Coromandel Life Magazine 2015 Winter V3

Graham’s Waiwera Hot Springs complex included a

magnificent 3 storey hotel

(right) and bath houses

(below) near the cliff housing a large pool and many

private mineral spring baths. The resort could be

accessed by boat (with its long pier) or by road.

SUPPLIERS

to the

GOLD FIELDS

then

and

now

308 Pollen St.

Thames

Telephone

07 868 6608

Pupils of the Thames School of Mines at a gold mining shaft

Photo: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19011212-9-3

GOLD PANS

SHOVELS

PICKS

COROMANDEL LIFE 2015 WINTER

It took Aucklanders hours to travel to this

popular park by carriage. Ellerslie was

connected to Auckland by rail in 1872, but

on racedays, the fans were so numerous they

were transported in open cattle cars.

In 1881, Graham sold the racecourses to the

Auckland Racing Club. Ellerslie had a long

identity with horse training and stables, and it

took years to develop into the community he

envisioned. Ellerslie is now part of Auckland,

and both racecourses are still operating.

GRAHAM WARMS TO HOT SPRINGS

Mineral waters, hot springs. In all things

‘taking the waters’ ... Graham was keen –

using the waters, owning them, and sharing

them with others. His vision was for not

just visitor attractions, but an entirely new

form of tourism, the health resort. Graham

Wenderholm

In January of 1870, the

New Zealand Herald

ran a long story about

a second visit of Governor George Bowen, Lady Bowen and their

children to the much developed goldfields of Thames. His last visit

had been in April 1868 amidst the chaos of the crowded goldfields

and its well-known mud. The newly sworn in Bowen was extremely

impressed with the way Chief Taipari was managing the leases for

the goldfield. (See page 19 for

his comments).

The Governor’s 1870 visit was

in the summer, and many of the

mines were producing good

gold. Upon his arrival he was

greeted with music from the

town band, an honour guard of

military volunteers, banners and

flags, and hundreds of residents

lining the shoreline and streets.

The Governor’s party was met with hearty cheering as it made

its way along Curtis’ Wharf to the Pacific Hotel, in the centre of a

bustling Grahamstown, opposite the Park Hotel.

Bowen addressed the adoring crowd. “I am surprised as well as

gratified by seeing the wonderful improvement that has taken place

here through the indomitable energy and perseverance of the miners

and the inhabitants generally, since I first visited the

Thames seventeen months ago.”

That afternoon they toured Shortland by carriage seeing

Maori dressed in their finest clothing, men with

tattooed faces who wore black chimney hats and

suits, and women in fine dresses.

was pioneering what one historian termed

‘Edwardian spa elegance’.

Even before Ellerslie, Graham began developing

Waiwera Hot Springs into a healing retreat

destination with a small hotel, which first

opened in 1848, shortly before he left for

California’s goldfields.

Waiwera, (

wai

meaning ‘water’ and

wera,

‘hot’) was the first thermal spa resort

in the history of New Zealand, and

also producing the first bottled water

in the Southern Hemisphere. The

resort was incrementally improved

and expanded during the 1860s–70s

to include a sanitarium resort with a

3-storey, 80-guest hotel, built around

the storm-stressed one Graham had

barged over from Tararu.

GRAHAM AT ELLERSLIE

Upon return to New Zealand with his wife

and child, Graham focused on developing the

Ellerslie property, first as a farm with livestock,

then as a race track destination, while also

improving the Waiwera hot springs.

Sophia had two more children during this time,

but sadly, she died in 1862, five years before

Graham was involved in Thames. He would

remarry Jane Stephenson Horne in June of

1870, and have three sons.

Graham lived at Ellerslie while developing it

over time into a leisure destination, attractive

enough to sell plots of land there: formal

gardens, two racecourses (Ellerslie and

Alexander Park), a small zoo, bandstand, dance

park, fountains, and other features.

Graham, a pioneer in the NZ tourist industry, cross-promoted his tourist

hotels and hot springs with printed brochures (see right) and a book. He

used the resort appeal of his attractions to sell lots in the areas.

(Continued...)

North of Waiwera,

Graham built a holiday house with

gardens called Wenderholm. The complex includes

many unique specimen trees given to him by Sir George

Grey. Showing some foresight, Graham protected the

property’s kauri from loggers. Visit the house (now

called Couldrey House) and grounds at the Wenderholm

Regional Park.

See