Earthquake shakes up plans for redevelopment of Marine Parade
In 1930, Napier's Thirty Thousand Club – which was a service club founded in 1912 and dedicated to the improvement of Napier, due to a foreshore retaining wall, had successfully reclaimed an area of Marine Parade beach in front of theArt Deco Masonic Hotel towards Ocean Spa.
Mr K Spooner, identifying an opportunity, approached the Thirty Thousand Club in December 1930 to lease part of this area for a miniature golf course.
Before this could be discussed fully, the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake intervened, and subsequently other plans were made for that area which was now enlarged and fully protected from the sea from the uplift of land.
After this area had been developed into gardens, Sound Shell, concrete auditorium, Tom Parker fountain and colonnade, attention turned in the mid-1930s to an area south of the Sound Shell.
In 1935, 16 grass tennis courts and two bowling greens were put forward as a use for this area south of the Sound Shell. There would be delays in achieving this, but the one thing most of the Napier Borough councillors were convinced of was that this area would be sunken, as according to councillor J H Oldham this was "practically the case in every developed foreshore area in England".
Despite the ambitious plans for this area, it would get off to a slow start, with only two grass courts laid in 1935.
A popular attraction established around 70 years ago on the site of present Marine Parade Par 2 golf courses, was a large grass putting green.
These courts would cause some controversy, when the Women's Christian Temperance Union asked the council to forbid the playing of tennis on the Marine Parade courts on Sundays to observe "the sacredness of the Sabbath Day".
A compromise was reached. No play would be allowed during church hours, and only permitted between 1pm and 6pm.
During 1937, discussions as to financing and what should go into that area were still being argued by councillors.
Finally, later that year, a council committee recommended that a dual carriageway for traffic be created south of the Sound Shell by demolishing the old seawall and excavating a sunken play area.
This was not a popular move and caused much protest from the community, especially those in Napier South who wanted less money spent on Marine Parade projects to try to attract visitors and more on essential infrastructural services in their area.
With two councillors dissenting, and a 1000-signature petition against it – the demolition of the seawall south of the Sound Shell occurred by explosives, and a dual roadway later created.
It was suggested that the roadway be extended north of the Sound Shell, and demolishing the colonnades, and Sound Shell – but was not agreed to by councillors.
In December 1937, a scheme for south of the Sound Shell was announced by council creating asphalt tennis and basketball courts with grass bowling and putting greens in the sunken area from Marine Parade.
Council approved the plan and in 1938 a sunken area was created by excavation to Albion St.
The playing areas followed later, including a large putting green adjacent to the Sound Shell. Soil from McLean Park was used to create the putting and bowling greens.
In the days before an information centre, the Napier Borough Council contracted out the putting green and other facilities.
Aubrey Duke, a member of the British and New Zealand Players Golf Association was awarded the contract in 1953 for five years. He asked for a telephone to be installed at the Parade pavilion next to the putting green to assist with calls for "out of town bookings for the tennis courts".
The contractual agreements to run Marine Parade playing areas lasted until 1974, when a franchised Putt Putt miniature golf course was established on part of the grassed bowling and putting greens and the Napier Information Centre took over the attraction.
In 1977 another Putt Putt course was added on the grassed area, such was the success of the venture.
By then, the tennis court area had been demolished and replaced with a sunken garden in 1969.
The Putt Putt franchise was discontinued around the 1990s and in years since, the two courses have been altered and now known as Par2 Mini golf.
*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 $65.00.
*Michael Fowler FCA (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant, contract researcher and writer of Hawke's Bay's history.
