Batsons Hotel, store and hall, Waiho, 1907.

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DescriptionIn 1911, Alec Graham and his older brother Jim brought the Waiho Hotel ‘Toi Toi House’ from the Batson Family and then moved the building from the Waiho Flats. An additional storey was added and it became the Graham Hotel. Today this is the site of the current Department of Conservation Visitor Centre.

31st July,1911.West Coast Times.
"Mr. W.H, Batson formerly of the Waiho, South Westland on Saturday purchased the Exchange Hotel, Hokitika, which for some time past has been conducted by Mrs Briggs. It is Mr. Batson’s intention to make the “Exchange” as attractive as possible, and with the assistance of Mrs Batson, this will be accomplished in the near future. With their extensive experience, which both Mr. and Mrs Batson have had at the Waiho, where “Batson’s Villa” was known throughout the dominion, as being run on lines equal to 'any country hotel in the North or
South Island, their advent to this town will be hailed with satisfaction. The new proprietor is nothing if not progressive, find it is hoped his enterprise will be rewarded. "Origins of Waiho Hotel:

In the late 1800s, in spite of the many travel hardships, the number of visitors to the glacier region and South Westland gradually began to increase. Graham and Wilson (1983: 124) describe how, in 1897, the first tourist venture at Franz Josef was developed by a Captain and Mrs W. H. Batson.

"With the help of a number of miners working in the area, who were disturbed to see Mrs Batson with no house to live in, Batson built a tiny cottage of punga (tree fern) logs. The miners thought they were simply helping a man erect a shelter for his wife. When the building was completed they were surprised, but pleased, to receive an invitation to dine at ‘Toi Toi House’ as the cottage was named. After the meal they were again surprised, but less pleased, to discover that this meal was a business venture, and that they had to pay half a crown a head! Thus, inauspiciously launched on careers as proprietors, Batson and his wife began to offer meals regularly; then, after adding two rooms to the cottage, accommodation as well. In due course Batson also ‘operated a sly grog store’, thereby qualifying his small establishment for the title of hotel under West Coast rules."

Jim and Alec Graham bought the Waiho Hotel at Franz Josef from Captain Batson in 1911. However, the original site of the hotel was prone to flooding so the enterprising Graham brothers immediately commenced a moving operation of monumental proportions. By using hand winches and cables they hauled the building a distance of 280 metres along runners to a more suitable site on higher ground. The hotel was to remain in the Graham family until 1947 when the Tourist Department took over its management (Graham and Wilson, 1983).Date of Photo1907Map^[1]External LinkHistory of Batsons Hotel

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Location (city or town)WaihoOrganisation (eg business)Batsons HotelBatsons store

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Category TagHotelsTownship

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CommentsPaddy Sweeney I was brought up at Waiho or Waiho George as the school was called. I remember doing a project on this. There was a photo of the 1st car in the district, it was a REO. Later they changed to name to Franz Josef. In about 1956/57 the School burnt down, it had nothing to do with me. Gods Honour.

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Batsons Hotel, store and hall, Waiho, 1907.

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