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Waverley History & Heritage |
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The Waverley clock tower was opened on 28th October 1925,unveiled as a war memorial by the Prime Minister J. G. Coates
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Waverley is the South Taranaki District's southern most town. Waverley's history is as rich and varied as that of most towns in the South Taranaki district. Many of the streets are named after men of the Eight and Tenth Companies of the Taranaki Military Settlers. The settlers drew their land from the Okutuku Block.
The cottage of famous New Zealand writer and educator Rewi Alley is situated in the Moeawatea Valley, just north of Waverley. The cottage is a Category II Historic Place. Specially-designed heritage walks through Waverley will take you past some of the town's beautiful old sites and buildings.
The majestic Waverley Town Hall on Bear Street was built in 1908. This special building is a Category II Historic Place and is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The Dallison Park Memorial to Queen Victoria, was built at the Dallison Park Bowling Green. The Norfolk Pines around the little building were also planted in commemoration of the Queen.
The marvellous Post Office building was constructed in 1928 and for many years was the hub of the town. The building has been restored and is now a private residence. You can see and read more about some of the special building and places that are important parts of the town’s history and heritage below.
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Town Hall
The Town Hall in Bear Street is an impressive structure built of timber, with a corrugated iron roof. The building contains a hall, stage and supper room.
Built in 1908, the Town Hall has been the main centre of social activity in the town for many years. This is the third Waverley Town Hall, the first having been situated on the site of the old fire station on Weraroa Road, and the second is presumed to have been on the Town Hall's present site.
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Post Office
The old Post Office building situated on the corner of Weraroa Road & Chester Street was built in 1928 and for many years was the hub of the town, it has now been converted into a private residence. The Post Office is a two storey building finished with textured stucco plaster. Above the main entrance written in capital letters is the name “Waverley”. The building was designed with spacious, elegant accommodation upstairs; and the post office and telephone exchange on the ground floor level.
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An advertisement for the sale of the building described it as follows:
The rimu floors have been sanded and polished to perfection, stairway and other rimu timbers have been painstakingly restored to levels that must be seen. The exterior and interior of the building have also recently undergone a major repaint. The kitchen has been totally rebuilt using rimu timber and brass fittings from the former Post Office. Materials from downstairs have been recycled by a tradesman to give a touch of old world charm. Upstairs you have three bedrooms plus a sunroom, lounge, kitchen (walk in pantry), bathroom with period brass fittings and bath with claw feet etc Downstairs there are numeous rooms waiting for the new owners to use the space (ideal for a gym, shop or other facility). The rear of the building has new high fencing which gives a nice quiet courtyard for those barbecues.
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Clarendon Hotel
Built in 1878, the Clarendon Hotel had 21 rooms. By 1906 the hotel had been extended to 29 rooms, including 19 bedrooms, 4 sitting rooms, a commercial room and a dining room able to accommodate 50 people. The hotel survived a fire in 1907 which burnt the front only. There were stables where the Taranaki Farmers building now stands.
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Hitching Posts
The hitching post on the footpath outside the War Memorial Clock Tower is a timber post. It is set in the ground of the footpath, with metal ring on the road-side of the post. The two hitching posts, one outside the old Waverley Post Office building and at the northern end of town are metal poles with a rounded knob at the top.
The age of the hitching posts are not known but they clearly originated during the era of horses and horse drawn traffic. Therefore they would date from before World War I, and quite possibly from the 19th century. Such hitching posts, or sometimes rings or rails, were common in the town outside business premises and places such as the Post Office and Public Library.
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Tutahi Church
Tutahi Church on State Highway 3 is built on the site of the Tauranga Iki Pa, and also marks the place where the 1860’s Taranaki Land wars began and ended. It is a very significant and spiritual site for Maori.
The two windows in the front façade contain leadlight glass, with the same glass designed window above the front door. It has double hung side windows with single light sashes. Those soldiers associated with the Tutahi Church who went away to fight
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in World War II all returned. It is thought that this may have some connection with the spirituality of the church. It is thought that this church was built in 1870. A bible is known to have been placed in the foundation stone and the church is reputed to have considerable spiritual and healing power. In 2002, a local and national Maori public figure, Dalvanius Prime was buried at this site. >>>>Waverley History Pg.2 |
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