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Keith "Robbie" Robertson - the last storekeeper at the Okarito General Store. February.1984.
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DescriptionDonald Mathias.." Lovely gentle man. Sunday at Okarito for an icecream. I'm sure we could buy our fireworks from the store in Whataroa. School uniforms too?"
Janine Vincent.." He bought the Whataroa shop off Rose and Albert Vincent in 1952 he came from Oamaru with 9 children."
Judy Marsh.." We used to do our Christmas shopping there in Whataroa in the late 1960's. Linen, dress shirts, cardigans, toys everything you could wish for. Fun times."
History..In 1865 the goldmining township of Okarito sprang up on low-lying frequently flooded land at the south end of the Okarito Lagoon because the entrance channel was the nearest place suitable for shipping for the beach goldfields to the South.
Early building was mainly confined to the east side of the Strand, because at that time the west side was beach foreshore. A University Reserve was set-aside on the hill behind the village very early.
The gold rush declined rapidly and so did the population, although it remained 'town' for the subsequently developed Whataroa and Franz until the Whataroa Bridge was completed in 1910. Okarito port remained open until the 1940s and various attempts to improve it were frustrated by the typical behaviour of West Coast sea and lagoon outlets.
Information and photo from Okarito Community Association Inc.Read more by click on "External Link"below..
Date of PhotoFebruary,1984Map[1] External LinkOkarito HistoryContributorHeather Newby
Janine Vincent.." He bought the Whataroa shop off Rose and Albert Vincent in 1952 he came from Oamaru with 9 children."
Judy Marsh.." We used to do our Christmas shopping there in Whataroa in the late 1960's. Linen, dress shirts, cardigans, toys everything you could wish for. Fun times."
History..In 1865 the goldmining township of Okarito sprang up on low-lying frequently flooded land at the south end of the Okarito Lagoon because the entrance channel was the nearest place suitable for shipping for the beach goldfields to the South.
Early building was mainly confined to the east side of the Strand, because at that time the west side was beach foreshore. A University Reserve was set-aside on the hill behind the village very early.
The gold rush declined rapidly and so did the population, although it remained 'town' for the subsequently developed Whataroa and Franz until the Whataroa Bridge was completed in 1910. Okarito port remained open until the 1940s and various attempts to improve it were frustrated by the typical behaviour of West Coast sea and lagoon outlets.
Information and photo from Okarito Community Association Inc.Read more by click on "External Link"below..
Date of PhotoFebruary,1984Map[1] External LinkOkarito HistoryContributorHeather Newby
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Location (city or town)OkaritoOrganisation (eg business) Okarito General StoreEventKeith "Robbie" Robertson - the last storekeeper at the Okarito General Store. February.1984.
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Date Created11th November 2019CommentsCatherine O'Neil He had an amazing store in Whataroa when I lived there. He sold everything. A lovely man.
Patricia Brown Yes we lived Jacobs River he gad a combi van used to come down to he sold everthing in that van before the road opened past our place
Colin Sandra Moss Loved shopping at Robbies.:)
Aidan Friend I remember Mr and Mrs Robertsons store in Whataroa as a kid. Always a great place to visit.
Brent Jones Me too. I don’t remember the Robertsons owning a shop in Okarito too or was that post Whataroa.
Donald Mathias Lovely gentle man. Sunday at Okarito for an icecream. I'm sure we could buy our fireworks from the store in Whataroa. School uniforms too?
Janine Vincent He bought the Whataroa shop off Rose and Albert Vincent in 1952 he came from Oamaru with 9 children.
Ave Muir Had the shop in Whataroa next door too my nana and grandads, can also see him serving Icecreams at the shop in Okarito on picnic days. Awesome memories
Bob Laing I remember staying at Okarito and buying fishing hooks and ice cream in the store there
That was about 55 years ago
Cheryl Johnston I remember him in his store at Whataroa.
Judy Marsh We used to do our Christmas shopping there in Whataroa in the late 1960's. Linen, dress shirts, cardigans, toys everything you could wish for. Fun times.
Justin Peat Mrs Robbie was the more generous of the two ... we always waited for her to appear b4 headn in for a 20c mixture lol
Ron Hibbs We used to have summer holidays at Okarito, from the Forks Hotel. The shop was open when the Robbies had their holidays, we all went swimming in the swimming holes next to the beach.
Mike Roberts Great memories of buying the holiday munchies from the okarito store, and going into whataroa to spend some xmas money at the big store ☺
Kevin Voigt He was in whataroa when i drove for Arnold's
Kate Adams Could buy anything there it was stocked full
Janine Vincent Keith Robertson bought the Whataroa store of Rose and Albert Vincent in 1952, coming from Oamaru with nine children.
Val Peat Wednesday night and the weekends, our bread etc would arrive with the Robbie's. Had loads of great times with Helen Margaret and the rest of the 'gang'!!
Doreen Thomson I recall the shop when it was owned by the Donovan's and visited there for sports day in the late 40's
Leonie Roberts So many fantastic memories of holidays at Okarito and Mr Robbies store that was like a working museum and you stepped back in time. The other store at Whataroa was very cool too, you could buy absolutely anything there
Lenny Crowe Bought an old leather ankle strap for my surfboard lovely old shop great memories
Christine Hoets What a Awesome Photo of such a Great man,The shop at Whataroa was the best shop,had just everything , then the Van he had was also the best , Mr Robbie use to come South to Jacobs River and in the early days he would go to the end of the road at Paringa on the Van he had things to eat , clothes ,material sewing
Lyla Al-Alawi He was the most lovely man both in Okarito and Whataroa! Remember helping him dust and stack some shelves in Okarito store and he would sneak me a lollie! In his Whataroa store while mum (Kit Green) shopped I spent ages just looking at everything..man that store you could buy almost anything imaginable..what a legend!
John Murray One of many lovely people I met on the West Coast of the Sth Island. Never forget them played a lot in my life there.
Chris Rabey Great place. I also remember going into Ralph Diziren's shop at Gowan Bridge. He sold anything and everything
Linda Brake Under the shop in Okarito there were penguins nesting, and Robbie was happy to show people on dusk what they were doing. There was a well beaten track, from there to the sea.
Patricia Brown Yes we lived Jacobs River he gad a combi van used to come down to he sold everthing in that van before the road opened past our place
Colin Sandra Moss Loved shopping at Robbies.:)
Aidan Friend I remember Mr and Mrs Robertsons store in Whataroa as a kid. Always a great place to visit.
Brent Jones Me too. I don’t remember the Robertsons owning a shop in Okarito too or was that post Whataroa.
Donald Mathias Lovely gentle man. Sunday at Okarito for an icecream. I'm sure we could buy our fireworks from the store in Whataroa. School uniforms too?
Janine Vincent He bought the Whataroa shop off Rose and Albert Vincent in 1952 he came from Oamaru with 9 children.
Ave Muir Had the shop in Whataroa next door too my nana and grandads, can also see him serving Icecreams at the shop in Okarito on picnic days. Awesome memories
Bob Laing I remember staying at Okarito and buying fishing hooks and ice cream in the store there
That was about 55 years ago
Cheryl Johnston I remember him in his store at Whataroa.
Judy Marsh We used to do our Christmas shopping there in Whataroa in the late 1960's. Linen, dress shirts, cardigans, toys everything you could wish for. Fun times.
Justin Peat Mrs Robbie was the more generous of the two ... we always waited for her to appear b4 headn in for a 20c mixture lol
Ron Hibbs We used to have summer holidays at Okarito, from the Forks Hotel. The shop was open when the Robbies had their holidays, we all went swimming in the swimming holes next to the beach.
Mike Roberts Great memories of buying the holiday munchies from the okarito store, and going into whataroa to spend some xmas money at the big store ☺
Kevin Voigt He was in whataroa when i drove for Arnold's
Kate Adams Could buy anything there it was stocked full
Janine Vincent Keith Robertson bought the Whataroa store of Rose and Albert Vincent in 1952, coming from Oamaru with nine children.
Val Peat Wednesday night and the weekends, our bread etc would arrive with the Robbie's. Had loads of great times with Helen Margaret and the rest of the 'gang'!!
Doreen Thomson I recall the shop when it was owned by the Donovan's and visited there for sports day in the late 40's
Leonie Roberts So many fantastic memories of holidays at Okarito and Mr Robbies store that was like a working museum and you stepped back in time. The other store at Whataroa was very cool too, you could buy absolutely anything there
Lenny Crowe Bought an old leather ankle strap for my surfboard lovely old shop great memories
Christine Hoets What a Awesome Photo of such a Great man,The shop at Whataroa was the best shop,had just everything , then the Van he had was also the best , Mr Robbie use to come South to Jacobs River and in the early days he would go to the end of the road at Paringa on the Van he had things to eat , clothes ,material sewing
Lyla Al-Alawi He was the most lovely man both in Okarito and Whataroa! Remember helping him dust and stack some shelves in Okarito store and he would sneak me a lollie! In his Whataroa store while mum (Kit Green) shopped I spent ages just looking at everything..man that store you could buy almost anything imaginable..what a legend!
John Murray One of many lovely people I met on the West Coast of the Sth Island. Never forget them played a lot in my life there.
Chris Rabey Great place. I also remember going into Ralph Diziren's shop at Gowan Bridge. He sold anything and everything
Linda Brake Under the shop in Okarito there were penguins nesting, and Robbie was happy to show people on dusk what they were doing. There was a well beaten track, from there to the sea.
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West Coast New Zealand History (13th Nov 2019). Keith "Robbie" Robertson - the last storekeeper at the Okarito General Store. February.1984.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 26th Apr 2026 22:50, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/26499