Did you know there was a council owned camping ground flourishing in Rawhiti Domain up to the mid-seventies.
If you did, please come to our meeting next Tuesday and join the committee with a view of using your historical knowledge of New Brighton and beyond..
Past histories like this abound in our coastal area and we like to seek them out and post them on our webpage.
https://newbrightonresidents.org.nz/
and Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/333337237330570/
The New Brighton Residents Association has its next meeting on Tuesday the 14th February and despite being Valentines Day, there is no obligation to bring flowers to the Penguin Bar opposite the library starting 6pm. Join our committee in any capacity just bring your enthusiasm.
Back to camping in Rawhiti and a brief potted history of its existence…
From the time people started to migrate out to New Brighton, there were signs of the previous inhabitants (the Maori) here and there including two middens (effectively a rubbish dump usually found near coast). One located near the old campground (more on this below) and at a Lonsdale St address where cracked burnt stones, shells and an adze were found in a backyard (documented with Historic Places).
In the 1870s large areas of land were set aside by the Canterbury Provincial Council for three planting, recreational pursuits and domains including Rawhiti and later Thomson Park. Sadly quite a few fell over because the sand was too unstable to support them, not helped by one of the largest scrub fires in 1910 leading to a massive replanting exercise.
As the trees grew around the park it was not unusual for people to camp in the area and it is hard to know when the official motor camp officially got underway, but the New Brighton Borough Council was keen on the idea of creating an income earning facility with the aid of relief workers (paid by the government during the great economic depression of the time).
Unfortunately the existing poverty of many led to desperate actions and during this period a few of the trees were illicitly cut down and sold or used for heating purposes.
In the 1940s there were usually about twenty families using the Rawhiti camp and by that time the South Brighton camp ground had been set up in Jellicoe Reserve by the Canterbury Automobile Assn.
Conditions began to hit the skids in the early 1950s with one outside tap, difficulty in getting supplies of coal and wood for burners, a lack of washing facilities and those caravans with sinks drained into the ground below. Many could not afford the power and relied on old hazardous oil lamps.
In 1953 a storm blew through and knocked over a few trees and gave locals a chance to help themselves and keep the home fires burning.
In 1954 there was a kerfuffle on Council with one councillor (a Mr Glue) describing the conditions as like a shanty town as long-termers began to increase highlighting caravans no longer with wheels and one been extended twice its length.
In 1958 the campground featured in a decision by the Minister of Education charged with selecting a site for a high school in the east, and it came down to Rawhiti Domain and Aranui (present site). The Council was less keen on New Brighton because it would have limited the options to expand the camping area.
The Rawhiti Domain and vicinity featured in many incidents over the years and not enough room to document here, but one of most notorious concerned the 1963 murder and robbery (for a mere 27 pounds) of a Nelson taxi driver by the accused, a 30 year old motor mechanic whose Zephyr car and Clipper caravan had been seen in the Rawhiti camping ground a day after the February 20th attack.
This investigation was a classic who-dunnit and the killer (died some years ago) was eventually sentence a year later to Paparua Prison by very diligent police work. A book of the crime ‘Pursuit of Justice’ is probably in a library somewhere.
A setback in 1971 concerned a fire in the camp kitchen facilities probably started around one of the ovens.
In 1974 the Council were advertising for an assistant greenkeeper to assist in the maintenance of the golf links, sports grounds and motorcamp for a salary of $4896 per annum.
The Rawhiti campground finally closed after the “big blow” of 1975 knocked over a large number of trees and damaged facilities. The City Council was not prepared to spend money on repairs, but also not taking up any more public space within the domain and the facility was dismantled.
See you at the NBRA meeting next Tuesday 6pm Penguin Bar.