Karangahake School and District 70th Jubilee 1889-1959
Apart from thirsts that needed slaking, there must have been considerable demand for meals and accommodation in the Goldfield's Hotels about the turn of the century. The Encyclopedia tells us of several.
"The Mackaytown Hotel (Harry Priston, Proprietor). This well known hostelry is situated at the junction of the old road (Rahu) to Waihi and the present main road. It is now the only hotel in its locality, where there were once 15 licensed houses. The old original building was constructed almost entirely of packing cases and the present wooden building, which is of two stories and has a verandah, was erected in 1898. It contains 18 rooms of which eight are bedrooms and there are three sitting rooms, a commercial room and a dining room, with accommodation for 60 guests. Behind the hotel there is stabling accommodation for 15 horses."
Mr Woodward was a later proprietor of this hotel and most of us will have recollections of its attractive environment — bowling greens, tennis courts, etc. Then when its hey-day was over, Mrs Flavill was caretaker there for a number of years, until it was moved to its present site at Waikino. Some will remember the original building owned by the late Mr Carrol Nash to whom we are indebted for the Poplars.
Here are some further quotations.
"Karangahake Hotel (W. S. Montgomery), Main Street. This hotel was established in 1884. The original building, which was of small dimensions, has been considerably enlarged, the foundations having been excavated to provide for a lower storey. The house contains 18 rooms, 11 of which are bedrooms. The dining room has accommodation for about 20 guests and there are four sitting rooms."
(Note: Part of the foundations still remain.)
"Tramway Hotel (W. E. Ryan). Across the river. This hotel is of two stories, is built of wood and contains 30 rooms. The large dining room has seats for 25 guests. There are 15 bedrooms and four sitting rooms. The hotel was established about 1880 and has been conducted by Mr Ryan since 1898."
No licence was carried in 1908. Restoration was carried in 1925 (All the hotels had already been removed).
The following are the names of some of the well known Boarding Houses:
Jubilee, Collinsons, Crown, Lawlers, Bidios, Look Out, Brookside, Kemps, Johnstons, Whites (Mackaytown).