Back Roads Heritage Journal for the Kaipara/Northland Region Issue 5 December 2014 FREE

acres in the vicinity will be reserved for a similar

purpose though Mr Mueller has as yet received no
instructions to throw it open. The whole of the
present road works in the North will not absorb
more than 30 men from Auckland at present, as the
struggling small settlers have the first claim, but
Mr Mueller says that he could put a couple of
thousand men on absolutely necessary road works
in the North if the money were only available.
BUSH VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS Auckland Star,
Volume XXV, Issue 103, 1 May 1894, Page 5

The Kaihu Tavern

In 1894, the government announced the Kaihu
special settlement area to assist struggling settlers
and establish farming in the area.
Mr G. Mueller, Commissioner of Crown Lands,
informs us that, acting under instructions from the
Government, has been given instructions for two
bush village settlements of 1,000 acres each .to be
laid off on the road route between the Kaihu Valley
and Hokianga with a view to giving assistance to
struggling settlers and establishing small
homesteads. There are about 14 miles of road yet
to finish between Opanake and Taheke (Hokianga),
and for the present a portion of this will be done by
co-operative labour, the men to be employed at
bush felling and clearing and also at road making.
Each of these sections of 1,000 acres will afford
bush work for about 60 men, and when cleared will
be divided into 100 acre sections, which can then
be taken up on perpetual lease by 'a number of the
men who cleared them. Another section of 1,000

Very little existed at Kaihu township (previously

named Opanake until 1896) other than the railway
yards, and the resident maori population. A
travelling correspondent for the New Zealand
Herald on his way north to Maunganui Bluff had
passing through the settlement in 1889 noted;
Nathan's settlement and store at Opanake was
soon after reached, where we stopped for an hour
to refresh ourselves and horses. The valley beyond
this is entirely covered with a beautiful open bush,
through which the road winds, following the course
of the river. (New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX,
Issue 6284, 7 January 1882, Page 6)
After the government announced the settlement
scheme and improved the railway line, the town
was transformed into a bustling community
...The train is running to and fro between
Dargaville and Kaihu, generally twice or thrice,
bringing in long lines of trucks loaded with kauri,
to the extent of 40,000 to 60,000 feet a trip. At
Kaihu a number of business premises have been
built. The new station and post office are nearly
completed....
NORTH AUCKLAND. Auckland Star, Volume
XXVII, Issue 299, 16 December 1896, Page 3

The main part of the settlement was centred around

the Kaihu Railway station yards. The township was

a haven for gumdiggers, kauri bushmen and the

resident maori owners. The idea of having a public
house in the settlement of Kaihu originated in early
1896, when the licensee of the Maropiu Hotel one
Samuel Powell, made an application to the Bay of
Islands Licensing Court. Powell had applied to
transfer the licence from the Maropiu Hotel located
south of present day Kaihu) to what was then
known as the Opanaki Boarding house. Powell
intended to rename the Opanaki Boarding House
the Opanaki Hotel.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO REMOVE
LICENSE TO OTHER PREMISES.-LICENSING
DISTRICT OF BAY OF ISLANDS.-I, Samuel
Powell, of Maropiu, being the holder of an
accommodation license in respect of the house and
premises situated at Maropiu, and known as the
Maropiu Hotel, do hereby give notice that I desire
to obtain, and will, at the next Licensing Meeting to
beholden at Kawakawa, on the sixth day of March,
1890, apply for the removal of the license for the
aforesaid house and premises to a house
containing nine rooms, situate at Kaihu, near the
Opanake Railway Station, and known as the
Opanake Boarding House, and intended to be
called the Opanake Hotel. Dated the thirtieth day
of January, 1896.-SAMUEL POWELL
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10050,
10 February 1896, Page 8
Powell had taken over the Maropiu Hotel license in
1895, from the previous licensee Arthur Dempsey.
The hotel which being leased from Netana Patuawa
by L.D. Nathan.
LICENSING DISTRICT OF BAY OF ISLANDS.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF
LICENSE. I, Arthur Dempsey, of Maropiu, being
the holder of an Accommodaton License in respect
of the house and premises situate at Maropiu, and
known as the Maropiu Hotel, do hereby give notice
that I desire to obtain and will, at the next
Licensing Meeting to beholden at Kawakawa, on
the eighth day of March, 1895, apply for a Transfer
of the said License from myself to Samuel Powell,
of Maropiu aforesaid, my appointee. Dated the
third day of January, 1895.Arthur Dempsey,
Applicant.
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9737, 6
February 1895, Page 8
Licensing district of bay of ISLANDS.-NOTICE OF
APPLICATION FOR AN ACCOMMODATION
LICENSE.I. Samuel Powell, of Maropiu.
Innkeeper, do hereby give notice that I desire to

obtain, and will, at the next Licensing Meeting to

beholden at Kawakawa, on the seventh day of June,
1895, apply for a Certificate authorising the issue
of an Accommodation License for premises situate
at Maropiu, and known as the Maropiu Hotel.
Dated the twenty-ninth day of April. 1895.
SAMUEL POWELL, Applicant. Name of owner of
premises, Netana Patuawa. Name of lessee,
Laurence David Nathan.
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9809, 2
May 1895, Page 8
The 1896 application, turned out to be a
disappointment for Samuel Powell. He was turned
down by the Bay of Islands Licensing Committee.
A few months later we see him still at the Maropiu
Hotel paying a licence fee. The article from the NZ
Herald (17 June 1896) also shows there was no
hotel at Kaihu in existence in 1896. There is a
mention of the "Traveller's Rest, Opanake"
however that was located at Waima (now
Tarawhati), as the article later refers to in the list of
license renewals:

The annual meeting of the Bay of Islands Licensing

Court was held in Kawakawa on June 5, before
Messrs. K. Wyles (chairman), J. Shannon, F.
Mackenzie, J. Trounsen, R. A. Hall, and G. F.
Dickenson. New application: William Hazard, of
Peria, Mangonui, applied for an accommodation
license. An increase of the number of licensed
houses not allowed, therefore application was
passed over. Transfers: R. Spencer, of Travellers'
Rest, Opanaki, Wairoa, to George Lineham. John
Connelly, Settlers' Hotel, Kaeo, to John Jacentho.
All granted. Renewals The following
accommodation licenses were granted-.J. B.
Taaffe. Redan Hotel, Kaitaia, Mangonui, feo 10;
C. Cothard, Masonic Hotel, Whangaroa, fee 15;
Geo. Lineham, Travellers' Rest, Waima, fee 10;
John Jacentho, Settlers' Hotel, Kaeo, fee 20; J. C.
Bindon, Horeke Hotel, Hokianga, fee 5 Robt.
Jarvie, Kawerua Hotel, Hokianga, fee 10; A. S.
Andrews, Opononi Hotel, Hokianga, fee 5 H.
Baskerville, Kohukohu Hotel, Hokianga, fee 20;
A. W. Ellis, Masonic Hotel, Rawene. foe 20; J.
Ogle, Rangiahua Hotel, Hokianga, fee 10; E. A.
Cunningham, Tuheke, Hokianga, fee 10; Win.
Woods, Hukerenui Hotel, Bay of Islands, fee 10;
R. Marshall, Towai Hotel, Bay of Islands, fee 10;
J. Hunter, Mangakahia Hotel, Mangakahia, fee
10; Sam Powell, Maropiu Hotel, Wairoa, fee 10.
Hotel licenses, annual fee 25 each, were granted
as follows Rogers, Kaihu Hotel, Dargaville;

Michael Corcoran, Northern Wairoa Hotel,

Dargaville; Fred. T. Howard, Commercial Hotel,
Mangawhare M. O'Connor, Aratapu Hotel,
Aratapu; Joe Evans, Travellers' Rest, Awanui; P.
Shine, Awanui Hotel, Awanui; G. Williams.
Settlers' Hotel, Mangonui; H. Littleproud,
Mangonui Hotel, Mangonui; H. Pitman, Duke of
Marlborough Hotel, Russell M. E. Keatley,
Masonic Hotel, Kawakawa C. Reinhnrdt, Junction
Hotel, Kawakawa G. H. Brewer, Star Hotel,
Kawakawa Frs. W. Shaw, Kaikohe Hotel,
KaikoheS. F. Hedlund, Ohaeawai Hotel,
Ohaeawai. This was all the business. [Own
Correspondent.]
LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS .New Zealand
Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10160, 17 June
1896, Page 4
The first successful application to establish a hotel
at Kaihu was made by John Johnston in mid 1899,
when he had applied for an accommodation licence
for an establishment of "seven rooms" of which the
owner was one Moss Davis of Auckland based
brewing company Hancock & Co Ltd
BAY OF ISLANDS LICENSING DISTRICT. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PUBLICAN'S
LICENSE. I, JOHN JOHNSTON, of Opanake,
Hotelkeeper, do hereby give notice that I desire to
obtain, and will at the next Licensing Meeting to be
holden at the Courthouse, at Kawakawa, on the
nineth day of June, 1899, apply for a certificate
authorising the Issue of a Publican's License for a
house situate at Opanake, and known by the sign of
the Opanake Hotel, containing 7 rooms, exclusive
of those required for the use of the family.-. Name
of owner, Moss Davis. Dated 7th day of March,
1899.-JOHN JOHNSTON.
Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 110, 11 May
1899, Page 3

The application to transfer the hotel license from

the Waima Hotel situated around 3 miles (4.8 km)
from Kaihu settlement soon sparked the ire of the
Temperance movement. Meetings were held across
the country with resolutions in turn decreed. The
meeting in Auckland included the Reverend
William Gittos;
A public meeting was held on Saturday evening in
the Foresters' Hall, Karangahape Road, to discuss
the question of the granting of a publican's license
at Kaihu, for which an application will be
considered at the next meeting of the Licensing

Bench in that district. There was a large

attendance, Mr. S. C. Brown occupying the chair,
amongst those present being the Revs. W. J.
Williams, V. Ready, and Gittos, and Messrs. T. E.
Taylor, M.H.K., and Richardson.
The Chairman said that the object of the meeting
was to enter a strong protest against the granting
of a publican's license at Kaihu, for which
application was to be made. The Act provided that
no license could be removed to new promises if
these premises were more than half-a-mile from the
premises already licensed. The license in question
was three miles from the existing licensed house,
and must therefore be regarded as an entirely new
license. Whatever the provisions of the Act were if
tended to be, the spirit of the law was continually
broken since the new Licensing Act came into
force.
At Kaihu there was a large native population. It
might be said that this had nothing to do with
Europeans, but the Maori, as well as the European,
must be protected from the curse of drink.
(Applause). The Rev. W. Williams said that these
present were anxious to hear what was to be said
on the matter by Mr. T. K. Taylor, M.H.R. for
Christchurch(applause)who could speak
officially on the subject. He read a portion of a
letter received from the Rev. S. J. Gibson, who
wrote stating that there was a good deal of feeling
expressed on the subject of the Kaihu license, as
there were two accommodation licenses within
three miles.
The Maoris had drawn up a petition, asking that
the district might be made a prohibited one, but
had afterwards withdrawn it. He the speaker was
glad to observe that the Education Board was
strongly opposed to the granting of a license, and
that the police had been instructed to oppose it
when the applicaion came up. (Applause.)
He moved, That this meeting, having been
informed that it is the intention of Messrs. Hancock
and Co. to apply for a publican's license at Kaihu,
respectfully urges the Licensing Committee not to
grant such license, on the grounds (1) that it is not
required; (2) that it contravenes the law, being
close to the public school and church; (3) that it
would demoralise, the natives, large numbers of
whom live in the neighbourhood."
The Rev. W. Gittos seconded, and said that then
was no necessity for house in the district, as both
the Europeans and Maori settlers protested against
it. Mr. T. E. Taylor, who was received with
applause, said it was the brewers that they were

fighting now, not, the publicans, as was the case a

few years ago. They had a duty to perform towards
the natives. The police were opposed to the license,
but do what they might, unless public opinion
stepped in, the license would be granted. He
suggested that a deputation from the meeting wait
upon the Premier with a resolution, and ask him to
have the Act so amended as to leave no opportunity
of effecting a transfer as at present. The Chairman
did not agree with Mr. Taylor as to the advisability
of tending a deputation to the Premier. The
resolution was then put and carried unanimously,
and it was resolved that the following form a
deputation to wait on the Right Hon. the
Premier:..
THE KAIHU LICENSE QUESTION
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11075,
29 May 1899, Page 3
At the end of May 1899 the Temperance
movement's deputation of the reverends went in
force paying a visit to the Prime Minister, the Right
Honourable Richard Seddon, to discuss with him
the evils of the dreaded drink coming into Kaihu.
At the Star Hotel in Auckland, Seddon faced a
formidable group of men of the cloth with the sole
object of persuading him to veto the future granting
of the dreaded Kaihu hotel license.
...The Rev. W. J. Williams said the principal
question the deputation wished to bring under the
notice of the Premier was that of the application
which had been made for a liquor license at Kaihu.
There were arguments of considerable strength
against the granting of a license in that district. A
petition had been sent by the natives at Kaihu
asking to have the district proclaimed as a district
in which no liquor could be sold. They did not wish
a hotel there, but it appeared now that this hotel
was to be built on native land. Influence had since
been brought to bear on the natives, who had
withdrawn the petition asking for the proclamation
of the Kaihu as a prohibited district. The
deputation now understood that the Government
had given the police instructions to oppose the
petition for the license.
The Premier: I beg your pardon; I have not given
such instructions to the police. I shall myself be no
party to giving instructions to the police after what
has been said about the Government in the past. I
shall not interfere with the police at all; and, as far
as the police are concerned, I have taken no action.
However, I believe the Justice Department have

taken some action; the police are taking steps, but

the Government has not.
Mr Williams said what the deputation wanted was
to have the district proclaimed as a native
licensing- district, under section 25 of the Act, so
that a native assessor would sit with the LicensingBench, and his assent would be necessary before a
license could be granted, and so that the sale of
liquor to natives could be prohibited in the district.
The Rev. W Gittos said that paternal protection in
this direction was needed in the best interests of the
natives in the district. He hoped the Government
would extend that protection to the natives which
was so desirable, and prevent their falling victims
to the evils of strong drink. The license for the hotel
was to be transferred from another part of the
country.
The Premier said he had received a telegram from
Mr Hone Heke. M H R on the subject, and the
Justice Department had advised him that the
proposed hotel was to be erected on land held by
Europeans.
Mr Williams said that according to his latest
information it had been decked to build the hotel on
native land.
The Premier said that if that were so it would alter
the aspect of the case. However he would enquire
into it and get the latest information. The
deputation knew his views on the question of liquor
amongst the natives. He considered it was inimical
to them as a race, and it was not to the merit of the
colony to have liquor amongst them. His legislation
had been in the direction of stopping the harm done
by liquor amongst them, and he instanced the fact
of the Government, having stopped the sale of
liquor to Maori women. But he did not think the
law was intended to set apart, special areas in
various places in the way in which the deputation
would like it done. The Government would not be a
party to interference with the administration of the
Licensing Act. Such a thing would be
reprehensible, and the Government had not done it!
The prohibition party had made complaints that the
Government had done so in the past, and yet now
they come and asked him to interfere. There would
be no interference with the police on the part of the
Government to say object to or support an
application. The police were the best judges of a
case themselves the Government never had
interfered.

Regarding the proclamation of a district, if the

hotel was on land owned by Europeans the
Government could not interfere. In these transfers
of licenses a way had been discovered of evading
the law, but that happened with many laws. They
must leave the administration of that law to the
licensing bench; and as Native Minister he would
do his utmost to protect the native race from what
he believed to be inimical to their interests.
Pastor G. T. Bull wished to bring under the notice
of the Premier the necessity for bringing the local
option under the Corrupt Practices Act. They also
wanted legal provisions made for scrutineers in
connection with the local option poll. They wanted
in addition like uniform instructions issued to
returning officers regarding the poll.
The Premier returned a favourable reply to the first
request. He said that he would take care to appoint
returning officers who were competent and who
could construe the Act properly. He wished also to
see the local option poll carried out properly, so
that a bona fide vote of the people could be taken,
and he wished to see the poll carried out fairly and
properly.
In answer to other questions the Premier said he
thought the registrars of electors should be liable
to a penalty if the electoral rolls were not properly
checked, and if people who voted were improperly
struck off. The Government had given instructions
to the registrars of electors to send round and get
people placed on the rolls. That was construed into
an act of corruption, but he was going to get all the
people of the colony put on the rolls no matter what
their political views were. There ought to be
penalties imposed for careless or incompetent
making up of the rolls. After some further
conversation the deputation withdrew.
THE PREMIER
Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 128, 1 June
1899, Page 5

In June, the deputation's efforts were all but

defeated. The Bay of Islands Licensing Court
granted the licence, another feather in the cap for
Hancock & Co Ltd owner Moss Davis as he added
another hotel to his growing portfolio of
establishments in the Northern Wairoa region.
Davis would, just a mere two years later, be
entangled once again in yet another temperance
versus brewery company debate. The
Maungaturoto Hotel in 1902, made national

headlines over the granting of the licence under

similar circumstances, with some familiar names in
the Temperance movement leading the charge. A
rival brewery company it seems, had also objected
to Moss Davis owning yet another hotel in an area,
where they already had established their public
houses.
The Bay of Islands District Licensing Court
commenced its sitting yesterday at noon and
concluded at midnight. There were present Mr J. S.
Clendon. S.M. (chairman), Messrs H. A. Hall, John
Trounsen; G. F: Dickeson, and F. Mackenzie. The
applications of twenty-seven licensed houses in the
district were all granted, with the exception of the
Wairna Accommodation House, three miles away
from Kaihu, and the Masonic Hotel, at Kawakawa,
which were abandoned.
After hearing the applications for a house at
Hohoura, twenty-five- miles from Awanui, what
might be termed the great fight for a hotel at Kaihu
took place. This was vigorously opposed by Mr M.
A. McLeod, solicitor, of Dargaville, and the police.
A large number of witnesses on both side were
examined. Mr Blomfield, of Kawakawa, who was
for the applicants, Messrs Hancock and Co.
representing the same. The petition, for the house
in question was signed by 250 people. The petition
against was a small affair, while the native chiefs
and residents-had withdrawn all opposition.
The Rev. Gittos and others (especially
prohibitionists) spoke against the new introduction,
but in the opinion of the majority of the bench it
was thought better to grant the application and so
sweep away, extensive sly grog selling. The native
population were said to be entirely in favour of the
granting of the license, and now express full
satisfaction with the arrangements made with them
re the sale of liquor, over which they have the right
of veto.
LICENSING COURT.
Auckland Star, Volume xxx, Issue 136, 10 June
1899, Page 5
The hotel mentioned at Waima was not the
Hokianga Waima on the modern maps. Waima was
later renamed Tarawhati. At the time of the licence
debacle, there were two hotels within a short
distance of Kaihu. The Waima hotel was known by
the sign of The Traveller's Rest, and the second
establishment at Maropiu south of Kaihu was
called the Maropiu Hotel. Both hotels no longer
exist.

Between the time of the granting of the licence in

1899 and 1900, the Opanaki Hotel was built. John
Johnston's application mentions the building as
having seven rooms excluding those used for the
family. It's possible that the initial first stage of the
hotel was completed within a short time frame. The
architect Moss Davis mainly used for the design of
his Northland Hotels was the prominent John
Currie of Auckland. Despite a search for tenders
for the construction of the new hotel, at this stage I
can't locate any. It was the same for the
Maungaturoto Hotel, which was constructed in prefabrication form down at the yards of J. Rowe &
Sons builders of Onehunga. A July 1899 image of a
birds eye view of the Kaihu settlement shows no
indication of any building being present. As an
aside it's interesting to note that Edwin
Mitchelson's timber sawmilling company had
already established itself in the area. He was also
present at the opening of Hancock & Co's new
brewery in Auckland, which was also designed by
John Currie. It's a possibility Mitchelson's company
constructed the hotel on site for Davis. For now
that remains purely a speculation on my part.

BAY OF ISLANDS LICENSING DISTRICT.

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PUBLICAN'S
LICENSE.I, JANE EDMUNDS, of Kaihu,
Hotelkeeper, do hereby give notice that I desire to
obtain, and will at the next Licensing Meeting to
beholden at Kawakawa, in the Courthouse, on the
5th day of June, 1901, apply for a certificate
authorising the issue of a Publican's License for a
house situate at Kaihu, and known by the sign of
the Opunake Hotel, containing 16 rooms, exclusive
of those required for the use of the family. Hancock
and Co., name of owners. Dated the 1st day of
May, 1901. JANE EDMUNDS, signature of
Applicant.
Page 3 Advertisements Column 6
Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 107, 7 May
1901, Page 3

During 1900, John Johnston the publican passed

away at the Northern Wairoa Hospital leaving his
wife Josephine to deal with both the running of the
hotel and the mounting debts left behind. She
appointed her mother Jane Edmunds to take over
the publican's license (by then the hotel had 16
rooms) on June 9, 1901 (her application by public
notice was in May 1901). A large amount of debt

was built up during Edmunds tenure as publican.

Finally a creditor petition in March 1902, led to
Josephine Johnstons subsequent bankruptcy, and
the repossession of the hotel by Hancock & Co Ltd.
The creditor's meeting was long and drawn out with
Johnston accusing Moss Davis of taking her
possessions. Davis returned with a long reply
which eventually had satisfied the hearing
members. (New Zealand Herald, 19 March 1902)
With Johnston bankrupt, the publican's licence of
the hotel was taken over by Benjamin Cossey in
June 1902. The number of rooms in the hotel had
increased from the sixteen mentioned in Jane
Edmund's application to a significant 20 rooms in
Cossey's application.
BAY OF ISLANDS LICENSING DISTRICT.
.NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PUBLICAN'S
LICENSE. I, BENJAMIN COSSEY, of Kaihu,
hotelkeeper, do hereby give notice that I desire to
obtain, and will at the next Licensing Meeting to be
holdera at the Courthouse, Kawakawa, on the 4th
day of June, 1902, apply for a certificate
authorising the issue of a Publican's License for a
house, situate at Kaihu, and known, by the sign of
the Opanake Hotel, containing 20 rooms, exclusive
of those required for the use of the family. Hancock
and Co., name of owners. Dated the 1st day of
May, 1902. BENJAMIN COSSEY. Signature of
Applicant.
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11957,
5 May 1902, Page 8
Granted; fee, 10. B. Cossey, Opanaki Hotel,
KaihuGranted upon the applicant undertaking to
put up fixed lamp and repair pane of glass.
LICENSING COMMITTEES.
New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12292, 9
June 1903, Page 6
There is one institution in Kaihu which, at its
inception, caused a wave of excitement amongst a
large section of the population, and that is the
Opanaki hotel. When those interested in the matter
first conceived the idea of having a publicans'
license transferred from Hokianga (the writer had
the wrong Waima) to Wairoa, the trouble began,
and it was not confined to the district responsible
for the disturbance. Public meetings were held in
Auckland and elsewhere to protest against the
movement, the assistance of our legislators was
invoked to veto the proposal, and for a time a battle
royal ensued between the temperance and the
brewer sections, with the result that Kaihu has a

commodious and well-appointed hostelry which is

dominated not only by a licensing bench, but by the
native owners of the property, who at any time may
issue a prohibitory mandate against any Maori
being supplied with liquor. The system has worked
admirably, and I am told that natives seldom visit
the hotel.
THE GREAT NORTHERN WAIROA.
Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 301, 18
December 1907, Page 6
Renewals of licenses were granted as follow at the
annual meeting of the Kaipara Licensing
Committee Aratapu hotel, M O'Connor; Central
hotel, H. Dyer; Kaipara hotel, T. McEwin Northern
Wairoa hotel, F. C. Bass Pahi hotel, J. Ryan
Opanaki hotel. G. Meale; Bridge hotel, T. P.
Gray...
Northern Advocate , 11 June 1910, Page 4
By 1910, the hotel had a new publican, one G
Meale, who stayed on at the hotel for some time
despite some trouble he ran into with some of the
local residents.
During New Year's Eve and. early on New Year's
morning a number of maoris turned themselves
loose in Kaihu, where there is no resident police,
and caused considerable annoyance, as well as,
damage. As a sequel, a number of natives were
brought before the court this afternoon, and
charged with damaging property belonging to Mr.
Meale, licensee of the Opanaki Hotel, All the
accused pleaded not guilty. Constable Thompson
stated that every year the same unpleasant
conditions prevailed, and instead of the residents
welcoming the New Year, they feared it, owing to
the conduct of these native parasites, who usually
did a lot of damage. A considerable amount of.
evidence was adduced, but only two of the accused
were proved to have been present on the occasion,
and they were each fined 2 and costs totalling
altogether over 6. Time was given to pay the fines,
but the company scraped up the amount and wiped
off the cost of their New Year's Eve escapade at
Kaihu.
Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 12, 14 January
1910, Page 2

Meale remained at the renamed "Kaihu Hotel"

(1914), until around 1915/16. In 1916, the hotel
was taken over by Harold Kennedy Simpson
(Kaipara and Waitemata Echo , 24 June 1916). At

some point after 1916, the hotel came under the

care of the colourful Albert Docherty. By 1925, he
was in trouble with the Inland Revenue Department
(IRD) for not furnishing four years of tax returns,
subsequently he was taken to court and fined for
his lack of effort (Auckland Star, 29 May 1925).
With the opening of the Waipoua road on January
13, 1928 the Kaihu Hotel became a tourist
destination. Docherty had a collection of kauri
gum, and other strange curiosities he had on
display in the hotel.
..Later on Kaihu Hotel will cater to your
requirements, and the proprietor will show you a
wonderful assortment of native curios and gum
specimens the equal of many of which you have
never seen before
CAMPING TRIP.
Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 281, 27
November 1928, Page 16
In 1930, Docherty was once again on the wrong
side of the law, charged with selling beer on a
Sunday.
Mr. G. N. V. Docherty, licensee of the Kaihu Hotel,
pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying liquor after
hours to .five Maoris. Mr Capp, who appeared for
the police, asked that, two additional charges
arising: one of the same offence be withdrawn.
Docherty was fined 3 and costs 12/. W. A
Hallmond, the driver of the car containing the
Maoris, was fined 20/ and costs for being on
licensed premises after hours. The passengers m
the car, Walter Andrew, George Hayward, Ranga
Tau, Joe Witihera and P. Reihana, all of Rawene,
were fined 20/ and costs.
AFTER HOURS.
Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 152, 30 June
1930, Page 19
Docherty added to his collection of curiosties when
someone had shot an usually marked Pukeko
dubbed "The Coronation Pukeko"
Coronation Pukeko. A bird destined to have a
future as a museum specimen and one which has
been aptly named "the Coronation pukeko." was
recently shot at Mareretu, writes the "Star's"
Whangarei correspondent. The bird, which was
shot on Coronation Day, bears in its plumage the
national coloursblue and white breast, and a red
coronet. Its wings are dark black, but the feathers
on the back are mostly a pure white. The general
effect is one of striking beauty. The rare bird has

been forwarded to the private museum of Mr. A. V.

Docherty, licensee of the Kaihu Hotel. Endeavours
are being made to secure the novelty for show at
the Whangarei Winter Exhibition.
NEWS OF THE DAY.
Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 126, 29 May
1937, Page 8
The very last mention of the hotel or Albert
Doherty in Papers Past is in the year 1942, when he
had to attend the suicide of a school teacher
residing at his hotel
DARGAVILLE, Sept. 23. Angus Ross, teacher, who
was recently appointed to the Maropiu School and
arrived in the district yesterday, was found dead
this morning in his room at the Kaihu Hotel by the
licensee, Mr. A. V. Docherty. Mr. Ross, who was
between 40 and 45 years of age, was a married
man, with his wife resident at Brown's Bay,
Auckland, and two sons attending secondary
school. When discovered, Ross had a revolver in
his hand. An inquest was opened and adjourned.
SCHOOL TEACHER'S DEATH
Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 75, 25
September 1942, Page 3
According to the blog post "Kaihu Tavern:" (14
October 2009) of artist and author Don Donovan,
Albert Docherty and his strange museum remained
at the hotel until 1951.
"The most famous landlord was Albert Docherty
who bought the pub in 1917. Like Bill Evans of
Houhora, he was a man of many parts: hire-car
operator, ambulance driver, nurse, athlete, cyclist,
trophy hunter he built a famous collection of
kauri gum which adorned his main bar along with
curiosities such as a two-headed calf, a four-legged
chicken, a hair-ball from a cows stomach, several
deers heads, stuffed trout, boars tusks, and Maori
patu and taiaha. It became something of a tourist
destination in its own right and was certainly an
important stop on the way to Waipoua kauri forest
and the Hokianga. The museum went with Albert in
1951. Its just as well, those bits and pieces are
terrible dust traps. Since then the pub has been
saner but you can feel the history oozing through
the floorboards. "
Don Donovan's World, Ramblings of a much
published New Zealand author
Kaihu Tavern 14 October 2009
URL: http://dondonovan.blogspot.co.nz/2009/10/kaihu-tavern.html

Don Donovan also stated in the 2009 blog post;

At first called the Opanaki Hotel, in its time both
its name and its location changed. In 1895, when it
was seven years old, it was shifted down Kaihu Hill
to marry up with the new railway line from
Dargaville; a line that should have been
inaugurated by prime minister King Dick Seddon
but which, because he didnt turn up, was opened
by a drunk with a pair of hedge clippers who had
been wheel-barrowed to the ribbon by the
publican.
Without establishing with primary documentation
that the building in question was moved from down
the hill as stated it cannot be confirmed
Contemporary newspaper reports from the 1899
allude to the hotel being built on the current site
rather than moved on.
The Kaihu Tavern is a Category 2 Historic Place on
the Heritage New Zealand List Number 3285

Back Roads is a non-commercial

publication. Its purpose is to inform
readers interested in the heritage of the
Northland, New Zealand region as an
entirety. For further information please
contact Liz Clark 09 431 9129 or by email
crewmadbushfarm@gmail.com. All
research has been done by the editor of
this publication.