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Otira hotel.ca.1888.
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DescriptionStephen Wright
That's the second Otira Gorge hotel (known as the Otira Hotel) in George Dyer's time (up to 1899). It was built in 1888, later added to, and burnt down in 1916. Its single-storeyed replacement went the same way, destroyed by fire in 1941. It was situated not far from the eastern end of the bridge over the Otira River unlike the first hotel which was up near the confluence of the Otira and Rolleston rivers and was wrecked in a flood in March 1887. I'm currently writing a history of Otira's hotels (there were six of them) and there's a lot of interesting history tied up with this one! At the time when the photo was taken the overnight stop for the coaches between Christchurch and Hokitika was the Glacier Hotel at Bealey. The proprietor there was James O'Malley who went on to purchase both the hotel shown and build the Otira Terminus Hotel in 1901.Date of Photoca.1880.Map[1] ContributorBryan McNabb
That's the second Otira Gorge hotel (known as the Otira Hotel) in George Dyer's time (up to 1899). It was built in 1888, later added to, and burnt down in 1916. Its single-storeyed replacement went the same way, destroyed by fire in 1941. It was situated not far from the eastern end of the bridge over the Otira River unlike the first hotel which was up near the confluence of the Otira and Rolleston rivers and was wrecked in a flood in March 1887. I'm currently writing a history of Otira's hotels (there were six of them) and there's a lot of interesting history tied up with this one! At the time when the photo was taken the overnight stop for the coaches between Christchurch and Hokitika was the Glacier Hotel at Bealey. The proprietor there was James O'Malley who went on to purchase both the hotel shown and build the Otira Terminus Hotel in 1901.Date of Photoca.1880.Map[1] ContributorBryan McNabb
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Location (city or town)OtiraEventOtira Hotel
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Category TagHotels
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Date Created2nd April 2020CommentsBryan McNabb This pic looks almost from the location at the end of the modern-day passing bay over the Otira River Bridge heading east.
Daniel James Sure is
Otira hotel.ca.1870`s.
The year was 1865 and in the heart of the Arthur’s Pass National Park the Otira Stagecoach Hotel was constructed to meet the growing needs of the gold mining and ever increasing population growth.
Contributor - Bryan McNabb
· Reply · 2h
Collene Anderson
I think that.was.my great grandads hotel
Collene Anderson
Yep it is
Jeff Louwman
hard to imagine the trip over in a stagecoach on barely formed roads
Jeff Louwman yes.. imagine in the winter.. the roads would be so boggy
]Dorothy Wills
Peter Leversedge
Read Frank? Kennedy's book. Says three day trip ChCh to Greymouth in coach
Also he did a trip from Grey Hospital to ChCh Hospital in his taxi before the tunnel was opened. Left Grey at 8am and arrived at ChCh at 8pm. 12 hour trip that can now be done in less than 3hrs
Peter Leversedge
My great grandfather was part of the gold escort (Canterbury Police) that traveled with the coach when they bought the gold to ChCh for a short time
I understand that was part of the reason the road was built over the pass. I have a photo of the esco… See More
Pete Lusk
Very clear shot and well preserved. Looks like two coaches, one each side of road.
Warner Nut Curry
Thats a beauty thanks Heather
Collene Anderson
My great grandfather George Dyer owned it
Marilyn Rea-Menzies
There are no horses pulling the coaches. Are they early cars/coaches?
Stephen Wright
That's the second Otira Gorge hotel (known as the Otira Hotel) in George Dyer's time (up to 1899). It was built in 1888, later added to, and burnt down in 1916. Its single-storeyed replacement went the same way, destroyed by fire in 1941. It was situated not far from the eastern end of the bridge over the Otira River unlike the first hotel which was up near the confluence of the Otira and Rolleston rivers and was wrecked in a flood in March 1887. I'm currently writing a history of Otira's hotels (there were six of them) and there's a lot of interesting history tied up with this one! At the time when the photo was taken the overnight stop for the coaches between Christchurch and Hokitika was the Glacier Hotel at Bealey. The proprietor there was James O'Malley who went on to purchase both the hotel shown and build the Otira Terminus Hotel in 1901.
Stuart McMillan
Love that photo, I see there’s power lines there, would that be a phone line
Peter Armstrong
Stuart McMillan I'd say that would be either the Telegraph line or the Telephone line
Robin Gibbens
My grandfather was a drover and told me story’s of his times over the pass.He was an unreal man,l spent a lot of great times with him when I was young
Keston Ruxton
My gg grandfather Bill Rugg lived in Otira and ran Cassidy’s stable there and drove Cobb and Co. coaches. He drove a coach over on the final day in 1923.
My grandmother Audrey Fellows apparently travelled through the tunnel before it was opened in an open waggon put on for the railway families. Her father Percy Fellows, Bill Rugg’s son in law worked on the railways taking coal up the railway line for dispatch through the tunnel after it opened. Feel sure they all knew this hotel well.
Stephen Wright
That's all very interesting. Bill Rugg is such a familiar name in my research that it's great to know of a descendant, as well as learn more about the family at Otira. Would it be okay to ask about any more information that you have at some stage?
Daniel James Sure is
Otira hotel.ca.1870`s.
The year was 1865 and in the heart of the Arthur’s Pass National Park the Otira Stagecoach Hotel was constructed to meet the growing needs of the gold mining and ever increasing population growth.
Contributor - Bryan McNabb
· Reply · 2h
Collene Anderson
I think that.was.my great grandads hotel
Collene Anderson
Yep it is
Jeff Louwman
hard to imagine the trip over in a stagecoach on barely formed roads
Jeff Louwman yes.. imagine in the winter.. the roads would be so boggy
]Dorothy Wills
Peter Leversedge
Read Frank? Kennedy's book. Says three day trip ChCh to Greymouth in coach
Also he did a trip from Grey Hospital to ChCh Hospital in his taxi before the tunnel was opened. Left Grey at 8am and arrived at ChCh at 8pm. 12 hour trip that can now be done in less than 3hrs
Peter Leversedge
My great grandfather was part of the gold escort (Canterbury Police) that traveled with the coach when they bought the gold to ChCh for a short time
I understand that was part of the reason the road was built over the pass. I have a photo of the esco… See More
Pete Lusk
Very clear shot and well preserved. Looks like two coaches, one each side of road.
Warner Nut Curry
Thats a beauty thanks Heather
Collene Anderson
My great grandfather George Dyer owned it
Marilyn Rea-Menzies
There are no horses pulling the coaches. Are they early cars/coaches?
Stephen Wright
That's the second Otira Gorge hotel (known as the Otira Hotel) in George Dyer's time (up to 1899). It was built in 1888, later added to, and burnt down in 1916. Its single-storeyed replacement went the same way, destroyed by fire in 1941. It was situated not far from the eastern end of the bridge over the Otira River unlike the first hotel which was up near the confluence of the Otira and Rolleston rivers and was wrecked in a flood in March 1887. I'm currently writing a history of Otira's hotels (there were six of them) and there's a lot of interesting history tied up with this one! At the time when the photo was taken the overnight stop for the coaches between Christchurch and Hokitika was the Glacier Hotel at Bealey. The proprietor there was James O'Malley who went on to purchase both the hotel shown and build the Otira Terminus Hotel in 1901.
Stuart McMillan
Love that photo, I see there’s power lines there, would that be a phone line
Peter Armstrong
Stuart McMillan I'd say that would be either the Telegraph line or the Telephone line
Robin Gibbens
My grandfather was a drover and told me story’s of his times over the pass.He was an unreal man,l spent a lot of great times with him when I was young
Keston Ruxton
My gg grandfather Bill Rugg lived in Otira and ran Cassidy’s stable there and drove Cobb and Co. coaches. He drove a coach over on the final day in 1923.
My grandmother Audrey Fellows apparently travelled through the tunnel before it was opened in an open waggon put on for the railway families. Her father Percy Fellows, Bill Rugg’s son in law worked on the railways taking coal up the railway line for dispatch through the tunnel after it opened. Feel sure they all knew this hotel well.
Stephen Wright
That's all very interesting. Bill Rugg is such a familiar name in my research that it's great to know of a descendant, as well as learn more about the family at Otira. Would it be okay to ask about any more information that you have at some stage?
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West Coast New Zealand History (27th Jun 2021). Otira hotel.ca.1888.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 22nd Apr 2026 06:36, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/27524