Napier – The Sunny City by the Sea

NAPIER

The Sunny City
by the Sea

Marine Parade from Bluff Hill

The City of
NAPIER

NEW ZEALAND’S
PREMIER HOLIDAY RESORT

Night Scene on Marine Parade

Welcome to Napier !

This Booklet carries with it a very cordial invitation to visit Napier and the promise of a sincere welcome when you arrive.

There are a number of features here which must appeal to you such as the Marine Parade with its beautiful surroundings and its Tom Parker Fountain, the reconstruction of the business area on modern lines, the remains of the old wharves at Port Ahuriri and the 7,000 acres raised from the sea.

With the outdoor skating and other forms of entertainment, your stay should be a very enjoyable one, and I know it will be.

T. W. HERCOCK, O.B.E.
Mayor

Napier from the Air   Photo: R.W. Orr, Hastings.

Napier, New Zealand’s Most Modern City

PLEASANTLY situated on the East Coast of New Zealand, in a climate which is attractive all the year round, Napier provides a perfect setting for tourists and holiday makers. Rebuilt on modern colourful lines, after the destructive earthquake of 1931, Napier expresses a pleasing freshness unique in New Zealand towns to those seeking a restful holiday haven.

For summer visitors, the soft sea breezes make the Marine Parade, with its lofty Norfolk Pine sentinels a lasting attraction. The cool fresh lawns – the sparkling sea – the gay sunshine and the holiday mood completely refreshes and renews the tired, and inspires the active holiday maker.

Of fairyland likeness is this Marine Parade on summer nights. The myriad coloured lights in the Norfolk Pines harmonising with the beautiful changing colours of the spectacular Tom Parker Fountain. Gay music accompanies gaily costumed skaters as they dance and glide on the colourful mosaic square. Firm, green, floodlit lawns by the cooling sea offers bowls and golf. Adjacent floodlit courts cater for tennis enthusiasts.

Pervading all is the warm night air and festive atmosphere, climaxed in the Mardi Gras and New Year Celebrations when night is turned into day with merriment and gaiety.

Bathing in warm Pacific rollers is offered on the Marine Parade, with excellent surfing at Westshore and Waimarama beaches. Hot seawater baths are available for curative and remedial purposes. Safe pools, swings and roundabouts provide hours of fun for the younger children.

Enjoy the peaceful walk around the Napier Bluff to where the busy new wharves and the long arm of the breakwater provide interesting and attractive scenes.

In the town itself, bright attractive new buildings and shops line the wide, clean streets.

Botanical interests are promoted by the brilliant specimens in Clive Square – right in the centre of the town – and the Botanical Gardens.

Spectacular views of Hawke’s Bay, from Cape Kidnappers to Mahia Peninsula on the seaward side, and the rugged Kaweka and Ruahine mountain ranges on the landward side, are to be gained from Napier’s hills. The magnificent panorama of the Heretaunga Plains stretches to the south.

Two golf courses, in attractive settings, are close at hand, whilst almost all other sporting activities are well provided for.

Realising the immense natural aptitude of Napier for providing a tourists’ and visitors’ mecca, Napier’s planners and builders have put everything towards making their town a feature and show place of New Zealand. Given every assistance by a wonderfully warm, temperate climate, the product is delightfully successful.

The illustrated pictures shown in this brochure capture in part some of the many attractive features to be found in Napier – City of Sunshine and Sea Breezes.

Centre of Shopping Area

View of Town

Transport Facilities

RAIL SERVICES – Napier, as a popular holiday town and the centre of a prosperous farming area, is well served with rail transport. There are regular express and rail-car services to and from Wellington, Palmerston North and Gisborne. Railway Station, Station Street (2 minutes from Clive Square).

SERVICE CARS. – Terminus, Hawke’s Bay Motor Co. Ltd’s garage, near Gaiety Theatre, Dickens Street. Daily services, including Sundays, to and from Wellington, Palmerston North, Wairoa, Gisborne, Taupo, Rotorua and Auckland. Services to Lake Waikaremoana daily, except Sundays.

AIR SERVICES. – Napier Airport, Beacons Aerodrome, 3 miles from Napier, on main road north. Daily services, except Sundays, to Palmerston North, Wellington and Auckland, providing connections to all parts of New Zealand. Booking Office, Union Steamship Co. (N.Z.) Ltd., Passenger Booking Office, Tennyson Street (opp. Masonic Hotel entrance).

TAXI SERVICES. – One of New Zealand’s finest taxi services is available in Napier. All taxis are modern cars, under the one control, and are available day and night. Taxi stands throughout business area. Central office, Emerson Street. Telephone 3767.

INTERNAL BUS SERVICES. – Buses leave from the shopping area every 20 minutes for Bluff Hill, Hospital Hill, Napier South, Marewa and Port Ahuriri. There are frequent and regular services to Westshore, Bay View, Eskdale, Taradale and Greenmeadows.

HASTINGS BUS SERVICES. – Railway Road Services buses depart from Herschell Street (near Marine Parade) every half hour for Hastings. Route taken is along the foreshore and through Clive and Whakatu. Frequent services are provided by the Hawke’s Bay Motor Co. Ltd, whose buses depart from Clive Square and travel to Hastings via Meeanee, Pakowhai and Taradale.

SIGHTSEEING TOURS. – Daily from Art Gallery and Railway Road Services station, for about three hours, to Hastings, Havelock, Taradale, Pakowhai, Westshore, Bay View, Eskdale and Port Ahuriri. (Full information is available from the Hawke’s Bay Motor Co. Ltd., and N.Z. Railways Road Services.)

Beautiful Memorial Square and Fire Station

Places of Interest

THE MARINE PARADE, which extends along the town’s foreshore, is noted for its beautiful lawns and gardens, amongst which are set the famous Sound Shell and Colonnade. On the Parade are excellent public tennis courts and putting greens, the Municipal Baths, Tom Parker Electric Fountain, and also the children’s paddling pool and amusement area.

CLIVE AND MEMORIAL SQUARES – These are at the lower end of Emerson Street and thus almost in the shopping area. The gardens are attractively planted out, and are famous for their variegated flowers and shrubs and beautiful trees.,

NELSON PARK, a 20-acre level reserve in Napier South, as well as having a large playing area, is planted in trees, and has tennis courts and croquet lawns. Cricket is played here in summer, and football, hockey, etc., in the winter season.

THE BOTANICAL GARDENS are off Chaucer Road and are attractively planted in native and English trees shrubs and flower beds. A delightful walk by way of these to the Public Hospital.

BEACHES – The two most popular beaches are the main beach on the Marine Parade, and Westshore. Further afield there are beaches at Clifton, Haumoana, Bay View and Waimarama.

McLEAN PARK, situated just south of Nelson Park, is Napier’s principal sports ground.

PICNIC SPOTS – There are excellent picnic spots along the Esk and Tuki Tuki rivers. Other popular places are Farndon Park, at Clive; Tutira Lake, on the Wairoa road; Black Bridge, near Haumoana; Te Mata Peak, past Havelock North; and Waimarama Beach.

WESTSHORE – A popular residential and seaside resort four miles from town. Sandy beach and good bathing.

TIFFEN PARK – A small, shady, retreat on the hillside at rear of Municipal Theatre.

T. & G. Building from Colonnade

History Of Napier

SCINDE ISLAND, on which Napier now stands, was purchased from the native chief, Tareha Te Moananui, in 1850 by Mr Donald McLean, who was at that time Government Land Purchase Commissioner for the district. The place was called Napier, after Sir Charles Napier, the conqueror of Scinde, and gazetted a town in 1855. The duty of naming the streets devolved upon Alfred Dommett [Domett], the then Crown Lands Commissioner for the district, who displayed his literary taste in selecting the names of some of the most eminent men in literature and art of that day.

The town made rapid progress from that time until 1861, when unrest occurred amongst the natives resulting shortly afterwards in open hostilities between the Colonists and the Maoris. Settlement was in consequence retarded for many years until the termination of the Maori Wars, when increasing numbers of settlers attracted by the fertile and excellent climate began to arrive.

Napier was constituted a Borough in 1874. In the early days Napier was practically an island, but as time passed large areas were reclaimed and built on, and now form residential parts of the Borough.

With the turn of the century the town steadily progressed until 1931, when it had developed into a busy centre of an exceedingly prosperous district.

In 1931 came the disastrous earthquake which destroyed the entire business section of the town; this has since been rebuilt on the most modern lines, giving it a clean and tidy appearance.

The new Napier is the most modern municipality in the Dominion. The business area contains only modern, earthquake-proof buildings, streets have been widened and unsightly telegraph wires placed underground. The rubble from the earthquake damage was deposited on the foreshore forming the foundation for the Marine Parade beautifications which now are among Napier’s greatest attractions.

Sporting Facilities

BOWLING GREENS

Napier Bowling Club, Nelson Crescent.
Secretary: A.E. HOLLAY, Kidson Flat, Dalton Street, Napier.

Wairere Bowling Club, Kennedy Road.
Secretary: D.B. CLOUGH, 21 Kennedy Road, Napier.

Bluff Hill Bowling Club, Lighthouse Road.
Secretary: F.W. MELHUISH, P.O. Box 157, Napier.

Port Ahuriri Bowling Club, Battery Road.
Secretary: O.N. HALLETT, P.O. Box 284, Napier.

FOOTBALL and CRICKET GROUNDS

Nelson Park (entrance from Kennedy Road and Latham Street).
McLean Park (entrance from Morris Street and Latham Street).
Marewa Park (entrance Morse Street).

GOLF COURSES

Maraenui Golf Course (three miles from town, main route to Hastings).
Waiohiki Golf Course (seven miles from town, Taradale route to Hastings).
Putting Green on Marine Parade at rear of Sound Shell, open to public day and night.

HOCKEY GROUNDS – Nelson Park.

BASKETBALL – Marine Parade and Nelson Park.

MEN’S INDOOR BASKETBALL – Drill Hall.

SWIMMING FACILITIES – Municipal Baths and Paddling Pool (100 ft swimming pool with all facilities).
Beaches – Westshore, three miles out on main route to Auckland, good swimming beach all weathers.
Main Beach on Marine Parade safe in fair weather only. Danger flags always flown when not safe.

TENNIS COURTS
Public hard courts on Marine Parade available for nominal charge.
Hawke’s Bay Tennis Club, Higgins Street, Marewa (grass courts).
Nelson Park Tennis Club (grass and hard courts).

SKATING RINK – Marine Parade, afternoon and evenings, next to Colonnade
(Ultra modern rink shortly to be constructed).

CROQUET GREENS – Nelson Park, Marewa and Napier Greens.

RACE COURSE – Napier Park Race Course (2 miles), Taradale Road.

DOG RACING – League Park, Taradale Road.

SAILING – Napier Sailing Club.   Headquarters:   Scapa Flow, Port Ahuriri

Attractive new homes, amid fresh, green lawns and tidy gardens, are a feature of this street in the centre of Napier’s Government Housing Area.

Frontage of a block of new flats

Modern home in attractive garden setting

Y.W.C.A and Women’s Rest Building amid pleasant surroundings in the centre of Memorial Square.

NAPIER – CITY OF BEAUTIFUL GARDENS

The scenes above depict several of the delightful garden spots within the town.

Top left. – Garden plot in front of Masonic Hotel
Top Right and Centre. – Clive Square
Bottom Left. – Lawns and garden shrubs along the beach front.
Bottom Right. – Kennedy Road with its magnificent avenue of giant palms.

Hawke’s Bay Art Gallery and Museum

THE Art Gallery and Museum is owned and controlled by the Hawke’s Bay Art Society. It is situated close to the Parade on the corner of Herschell and Browning Streets, and aims to be a cultural centre. The Art Gallery contains works by contemporary artists, an interesting series of reproductions and collection of antiques and objets d’arte [d’art]. There is a first-class piano in the gallery and musical recitals are held every first Sunday evening in the month. The Society has its own choir and an instrumental trio, concerts are held occasionally as advertised. The museum tells the story of the Province of Hawke’s Bay in history, ethnology and natural science. The Maori collection is small but well set out and the section dealing with local history is worthy of a visit. The Society also houses an excellent reference library devoted to art and to New Zealand.

This Institution is open from 12.30 to 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Closed on Saturdays and open on Sundays and Statutory holidays from 2.30 to 4.30 p.m. Phone 3329. Admission is free.

Overlooking the Wharves

Port of Napier

Napier provides the only port on the East Coast of the North Island between Wellington and Auckland. It serves a large district which is renowned throughout New Zealand for its high productivity and the excellent quality of its produce.

As an outlet for the rich yield of thousands of square miles of some of the most fertile land in New Zealand, Napier has become the third overseas export port of New Zealand. As one of the largest wool centres the total wool export is 250,000 bales. No less than 2¼ million carcases of lamb and mutton and over 17,000 tons of beef and other meats are sent overseas as refrigerated cargoes. A great percentage of the million cases of pipped fruit produced in the district is also exported. In addition, butter and the by-products of the meat killing works including tallow, pelts and skins are among the cargoes of the overseas ships which use the port.

The existing wharves cater for vessels up to 550 feet in length and the facilities for handling cargo are of the most modern. The spacious stores are equipped with overhead electric hauling cranes which enable cargoes to be dealt with expeditiously.

Conscious of the ever increasing production of the district it serves, the port authority, the Napier Harbour Board, has embarked on an extensive programme of expansion. A new concrete wharf is to be built and the original Glasgow Wharf is to be demolished and replaced. The programme includes also extensive shedding to provide adequate and modern storage facilities.

The Napier Harbour Board also controls large areas of reclaimed lands which are being developed by the Napier Borough Council as industrial and residential sites. In this regard the two local bodies have adopted a vigorous policy and it is anticipated that the programme will be sufficiently advanced in the near future to provide for considerable expansion.

Napier, indeed, is singularly fortunate in being one of the few centres in New Zealand which has available such large areas of flat land adjacent to the Port which offer excellent opportunities for industrial development and, equally important, thousands of sites for workers’ dwellings.

It is certain that Napier as the exporting port of such a wealthy district, with its glorious climate, its ample areas for expansion and its beautiful tourists’ attractions is destined to become one of the largest cities in New Zealand.

Commerce and Industry

Napier, which for long has best been known as a tourist resort, is fast developing into one of New Zealand’s prominent commercial and industrial cities.

As a result of the extensive areas reclaimed by the 1931 earthquake, Napier can lay claim to having on her boundaries the greatest area of useful undeveloped land of any city in the Dominion. Advantage is being taken of this wonderful legacy and it has been sub-divided into suburban areas, light and heavy industrial sites, small farms and an almost unlimited number of residential building sites are regularly becoming available. With the expected rapid increase of population of the whole country, it is not difficult to envisage Napier in years to come a town of twice its present size. Certainly no other locality offers such a wonderful opportunity, and if the community spirit which has endured since the disaster of 1931, when all seemed lost, still thrives, her rapid progress is assured.

To-day, as a prominent port and centre of a most prosperous area, new business developments of many kinds are coming into operation. Well established industries, turning out high class products, include food canning factories, woollen mills, a tobacco company, soap factory, dye works, newspaper and printing establishments, welding equipment manufacturers, cordial makers as well as many others. Projected concerns include a biscuit factory and fertiliser works. The fertiliser works when established are certain to give Napier the greatest fillip in its history. [opened 1954]

At Port Ahuriri, innumerable huge wool stores receive from the farm lands millions of pounds worth of wool which awaits sale and shipment to all parts of the world. Oil storage depots hold millions of gallons of oil and petrol unloaded direct from tankers which have brought their valuable cargoes from distant lands.

To the visitor, Napier has much to offer, and to the prospective citizen a future of unrivalled opportunity.

Photo captions –

Frontage of a Modern Factory

Port Ahuriri Wool Stores and Westshore

Accommodation

Napier, being a popular tourist town, has a large number of hotels, both licensed and private, and also many boarding houses. Excellent accommodation is available at many of these. Following is a list of the principal ones, their location and approximate tariffs.

MASONIC, Cnr [Corner]. Tennyson St [Street]. & Marine Parade. Phone 2421 (2 lines). 64 Brms [Bedrooms]; 6 brms (p. bath), dly [daily], 28/-; 58 brms (hw), dly, 25/-; DBB [Daily Bed and Breakfast], 21/6 minimum.

CENTRAL, Cnr. Emerson & Dalton Sts. Phones 3173 & 3174. 34 Brms (hw); dly, 22/-; DBB, 19/-; BB, 14/6: Children half rate only if occupying parents’ room.

CRITERION, Emerson St. Phone 3949, 21 brms (hw); dly, 21/-; DBB, 18/-; BB, 14/-. 5 Brms (p.bath), dly, 22/6.

EMPIRE, Shakespeare Rd. Phone 3471. 16 Brms (hw); dly, 18/6; DBB, 16/- BB, 12/6.

PLUMPTON PARK (at Meeanee, 5m. from Napier P.O.). Phone 4421. 4 Brms; dly, 17/6; DBB, 15/-; BB, 12/6

PROVINCIAL, Clive Square. Phone 4176. 8 Brms (hw); DBB, 16/-; BB, 12/6.

ALBION, Hastings Street. Phone 2931. 10 Brms,; dly, 15/-; BB, 11/-.

CALEDONIAN, Hastings Street. Phone 3220. 40 Brms.; dly, 20/-; DBB, 16/6, BB, 13/-, one night only.

CLARENDON, Shakespeare Road. Phone 2668. 20 Brms.; dly, 16/-; BB, 12/-.

ROYAL, Carlyle Street. Phone 3817. 8 Brms.; dly, 16/-; BB, 10/-.

UNION, Waghorne Street. Phone 2196. 10 Brms.; £4 4s wkly; 15/- for one night.

* ARCADIA, 2 Station St. Phone 3439. 26 Brms.; 3 Brms (hw); DBB, 13/6; Lunch optional, 2/6; £4 10s wk.

* COUNTY, Emerson St. Phone 3237. 22 Brms., caters for DBB only (lunch only on Sunday, 3/-); DBB, 14/-.

* SPA, Marine Parade. Phone 2991. 23 Brms. (hw); dly, 17/6; DBB, 15/6; BB 13/6; £5 wk.

* MARINE PARADE, Marine Parade. Phone 2544. 23 Brms.; dly, 14/-; DBB, 12/6 (minimum charge).

* OCEAN VIEW, 47 Marine Parade. Phone 3071. 21 Brms.; dly, 16/-; DBB, 13/6; BB, 10/-.

* BROOKLYN, 2 Munro Street. Phone 3965. 9 Brms.; BB, 10/-; tray 1/6, between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

* HOTEL PACIFIC, Marine Parade. Phone 2363. 23 Brms. Tariff on application.

* SHORTLANDS, 12 Marine Parade. Phone 3144. 15 Brms. 7/- per day wkly. tariff; 10/- for one night only, 8/- for more than one night.

* YORK PRIVATE HOTEL, 18 Shakespeare Road. Phone 3678. 12 Brms. dly, 14/6; DBB, 12/6; BB, 10/-.

* LYNTON PRIVATE HOTEL, Cameron Road. Phone 2333. 5 double Brms. Dly, 18/-, £1 1s. (hw); DBB, 14/6, 17/6 (hw). Garden, tennis court.

* Denotes Unlicensed Hotel.

See The Kiwis !

Visitors to Napier have the opportunity of seeing New Zealand’s unique bird, the Kiwi, living in natural surroundings at the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatization Society’s Game Farm, Greenmeadows.

The Society has been given special permission to care for several of these wingless birds which have become symbolic of New Zealand and are fast becoming extinct.

Motor Camps

KENNEDY PARK – Covering an area of 2 acres within 1½ m. of the P.O. this motor camp is electrically lighted and equipped with a kitchen with gas cookers (1d.-in-slot), sinks, benches and h. & c. water laid on. Separate toilet rooms for each sex with baths, h. & c. showers and p.w.c.’s. Wash tubs and continuous hot water service. Children’s swimming pool. Electric iron for hire. Stores obtainable at Canteen. Caretaker in attendance. Charges: 2/6 per camp site per day; 12/6 per week. (Caretaker, Kennedy Park Motor Camp. Phone 3973).

In Kennedy Park Camp there are 36 lock-up hutments, each containing three or four bunks, table and stools. The cabins, which are mostly in the form of converted tramcars, are equipped with electric light. Cooking, sanitation and ablution arrangements in camp community block. Charges : 5/- per day: 25/- per week.

LOWRY’S TOURIST CAMP – Situated in George’s Drive, 1¼ m. from P.O. and 5 min. walk from Marine Parade. Ground electrically lighted and sheltered. Cookhouse with gas cookers (1d-in-slot), h. & c. water laid on. Bathrooms, wash basins, h. & c. showers and p.w.c.’s. Dining room with tables and seats. Electric iron for hire. Charges : 2/6 per car per night; 12/6 per week (1 tent).

In Lowry’s Tourist Camp there are 18 cabins containing, 2, 3 or 4 bunks, table and seats. Electric light. Cooking, sanitation and ablution arrangements in camp community block. Mattresses for hire for cabins. Charges : 2-berth cabin, 5/- per night, 25/- per week; 3-berth cabin, 6/- per night, 30/- per week; 4-berth cabin, 7/- per night, 35/- per week.

Only cabin reservations accepted with £1 deposit.

WESTSHORE MOTOR CAMP – Adjacent to the beach at Westshore, 3 ½ m. from the Napier P.O. and situated on the Taupo and Gisborne highway; facilities include dining room and kitchen with gas cookers (1d-in-slot) and water laid on over sinks. Toilet rooms for both sexes with cold showers and p.w.c.’s. Stores handy. Charges : 2/6 per car per night; 12/6 per week.

In the Westshore Motor Camp there are two 4-bunk baches, each complete with gas stove, gas heaters, table and chairs. Sanitation and ablution arrangements in camp community block. Charges : 5/- per night, 30/- per week.

Civic Centre

The proposed Napier War Memorial is to be in the form of a Community Centre on the Marine Parade.

On the northern side will be an open air skating rink and tiered seating for 1000 spectators, and on the southern side tennis courts and bowling greens.

These open air recreation areas are part of a general Community and Youth Centre of which the War Memorial Building will form a central feature embracing the Social, Cultural, Physical and Educational interests.

The Winter Gardens will be under the administration of the City Reserves Committee and will incorporate the following features : a Hall of Memories on the south, a Palm Lounge on the north and on the east the Winter Garden. In the centre will be a large Assembly Hall for civic functions and balls.

Other features will comprise a cafeteria, gymnasium, spacious open air balconies, and a section for Adult Education, Social Societies and other organisations.

The whole of the building will be lighted and air-conditioned on the most modern lines, and consideration is being given to designing an Ever-Glowing Torch of Remembrance, either externally or in the form of a lighted pylon in the Hall of Memories.

Two Views of Cape Kidnappers and Gannet Sanctuary

Cape Kidnappers
World Famous Gannet Sanctuary

One of the world’s most natural wonders may be seen at Cape Kidnappers 20 miles south of Napier, on the point of the southern side of Hawke’s Bay. Here thousands of these beautiful sea-birds nest from October till March every year, and are a source of wonder and great interest to all who visit there. Visitors may move among the birds, which are not alarmed if approached cautiously, and may study at close quarters the life and habits of these picturesque birds. Such a visit is well worth while and possible at few other places in the entire world.

In order to reach the Kidnappers, travel by car to Clifton, about 15 miles (asphalt road) and thence a six mile walk along the beach to the Cape. The walk along the beach must be made between tides, and intending visitors should make certain of the correct tides before setting out. Information obtainable from the ranger at the Clifton store.

Photographs by courtesy of A. B. Hurst and Son.

Compiled and Produced by
The Publicity Committee of the Napier Junior Chamber of Commerce
and Printed by
Swailes Printing Co. Ltd., Thackeray Street, Napier.