Coromandel Heritage Area

Transcription

1 Coromandel Heritage Area Location: The Coromandel Heritage Area extends along the town s principal thoroughfare, from the Wharf Road bridge over the Whangarahi Stream in the southwest, to Albert Street in the northeast. Although it is an irregular shape the area is centred on the linear form of Wharf, Kapanga and Rings Roads. It is bisected by the Karaka Stream and includes the most builtup, southern section of the village of Kapanga, taking in parts of Te Tiki, Victoria, Albert, Watt and Pagitt Streets, which was laid out in Introduction: Coromandel was established in the mid-19 th century as a colonial service centre for the district s milling and goldmining operations. European settlement of the Coromandel Harbour and its hinterland commenced in the late 1830s but it was not until the early 1860s, a decade after Charles Ring had registered the first gold discovery in the area (1852), that increasing numbers of prospectors and settlers made their way to Coromandel. At this time a number of speculative land developments were proposed in the area, but of them only the village of Kapanga was realised to any large extent. As the fortunes of the gold extraction industry waxed and waned so too did those of Coromandel. A boom in the late 19 th century saw the town expand. Several major fires at this time also had an impact on the building stock of the central business area. Coromandel s street pattern takes the form of an elongated, somewhat attenuated colonial grid. The main thoroughfare, variously called Wharf, Kapanga and Rings Road, runs on a southwest to northeast axis. The Coromandel Heritage Area features a diverse range of building types, including a number of late 19 th and early 20 th century structures that retain a good level of authenticity. Commercial, residential civic, governmental, and religious buildings are to be found in close proximity to one another. The former National Bank, Star & Garter Hotel, former Government Buildings, Hauraki House, the Coromandel Historical Museum and the Citizens Hall are significant heritage resources within the area, which is also notable for its Victorian residential heritage. Fig. 1. Detail from an 1896 map of Coromandel drawn by E Bellairs. Source: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, NZ Map

2 Distinctive Physical Characteristics: a) Together Wharf, Kapanga and Rings Roads run the length of the heritage area, on a roughly southwest to northeast axis. b) The Whangarahi Stream borders the heritage area to the south, whilst the Karaka Stream bisects it midway along Kapanga Road. c) Te Tiki, Albert and Victoria Streets run perpendicular to Rings Road. Watt and Pagitt Streets run parallel to it. d) The size and shape of both residential and non-residential properties varies throughout the area, arising from historic survey patterns and land ownership. e) Commercial premises are usually built right up to the street boundary, whereas residential buildings are commonly set back from it to accommodate fencing and gardens. Both building types are typically one or two storeys in height. f) Building materials include timber, corrugated iron, and brick, with timber frame and weatherboard construction predominating. g) Residential, civic, religious, financial, light industrial and commercial uses co-exist in close proximity to one another. h) Residential buildings are typically stand-alone, single-family dwellings, ranging in style from Victorian villas and cottages through to post-war bungalows. Notable non-residential buildings embody both Classical and Gothic Revival architectural motifs. i) The Samuel James and Hauraki House Reserves on Kapanga Road provide historic openspace amenities for residents and visitors alike. Fig. 2. Karaka Stream, seen from the carpark on the north side of Carroll s bridge, Kapanga Road. A McEwan, 19 September

3 Surroundings & Contribution to Context The curvilinear form of the main thoroughfare through the village (Wharf, Kapanga and Rings Roads) is a response to the natural topography and the need for a connection between the harbour and early gold digging and timber milling sites further inland. The Whangarahi and Karaka Streams are natural features within the area but they appear to have had a relatively little impact on the development of the built environment. The regenerating bush of the Coromandel Ranges is a significant landscape feature within the town centre, especially when seen looking northeast along Kapanga and Rings Roads. Gardens belonging to the area s residential properties are generally informal, with a high degree of openness to the street. Low-scale fencing, often of the picket variety, is predominant and allows for views from the roadway of the area s houses and some nonresidential buildings. The central business area has asphalt footpaths, but north of the Karaka Stream the combination of asphalt footpaths and grass berms signals the predominant residential character of northern Kapanga and Rings Roads. The absence of both footpaths and kerb and channelling from the side streets neighbouring Rings Road gives these residential streets an informal, semi-rural aspect. Fig. 3. Watt Street looking northeast. A McEwan, 19 September History of Area: In the 1830s the economic potential of the district s native timber resource attracted Coromandel s first European inhabitants. William Webster established a commercial base on Whanganui Island [aka Beeson s Island] in Coromandel Harbour, whilst John Callaway and the McGregor brothers set up a milling operation at nearby Kikowhakarere. Since the 1820s rumours had been circulating about the existence of gold on the Coromandel Peninsula. In 1852 a group of Aucklanders offered a reward of 100 (later increased to 500) to anyone who found a payable goldfield in the vicinity of Auckland. Charles and Frederick Ring registered the first gold discovery at Driving Creek in October The next month the government organised a meeting with local iwi in order to secure access to the Coromandel goldfield. Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard, accompanied by Bishop Selwyn and Chief Justice 3

4 Martin, met an estimated 1000 people, including most, if not all, of the prominent leaders of Hauraki iwi. Over the course of a three-day hui agreement was reached between Wynyard, Ngati Whanaunga, Ngati Paoa and Te Patukirikiri that allowed for mining to take place over a 4,047-hectare block. (Two decades later a number of the hapu of the Coromandel had been alienated from nearly all of their land.) Gold discoveries at Kapanga in 1861 and Tokatea in 1868 further boosted hopes for the potential wealth of the Coromandel field. Fig. 4. After Charles Heaphy Conference of Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard and native chiefs in Coromandel Harbour. The New Zealand Gold Field Illustrated London News Source: Alexander Turnbull Library, PUBL Note: Local publisher and historian TW Rhodes identified the setting of this event as Kikowhakarere Bay. For all the optimism reported in the papers of the day, the rushes to the Coromandel goldfield in the early 1850s and early 1860s were short lived and largely unrewarding. Nevertheless the potential of the field continued to attract both the shareholders willing to invest in local gold mining companies and the land speculators who hoped to capitalise on the growth of Coromandel as a service centre. After the goldfield was proclaimed in 1862 not only did scores of hopeful miners arrive, so too did the government officials, tradesmen, businessmen, and clergy who were needed to manage and support the burgeoning settlement of Coromandel, or Kapanga as it was also known. In response to the goldfield proclamation, the Auckland Provincial Council, which had oversight of Coromandel from 1853 until 1876, erected a building in the upper township (aka Buffalo) in The council offices were re-established in 1869, after a period of withdrawal prompted by a decline in mining activity in the mid-1860s. New and enlarged Government Buildings were erected in the lower township in 1873, signalling both the increasing dominance of Kapanga over Driving Creek and Buffalo, as well as the growth of the settlement in general. This pattern, of confidence, decline and renewal, was to be the norm for Coromandel throughout the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. 4

5 Fig. 5. A Harris The Kapangee (sic) Flat, Coromandel Harbour Source: Alexander Turnbull Library, B At the same time as the new Government Buildings were being erected, Coromandel residents witnessed the construction of a number of other notable buildings in the lower township. The first Methodist ( ) and Catholic (1871) churches were built in upper Kapanga Road and the Bank of New Zealand (1872) and the National Bank ( ) opened new premises facing one another at the junction of Tiki, Wharf and Kapanga Roads. Fir Lawn, the grand home of local businessman Fred Woollams, was built at this time (1871/72?), as was its neighbour, the Coromandel Hotel (1872). The Kapanga or Lower Township School was established in 1873 and moved into its own purpose-built schoolhouse four years later (1877, now Hauraki House). Fig. 6. Fir Lawn, home of Frederick Woollams ( ), date unknown. Source: Coromandel Museum. 5

6 The next significant building boom took place in the 1890s, by which time the township had become centralised upon Kapanga Road and handsome returns from the Hauraki mines were, once again, a cause of great optimism for the future of Coromandel. The Coromandel School of Mines was established in 1887 but its building, now a historical museum, dates from Also built around the turn of the 20 th century were the Coromandel County News building (c.1895, 24 Kapanga Road) and the Masonic Hall in Rings Road (1899). Fig. 7. A January 1897 photograph of the Hauraki Gold Mining Company Office (692 Rings Road), showing a display of replica gold ingots representing total production for the company in the previous two years. Source: Alexander Turnbull Library, 1/ Fires on Christmas Eve December 1895 and 12 March 1901 necessitated new construction on the north side of Kapanga Road, near the Wharf and Tiki Roads crossing. Rostgard s Coromandel Drapery (c.1901) was rebuilt after each fire. Previously a fire on Wharf Road in January 1887 had destroyed a number of early hotels, shops and dwellings, including the home of John Lynch. Lynch rebuilt his home at 188 Wharf Road (c.1890) and the Bridge and Golconda Hotels, which he also owned. The latter is today known as the Admirals Arms and, with the exception of the Coromandel Hotel at the northern end of Kapanga Road, is the sole survivor of the generous number of hotels that once served the township. (The modern-day Star and Garter Hotel is a new business, which takes its name from an earlier Coromandel hotel and is located in the former Coromandel Drapery building.) 6

7 Fig. 8. View north along Kapanga Road from Tiki Road intersection, c Source: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A6306. At the turn of the 20 th century Coromandel had a population of , the largest settlement in Coromandel County, which extended from Cape Colville in the north, to Waikawau on the west coast and Tairua on the east. It was not until 1904 that the vehicle road between Thames and Coromandel was completed, 22 years ahead of the vehicle road linking Coromandel and Colville. The strategic importance of coastal shipping, especially the steamer connection between Auckland and Coromandel, was therefore considerable until well into the 20 th century. An Auckland to Coromandel ferry service is still in operation, albeit with weekend-only coverage during the winter months. Fig. 9. Detail showing lower Kapanga Road and the intersection with Tiki Road, from a general view of Coromandel township, photographed by William Archer Price, Source: Alexander Turnbull Library, 1/ G. 7

8 A number of commercial buildings along Kapanga Road were rebuilt or replaced in the 1980s and 1990s. Such was, and is, the local commitment to Coromandel s colonial heritage that their facades were designed to evoke the historic streetscape of the early 20 th century. Today Coromandel is widely appreciated for its historic character and is a hub for the aquaculture and tourism industries. The township also has a reputation as a centre for the arts, having first become a magnet for writers and visual artists in the 1960s. Fig. 10. Diamond Jubilee Celebrations at Coromandel, Auckland Province: Town with a Gold Mining History, January At left: Memorial Park being opened. At right: J Thorn MP addressing the crowd at a sports meeting. Auckland Weekly News 10 February 1937, p. 44. Note: these celebrations marked 60 years of the Coromandel County Council ( ). Historic Names Coromandel, the town, harbour and district, was named after the HMS Coromandel, a British Royal Navy ship that transported convicts to Australia in March 1820 and then sailed on to New Zealand to collect timber spars and undertake coastal survey work. The Coromandel returned to Sydney in June 1821 and sailed for England the following month. Built in 1798, the ship was used as a prison hulk in Bermuda from 1828 until 1853, when she was broken up. McGregor Bay, in which the township is located, is named for the McGregor family, who were early timber millers and gold prospectors in the district. Fig. 11. Coromandel Wharf. A McEwan, 19 September

9 The origin of Wharf Road is self-evident as it extends in an east-west direction between the town centre and the Coromandel Wharf. It crosses the Whangarahi Stream at Furey s Bridge, named for an early local hotelier. Tiki Road runs on a north-south axis between Coromandel and Tiki Quarry Road. The origin of Tiki as a local placename is not known. Kapanga Road leads from the Wharf Road / Tiki Road crossroads to what was once the township of Kapanga, north of Te Tiki Road. The Kapanga River or Stream was the site of early prospecting in the area by Charles Ring and others, the name presumably taken up by early European settlers from local Maori usage. Glover Street is said to have been named for Uriah Glover (c ), a Coromandel settler and one-time proprietor of the Royal Hotel. Glover arrived in Coromandel, with his wife Jane and their two sons in c.1862 and ran the hotel until Jane s death in At one time Glover held office as the Chairman of the Coromandel School Committee, Hospital Board and Highway Board. He retired to Auckland after his wife s death, where he died in Uriah and Jane s son Albert was later the MP for Auckland Central (elected 1908). Rings Road is named for Charles Ring ( ), the first man to register a gold claim in New Zealand and one of Coromandel s leading citizens in the mid-19 th century. Ring was born in the Channel Islands, grew up in Tasmania and arrived in New Zealand in 1841 to farm. He was to make his name and fortune from gold, however, joining the California gold rush in 1849 before he and his brother Frederick decided to try their luck on the Coromandel Peninsula. Only a month after they had returned from California, the Rings discovered gold at Driving Creek in October They registered their discovery, thereby setting off the first, albeit short-lived, Coromandel rush. According to some sources Charles and Frederick had milled timber in Coromandel prior to their gold discovery and were therefore known to the local iwi, Ngati Whanaunga, when they began prospecting for gold. Charles wife Margaret [c ] is buried in Christ Church Cemetery in Coromandel but Ring retired to Auckland in 1875 and died there in Fig. 12. Portrait of Charles Ring reproduced in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand Auckland Provincial District Source: 9

10 Te Tiki Street is also shown as Te Tiki Road on some early maps. The origin of this street name is unknown at this time. As was customary throughout the British Empire during most of the 19 th century, Victoria Street is named for Queen Victoria (b. 1819, reigned ). Albert Street is named for Queen Victoria s consort, Prince Albert ( ). Pagitt Street was named after Joseph Pagitt (aka Paget) who appears to have acquired a block of land at Kapanga from Kapanga Te Arakuri and Pita Taukaka in On survey plans of Kapanga, Coromandel dated 1862, Pagitt s name is over written on a block on the north side of Watt Street, running from Albert Street to near the extension of Victoria Street. According to family history, Pagitt arrived in New Zealand from the United States in c.1851/52 and had a daughter Maria with a Maori woman by the name of Lahara. He drowned when the schooner Rapid capsized on 19 March 1864 whilst carting timber from Mercury Bay to Auckland. The street is shown as Pagitt s Road on some early maps. Watt Street is shown as Watt s Road on some early survey maps. It is named for a landowner whose name is over written on an 1862 map on a large parcel taking up most of the block bordered by Watt Street and Rings Road, Albert and Victoria Streets. Watt is said to have been an Auckland businessman. Fig. 13. Brass band (Coromandel Silver Band?) leading a street march. View looking north on Kapanga Road, Coromandel, date unknown. Source: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7- A8803. The Significance of the Area: The heritage significance of this area lies in its history of commercial, civic and residential development since the early 1860s and its cultural value as a place of commemoration and community. The area s architectural value is largely derived from its late 19 th and early 20 th century government, commercial, civic and residential buildings. The technological values of the building types in the area are generally typical of the period in which they were constructed. Archaeological and scientific heritage values may be present given the pre development of Coromandel and the potential for social history research. 10

11 Archaeological Significance: As the core of a mid-19 th century colonial settlement, the Coromandel Heritage Area has potential archaeological significance relating to the township s early growth and development. The roading and pattern of building development within the area results from the marriage of standard colonial survey practices with the unique multi-nodal evolution of the settlement. Where modern buildings have replaced 19 th century structures it is possible that archaeological material has survived from pre There is one recorded archaeological site located within the area (site of the King s Temperance Hotel / Moehau Tearooms, 145 Wharf Road, T10/1073). A range of archaeological finds may be expected throughout the heritage area in view of the survival of 19 th century structures and the mixed-use history of the area. Note: The cultural heritage values of tangata whenua in relation to this part of Coromandel are outside the scope of this report. Charles Heaphy recorded the location of the Wangarahi (sic) Pa, south of the Karaka Stream but apparently outside of the heritage area, in Architectural Significance: The area embodies architectural values typical of a colonial settlement, wherein commercial buildings often evoke a classical aesthetic and restrict their embellishments to the façade. Residential buildings illustrate the popularity of the colonial saltbox cottage and Victorian villa styles for working and middle class families at the time in which they were built. Architecturally designed government and religious buildings follow the conventions of the day and contribute to the diverse appearance of the area s built environment. Fig. 14. Squad drill at the Coromandel School. Auckland Weekly News 7 September 1900 p. 3. Non-residential buildings with significant architectural values in the area include the former Coromandel District School (1877), former St George s Convent School (1897), the Coromandel School of Mines (1897), and the Masonic Hall (1899). The latter was designed by Auckland architect and fellow Mason, Henry Wade. Although St Colman s Catholic Church and the Elim (former Methodist) Church are mid-20 th century buildings, they have some 11

12 architectural significance thanks to their vestigial Gothic Revival styling, which acknowledges earlier churches on each site. Fig. 15. Masonic Hall, Rings Road (1899). A McEwan, 19 September The former Government Buildings are a major Coromandel landmark due to their location, present-day function as a council service and information centre, and the quality of their Victorian architecture. The contemporary former National Bank, popularly known as the Assay House, is also significant as a landmark and as a good exemplar of Victorian Classicism. Houses in the Coromandel Heritage Area span a range of styles from colonial cottages and Victorian bay and square-plan villas to post-war bungalows. Architectural values are predominantly typical rather than notable, with the exception of a number of houses built for some of Coromandel s most prominent early citizens. The former Methodist parsonage, which was designed by Auckland architect Edward Bartley (1900, 756 Rings Road) is a good example of a High Victorian bay villa. Small-scale residential buildings dating from the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries in Watt and Pagitt Streets and Rings Road also contribute to the area s historic character. Fig. 16. Former Methodist Parsonage, 756 Rings Road, designed by Edward Bartley (1900). Anne Challinor, July

13 Cultural Significance: The Coromandel Soldiers Memorial (c.1923), Edward VII Coronation Memorial Obelisk (1903), and the Centenary Cairn (1952) have cultural significance as memorial structures set within the grounds of the former Government Buildings. Buildings such as the former Coromandel School of Mines and the former Hauraki Gold Mining Company office contribute to the township s sense of identity and close association with its mining history. Hauraki House (former Coromandel District School, 1877), the former Women s Rest and the James Commemorative Arch (1929), and the Coromandel Community Library (1981) also have cultural significance as they embody community values and identity. The work of the Coromandel Town History Research Group to document the town s history is an indication of the historic significance ascribed to the town by members of the community. Fig. 17. Members of the Coromandel Rifles in the First NZ Contingent, embarking for South Africa. From left to right: LM Tarrant, C Blenkhorn, CG McLean & JW Callaway. Auckland Weekly News 27 April 1900, p. 7. Historic Significance The township of Coromandel has historic significance as a mid-19 th century colonial service town, which owes its genesis to the exploitation of native timber and gold resources in the locality from the 1830s onwards. In early survey maps the settlements of Kapanga, north of Te Tiki Street, and Buffalo, in the vicinity of the former Coromandel Hospital, appear to have been much more substantial than Coromandel itself. All three areas merged in time and in any event the commercial heart quickly became centred upon the intersection of Wharf and Kapanga Roads. As historic photographs attest Coromandel s main street has been the setting for a variety of community processions over the years. The funeral procession of Sir Alfred Cadman ( , see below) is particularly notable in that it provided the people of Coromandel the opportunity to acknowledge the life and work of one of the district s leading citizens. Although Cadman lived out on the Whangapoua Road, near his family timber mill, the former homes of John Lynch and Fred Woollams are located within the area. These buildings attest to the taste, affluence and social prominence of these men within Coromandel s colonial society. 13

14 Similarly Captain Francis Hodge s home and the parsonage built by the Methodist church, both in Rings Road, have historic significance in relation to their original owner/occupiers and for their embodiment of the prosperity Coromandel enjoyed in the latter 1890s. Fig. 18. Funeral cortege for Sir Alfred Jerome Cadman proceeding up the main street from the wharf to the cemetery, 26 March Source: Auckland Weekly News 6 April 1905, p. 12. The area s association of local general practitioner, Dr Deirdre Airey ( ), is also of historic significance. Dr Airey operated her practice from a surgery in Kapanga Road ( ) and also made a considerable contribution to Coromandel s artistic community. Her earthenware tiles depicting the Station s of the Cross may be seen in St Colman s Catholic Church. Fig. 19. St Colman s Catholic Church, Rings Road (1954). A McEwan, 19 January

15 Scientific Significance The area has potential scientific research value as it provides an opportunity to study the social history of a goldfields settlement, in which Europeans from a number of different countries came together to forge a community. The more recent history of Coromandel as a place of artistic creativity and cultural tourism also offers research potential. Technological Significance The area s technological significance is generally modest, with the exception of the higher standard of construction and craftsmanship that may be seen in buildings such as the former Government Buildings, the former School of Mines, and Fir Lawn, despite its poor condition in recent years. As gold assaying was undertaken at the National Bank and the office of the Hauraki Gold Mining Company, these buildings, in addition to the former Coromandel School of Mines, have significance pertaining to the technology of Victorian metallurgy. Fig. 20. Interior of the Coromandel School of Mines, after Alexander Turnbull Library, PAColl Historic Heritage Management Comment To identify and manage the historic heritage values of Coromandel more accurately and effectively, the boundaries of the Coromandel Heritage Area are different from those of the Coromandel Heritage Policy Area. The heritage area extends north of the Karaka Stream to include the remainder of Kapanga Road, in which a significant number of heritage places are located. Also included is the most developed section of the village of Kapanga (1862), which features a number of colonial cottages in Watt and Pagitt Streets. The southern boundary of the area centred on Wharf Road has been redrawn to follow an 1896 survey plan (DP 1786). Other minor boundary adjustments have been made along Kapanga Road, so as to avoid any confusion that may have arisen with the previous Heritage Policy Area, which appeared to show that only parts of some properties were included in the area. 15

16 As part of the same review process, the Heritage Policy Area in the section of Rings Road that includes Main Street, James Street and Taurua Place has been deleted. The historic heritage places in the locale have been individually scheduled and the area as a whole does not have significant heritage value. Principal References A Yates Coromandel: Scenic County (Coromandel, 1957) AM Isdale Coromandel History Sidelights (Thames, 1952) AR McNeil Memories of Early Coromandel [Manurewa, 1967] Coromandel Town History Research Group In Search of the Rainbow: The Coromandel Story [Coromandel, 2002] JH Lucas Coromandel Vol. 1: Early Settlement Maori and Pakeha [Coromandel, 1980] NZ Historic Places Trust (Hauraki Branch Committee) Historic Coromandel heritage treasures of an early Gold Town (undated pamphlet) Papers Past Digitised Newspaper Archive Paul Monin This is my place: Hauraki Contested, [Wellington, 2001] Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand The Cyclopedia of New Zealand TW Rhodes Coromandel County Diamond Jubilee Souvenir [Paeroa, 1937] Authorship Dr Ann McEwan, Heritage Consultancy Services 9 March 2012 Fig. 21. View northeast from the intersection of Wharf, Tiki and Kapanga Roads (A Challinor, July 2009) 16

17 Image Gallery Fig. 22. Town of Kapanga, dated 17/2/1862. Deed H32. Source: Land Information NZ. 17

18 Fig. 23. Map advertising the sale of land, the property of Mr Michael Wood, for the town of Kapanga, Coromandel. Auction to held in Auckland on 17 December Source: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A

19 Fig. 24. DP 1786, dated 1896, surveyed for F Woollams. Source: Land Information NZ. 19

20 Fig. 25. Town and Suburbs of Coromandel including Kapanga, Source: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, NZ Map

21 Fig. 26. DP 3399, dated 1905, showing lots and some buildings whin the block bounded by Te Tiki Road and Victoria Street. Source: Land Information NZ. 21

22 Fig. 27. Hospital Sunday at Coromandel, Auckland: The Procession headed by the Manaia Maori Brass Band. In Ring s Road (sic), April 29, Auckland Weekly News 10 May 1906 p

23 Fig. 28. A general view of Coromandel township, photographed by William Archer Price, Source: Alexander Turnbull Library, 1/ G. 23

24 Fig. 29. Former Government Buildings, Kapanga Road (1873). A McEwan, 19 September Fig. 30. Former Rostgard s Coromandel Drapery / Star & Garter Hotel, Kapanga Road (c1901). Anne Challinor, July

25 Appendix: Item Record Forms for Coromandel Heritage Area 25