Philippa Stevenson: Opotiki finds treasure in fine heritage

It's hard to imagine now, but Opotiki was once the largest town in a thriving district, a hub of commerce, trade and government.

For several hundred years the Eastern Bay of Plenty spot was home to the iwi Whakatohea, much of whose land was confiscated in 1865 after the murder of the Reverend Carl Volkner.

Opotiki then became a frontier military town that boomed until the early 1930s, serving farms growing maize, wheat, wool and milk, which was exported from a busy port.

In 1921, for instance, Opotiki was much bigger than Te Puke, Whakatane or Taupo. Its boom times passed with better road and rail transport and the silting up of its harbour.

Any visitor to the town today can see its history on nearly every street. Beneath fresh paint and modern names are early timber hotels, theatres, shops and industrial buildings. There's a plethora of churches and church halls, including the oldest building in central Opotiki, Hiona St Stephens church built in 1864.

The slowing of Opotiki's growth over the second half of the 20th century allowed many early buildings to remain intact and Opotiki is now has one of the best surviving examples of a town centre from the late 19th century, early 20th century in the upper North Island.

But it's easy to lose a valuable heritage. We take it for granted because it's always been there. We may think it's a bit of old tat that only a bulldozer can fix.

The people of Opotiki, though, have realised what a treasure their town is and moved this year to protect it.

In April, prompted by concern at the decline of some buildings and sites, the Opotiki District Council, Environment BOP, and the Historic Places Trust launched the Opotiki Historic Heritage Study to draw together information about the town.

A team of conservation architects, historians and an archaeologist have, with the help of locals, worked to identify buildings and sites that are not yet on any heritage list, but are thought to have historic value and add to Opotiki's character.

There have been challenges. Floods destroyed many records, making it difficult to identify construction dates and the architects of historic buildings.

Unexpected finds outside Opotiki helped. The original plans for one of the town's earliest buildings, Patterson's Building in Church St, were found in the Hamilton library. A street plan of Opotiki dating back to the 1860s provided information on the town's original planning and those associated with town allotments.

Locals who responded to the call for historical data produced old photographs, plans for buildings they owned and recollections passed down through generations.

Conservation architect Jane Matthews said working on the study had been "fantastic."

It pulled together different strands of Opotiki's interesting past from early Maori settlement through its time as a mission station and on to its growth from frontier town.

Understanding the key themes in the development of a town centre was a research approach increasingly being used in New Zealand, she said.

"The research will provide an amazing resource for Opotiki that will help in understanding what is there, what is special about it, and, hopefully, what can be promoted to the community, new investors and tourists," Matthews said.

"The information can be readily utilised to develop heritage walks and to provide interpretative information about Opotiki to enhance understanding for visitors."

Historic Places Trust area manager Gail Henry said the trust had long identified Opotiki as a special town and was delighted Environment BOP was so actively working to preserve the region's heritage.

Increasingly, district councils were also documenting their heritage, she said. Te Aroha and Waihi were other "real gems" but like many towns were unexpectedly beginning to feel the impact of development.

"Perhaps it's the cost of beach places, but people are looking at alternative holiday homes and there is pressure on places where you'd least expect it. Heritage tourism is also becoming a viable economic alternative."

Henry also thinks the desire to protect what once would have been a candidate for the bulldozer is a sign that New Zealand is coming of age and appreciating its past.

The Opotiki study is expected to be made public at the end of the month.