Historic HB: Advance Hasting slogan used to promote town

Advance Hastings! The celebration of the 50th founding of Hastings in 1923. Photo/ Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank, Wilson Collection, T2267.

Hastings was founded in 1873, when enterprising small farmer Francis Hicks gave part of his land to the government at no cost to establish a railway station.

When they accepted, he subdivided 99 acres (40 hectares) of his land and auctioned it off (to mostly Napier people).

Years before, a frustrated Thomas Tanner had tried to break in the swampy land at great cost (while still making payments to various Māori after the 1870 purchase of the Heretaunga block), and had to give land away to several men as an incentive to clear the land (including Francis Hicks) ‒ if they ploughed an acre, he gave them an acre free.

Hastings was effectively a large swamp – and had the Ngaruroro River not changed its course in 1867 (which flooded the Heretaunga Plains regularly), and the subsequent river control measures taken for the next 90 years, it likely would still be a swamp today.

As can be seen by the photo – the words "Advance Hastings", topped by the word "Progress" form part of an archway to celebrate Hastings' 50th from 1873-1923.

In between the words "Advance Hastings" is a motif of two ferns and between them two Māori kowhaiwhai symbols joining each other – which to my untrained interpretation could likely mean the co-operation between Māori and Pākehā during Hastings' development.

This is a symbol well worth, I think, replicating for Hastings' 150th in four years' time.

Also, on the archway at the bases are river stones, reflecting the importance of the fertile alluvial plains of Hastings – the Ngaruroro River.

There were several archways erected on Heretaunga St for the 50th celebrations – the first just past the former Municipal Buildings and the last past King St. The one shown is situated before the Bank of New Zealand building in Heretaunga St West.

Notable in the photo is Griffiths Boot and Shoe Shop (where BJs café is now), established in 1914, and still exists today, but in a block west of this location. All the buildings pictured fell in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

"Advance Hastings" was a slogan that appears to be first used in 1884 in an advert by James Young, one of Hastings' first men's hairstylists (but also did ladies hair from 2pm-4pm on Wednesdays). It was also adopted in 1885 by a watchmaker, Henry Selig.

Interesting, in 1886, Napier paper Daily Telegraph had a story written by a Hastings correspondent on Hastings news who rather parochially added at the end of his column, "I was yesterday shown a suite of furniture manufactured in Hastings to the order of a Napier resident.  Advance Hastings." The nameless correspondent began then signing off all his articles in that manner – exclaiming "Advance Hastings!"

However, in 1887 in an apparent dig at Hastings, this appeared from a Napier correspondent of the Daily Telegraph: "Advance Hastings. From an advertisement it would appear that there is to be another newspaper started in that borough. What with two printing offices, a public loan, and a law suit to settle up on the big drain, Hastings should be happy."

Many started to universally use the term "Advance Hastings" – including letters to the editor and notable Hastings events in stories to other parts of New Zealand.

The Hastings Borough Council was criticised in a Hastings Standard editorial in 1896 when it put out its public notices for tender to newspapers, and awarded it to a Napier paper, despite a marginal difference. "Advance Hastings does not appear to be the watchword of our City Fathers", it wrote.

Right up the 50th celebrations of Hastings in 1923, "Advance Hastings" was still being used to promote the town. At this time, a progress league had been formed in Hastings to encourage development in the town and surrounding districts.

The "Advance Hastings" slogan was used still post the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake and appears to have stopped by World War II in 1939.

With the 150th of Hastings fast approaching in 2023, there are some themes of the 50th celebrations in 1923 that could well be adopted and used to be celebrated by the diverse cultures that now form Hastings and surrounding districts.

*Signed copies of Michael Fowler's Historic Hawke's Bay book are only available from the Hastings Community Art Centre, Russell Street South, Hastings for $65.

*Michael Fowler FCA (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant, contract researcher and writer of Hawke's Bay's history.