The old Rawene Butchers

Photo taken by Stuart Park from the Northland Regional Council Website.

This little building (on the historic places trust category 2) which was the original Rawene Butchers sits at the end of 3 buildings along Clendon Esplanade right on the edge of the water. When it was in use the leftover meat, bones, offal etc would've been dropped into the water from inside. Here is more information about it - author Liz Ferry:

At the beginning of the 20th century Rawene township had a small mixed population with no major industries. The settlement functioned mainly as a distribution center, with 3 hotels, post and telegraph office, a court house and a few stores. The Kohukohu based partnership of George Edwin Halliwell, Frederick Halliwell and Herbert Halliwell trading as the Halliwell Brothers, had established the first butcher business in Rawene with a branch store under Frederick's management in 1901. It continued until 1921 when the partnership was taken over by the partnership of Berridge and Jones.

Earlier in late 1908, the Hokianga Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd had established a butter factory across the river at Motukaraka. With the development of the dairying industry, combined with the introduction of the motor launch and the addition of new roads, by 1922 Rawene's local economy was thriving. 

"Rawene may boast of the distinction of being the location of the county courthouse, county office, hospital and new high school. Here too is situated the largest sawmill on the river. A considerable quantity of timber is exported by this mill to Sydney, whence once a month served by several powerful cream launches. Water transport plays an important part in the local activities. They carry the mail and the travelers, collect the cream and other farm produce, serve the settlers, tow the log rafts to the mills, bring the children to school, take the doctor to his/her patients and bring the patients to hospital. There is so little flat ground on the water's edge that in some cases the water at high tide literally laps the front doorstep, in others the building are supported on piles, kind at high tide but the verandah is over the water."

The store was built from Kauri set on pilings supported by timber bearers over the harbour bed and foreshore. A copper clad Frigidare cool room with a viewing window (still in situ) was installed sometime after 1937 with a nameplate supplied by Bond and Bond (an Auckland based retailer). 

This one shows part of the interior with a copper clad Frigidaire cool room - photo by Stuart Park.

Photo taken by Stuart Park.

In the 1980s a couple who owned the shop spent some time and money replacing the weatherboards, the windows (which were beyond repair) and the replacement windows came from a local resident's house named Mrs Andrews. These days it's a little gift shop.

More information here.

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