and will at the next licensing meeting to be holden at Taupo on the 4th day of June, 1883, apply for a certificate authorising the issue of an accommodation licence for premises situated at Hatepe." Accompanying the application was the following: — We, the undersigned ten house-, holdlers residing in the immediate neighbourhood of the abovementioned house, do hereby certify that the above Henry Whitworth Hol^ is a person of good fame and reputation, and fit and proper to have granted to him an accommodation licence: '

Hakei Paturoa, Matinga Hapi, Wirimu Hapi, Paora Tokoahu, James King, W. Brady, W. J. Fell, R. Ross, Peter Jones, Erroha Terremo^na, Winiata te Trentieri, Whi Katore, Te Turei Taramoana, J. E. Gr?ce. Can'n Mclntosh, D. Kennedy, J. Gallagher, T. B. Noble. One or two of the Maori names are difficult to decipher but the abovenamed, both Maori and Pakeha, apparently lived in the precinets of Hatepe and thus it would appear that the hamlet then was more populous than at present. I am not aware that the application ever came before the Licens*ng Court at Taupo, but it was anplied for on the 14th day of May, 1883 and it was to come before the Court on the 4th day of June, 1883, a very short time after the application ws made. As far as I can asce^tain nothing further came of the application for a licence and so Hatepe failed to have its hotel.