Top Frews Hut at Frews Creek Hokitika area

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DescriptionThis photo is a G G Atkinson one taken sometime in the 1930s. Although it says Royal Hotel on the building it is Top Frews Hut at Frews Creek in the Whitcombe River catchment of the Hokitika. The hut was built for use by surveyors and track builders making the old Rakaia to Hokitika "stock" track known as the Dobson track and was built in the 1880's. It was built of Kaikawaka and stone found nearby. The person in the photo is Chum Harcourt.
The hut was refurbished in 1905 and a number of times subsequently but eventually collapsed in the 1960's. Some remains are still there but some of the split slabs were reused to corduroy the nearby boggy bits of the track in the late 1960's / early 1970's.

Glenn Johnston The Dobson track that the remains of this hut are beside was surveyed by famed, then Hokitika based, surveyor Gerhard Mueller. It was constructed in the early-mid 1880's. The track crossed the main divide using the Mathias Pass which is at the head of the Hokitika River and Mathias tributary of the Rakaia River. Track construction was under the charge of Mueller on the WC side of the alps and Arthur Dudley Dobson, engineer & surveyor, on the Canterbury side. The track received Dobson's name. (Arthur's Pass is also named for A D Dobson) [Dobson township on the West Coast was named for older brother George Dobson who was murdered by the Kelly Gang]PhotographerG G AtkinsonDate of PhotounknownMap^[1]ContributorGlenn Johnston

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Location (city or town)Hokitika

Category Information

Category TagOld buildings

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CommentsRon Hibbs This must be your Grandfather Bronwyn

Jo-Anne Sunbeam A bit risqué for the time lol lol lol. Great photo and great history...cheers

Glenn Johnston Cheers Brian. The date of the photo would be early 1930's. The hut wasn't really a pub and that name would be a bit of joke written in charcoal by trophy hunters using the hut. Chum Harcourt was a dairy farmer from Kowhiterangi out toward the Hoki Gorge.

Maye Dunn Awesome photo..

Pam Englefield-Absolum Definitely not a Lands and Survey accommodation.

Jimmy Teen The new ones got aluminium joinery!

Pam Englefield-Absolum Jimmy Teen and double glazing!

Kylee Habgood Madeleine Growcott show Dad

Graeme Jackson Kirk Harcourt You're rellys mate,looks like you tho

Anthony John Travis Graeme Jackson defenantly looks like hacket

Bronwyn Pardo Ron Hibbs thank you - Grandad Harcourt - I've tagged Mum and John xxxooo

Bronwyn Pardo John Hibbs Jan Hibbs - Grandad Harcourt

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Top Frews Hut at Frews Creek Hokitika area

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