Early Hokitika

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DescriptionThis uncaptioned image was brought to me by friend Neil Bradley to see if I could identify the location. The large photo was until recently in the possession of his cousin and it was suspected to be an early West Coast scene.

Both Neil and I realized identifying the church correctly would reveal the location. First attempts were unsuccessful because one of the first church images looked at was from a different aspect and wrongly discounted. Somewhat puzzled I walked around the image while it was on the floor and realised that the bush clad terrace edge was the form of the Hokitika terrace that runs from the cemetery toward the current airport. This sorted I hunted out further old photos of the first dedicated Anglican church and found a match.

Thus this image shows early Hokitika, probably circa the late 1860's. The intersection in the foreground is that of Fitzherbert and Weld Streets. Interestingly the streets here back then are not symmetrically aligned at the intersection because of a creek. The Anglican church is prominent as is the yet undeveloped Cass Square. A large two or multi story building in the top quarter of the photo is somewhat intriguing.

A guess is that it may have been the back of one of the hotels that once fronted Hampden Street. The building has an unfinished or perhaps industrial look to it?

Glenn Johnston:
My late 1860's date for this photo is partially based on the fairly freshly constructed stretch of metalling on Fitzherbert Street showing in the foreground. This starts from Weld Street and heads out of view bottom right whilst heading toward Gibson Quay. A newspaper report indicates this task was done by prison labour commencing July 1868. The Anglican Church (Church of England) was completed in October 1866. The date, IMO, is thus likely the late 1860's and will not be before mid 1868. I have no doubt that this vista is early Hokitika!Date of PhotoBetween 1st January 1865 and 31st December 1870ContributorGlenn Johnston

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EventVery early Hokitika

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Date Created11th June 2025CommentsGlenn Johnston
My late 1860's date for this photo is partially based on the fairly freshly constructed stretch of metalling on Fitzherbert Street showing in the foreground. This starts from Weld Street and heads out of view bottom right whilst heading toward Gibson Quay. A newspaper report indicates this task was done by prison labour commencing July 1868. The Anglican Church (Church of England) was completed in October 1866. The date, IMO, is thus likely the late 1860's and will not be before mid 1868. I have no doubt that this vista is early Hokitika!

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Early Hokitika

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