Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
[Hydro Grand, Timaru] |
Description |
The Hydro Grand Hotel on the Bay Hill, Timaru, circa 1990. HISTORY OF THE HYDRO GRAND (AND SURROUNDING BUILDINGS) 7The site of the Hydro Grand Hotel was granted to George Rhodes (and another) as part of Rural Section 730. 1 By 1875, the property had been subdivided as town lot 355, and the 1875 Timaru Township map by the surveyor J. T. Smith shows a building with an established gardens on the site. At this stage, (indeed up until at least 1912) the area was called Melville Hill. In early 1906 the Mayor James Craigie floated the idea of a 'Marine Hotel' of between 60 - 100 rooms in the vicinity of the rapidly developing Caroline Bay. 2 Three sites were suggested overlooking the Caroline Bay (including the site of the Hydro Grand) but nothing came of the proposal at that stage. 8In July 1911 the site of the Hydro Grand was purchased by W. K. Macdonald, who also owned the northern site - where in August 1911 a two storey hotel was started. This £5,000 hotel was completed and opened just before Christmas 1911, and had 25 bedrooms, and was called Seaview House (later Seview Hotel). 3 9Even with this accommodation, further demand was apparent, and in March 1912, a new hotel was started to the south of Seaview House. Designed for W. K. Macdonald (who also owned the Seaview), by the Timaru architects Hall & Marchant, it was built by a Mr. Calvert of Christchurch. This stated a mini hotel war with the Melville Hotel, (on Stafford Street at the southern side of Sefton Street) being extensively altered and renamed the Dominion Hotel. The Dominion Hotel was reopened on Saturday 21st December 1912, however the tea rooms of the Hydro Grand were opened on Friday the 20th, although the hotel was not opened until the Monday (23rd). 4 10The Hydro Grand was built to occupy the corner site, and was constructed in brick with a white cement and roughcast façade. The Sefton Street corner had an ornamental Belvedere at roof level, providing a view of the town, harbour and coastline. The ground floor held a large tea room and entrance lobby along the Stafford Street front, and three shops on the Sefton Street frontage. The exterior of the Stafford Street front contained balconies between oriel windows which extended to three gables at roof level. There were also two gables on the Sefton Street front. There was a post-less verandah erected along the Stafford Street front and part-way down the Sefton Street side. 11One feature of the Hydro Grand was the use of salt water as one of the plumbing options. A feed was taken from Caroline Bay and pumped into tanks in the roof of the building. From there it was run into the boiler room where it was heated to scalding point before being plumbed to the bathrooms. 5 The building was constructed with fire resistance in mind. The walls and ceilings were plastered, with the ceilings being alternately fibrous plaster or asbestos materials. There were five fire escapes on the outside of the building, which serviced the building from all parts. Near the back entrance was located a freight lift, and a steam-drying room (both the first in a Timaru Hotel). 12In 1914, Hall and Marchant designed extensive alterations to the building, removing the ground floor shops and replacing them with a guests lounge, dining room and servery, new kitchen, smoking lounge, drawing room, and children's playing room. The first floor lounge and dining room were converted into more guest rooms and bathrooms. Additional bedrooms and staff accommodation were also added to the top floor. 6 These alterations were started on the 28th July 1914 and completed in February 1915. The ground floor plate glass windows were replaced with the arched windows still in existence. 13In 1920 a company was formed which purchased the Hydro Grand (and an option on the neighbouring Seaview Hotel) off the then owner B. C. Jones. 7 On the 5th August 1939 a public notice of a meeting of the Hydro Grand Limited intended resolving winding up the company. By early 1944, the Company had found that a combination of no liquor licence, but mainly the difficulty in securing staff, meant that the Hydro Grand would be closed and converted into flats. But at the last minute, a partnership had purchased the Hydro and retained its use as a hotel. 14At that stage, some of the famous guest had been the violinist Jascha Heifeiz, Sir Charles and Lady Fergusson, and Lord and Lady Bledisloe. 8 15After the war the Hydro Grand was owned by the Sullivan Family, the hotel being run by Mrs Sullivan, before being sold to Dominion Breweries. 16In 1963-4 another lounge was created, complete with calf skin lined bar. 9 17In the early morning of the 1 August 1975, a nor'wester, reaching speeds of 160 kmh hit South Canterbury. Amongst the building damage was the Hydro Grand, where damage was cause to the roof. It was at that time or a few years before that the gables had been removed [more research required]. 18At some stage in the early 1970's a single storey bottle store was built at the rear of the Hydro Grand facing Sefton Street. 19The neighbouring Seaview Hotel burnt down in 1993 with the loss of two lives. The Timaru District Council was forced to take down the dome on the Hydro Grand in early January 1996, after a piece of lead fell from the dome. A notice was served on the Dunedin based owner Mr. Mosley, but he had not acted on it in time so the Council was obligated to act, with the expenses being charged to the owner. Less than a year later, a replica fibreglass and steel replica was installed on the Hydro on the 18th December 1996. 10 20 In 1997 the Hydro Grand was one of a number of buildings renovated in keeping with the heritage theme promoted by the Timaru District Council as part of its central city revitalisation. 11 This involved a new restaurant / bar with two sets of French doors facing out to the bay, and a year later in November 1998, the exterior of the Hydro Grand was painted. The colour scheme being prepared by the South Canterbury Branch of the Historic Places Trust. This work was paid for by the Timaru Beautifying Society. 12 21In April 2003 the Hydro Grand was sold to a consortium lead by Timaru lawyer Ed Sullivan. The Hydro Grand had stood unoccupied since then. 22The Hydro Grand was later sold to Allan Booth and was demolished on the 18th November 2017 1 http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/2052 2 Timaru Herald 27 January 1906 p.7 3 Timaru Herald 26 December 1906 p.7 4 Timaru Herald 21 December 1911 p.4 5 Timaru Herald 23 November 1912 6 Timaru Herald 5 February 1915 7 Timaru Herald 22 April 1920 8 Timaru Herald 1 February 1944 9 Personal Comment Sue Sullivan (Facebook Timaru History and Memories page) 20 March 2013 10 Timaru Courier 19 December 1996 11 Timaru Herald 4 October 1997 12 This seems to be the last time that the exterior of the Hydro Grand was painted. Christopher Templeton 28 November 2016 |
Photographer |
Jordan, Peter |
Year Range from |
1985 |
Year Range to |
1995 |
Place |
Timaru, N.Z. |
Format |
Image, Digital |
Medium |
Digital |
Dimension Details |
The original was a standard 5x7" colour print |
Original/Copy |
Copy |
Search Terms |
Hydro Grand Hotel, Timaru Bay Hill, Timaru |
Subjects |
Buildings Hotels |
Catalogue Number |
L2012/007.036 |