Synopsis
The town of Rotorua, in the heart of New Zealand's North Island and the centre of its thermal region, was established over 100 years ago. Every New Zealand city, borough and county has features that distinguish its history. In Rotorua the distinctions are unusual: major Maori habitation, abounding thermal activity and a consequent flow of tourist visitors, lakes as waterways and gracious amenities, a period of guerilla warfare, dense forest that gave an early timber industry and yielded to abundant agriculture, isolation and terrain that made transport difficult, and government involvement that was mainly expressed as a difficult and distant bureaucracy. Rotorua's birth came with the introduction of the Thermal Springs Districts Act and 1882 saw its infancy begin. It was not a birth that was entirely welcomed. The earlier European settlers bitterly resisted attempts to prize them away from the 'old town' at Ohinemutu. There was no joy for the Maori either, for the grand scheme to lease the new township to a host of clamouring would-be investors turned sour and left the Maori owners lamenting. However, despite this inauspicious start, economic depression and the devastating eruption of Mount Tarawera, the settlement survived and gradually prospered. Major aspects of its success have been the blending of Maori and European cultures and the absence of serious conflict in the town since the two first met. Those who built Rotorua were remarkable people. They persevered in the face of heavy odds to establish themselves in a challenging area, and turned a steaming, scrub-covered wilderness into a bustling town that was soon to see royalty in its midst. Their joys, woes, achievements and disappointments from the earliest times to the end of the 19th century are recounted in this volume, based on the records left by its Maori and European inhabitants. The result is an historical record of a unique city and region in its colonial period, supported by many illustrations.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events...
Stock Image
The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events to 1900
Published by
Ray Richards Publisher, Auckland, 1986
ISBN 10: 0908596251
ISBN 13: 9780908596256
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Half Price Books Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_352365780
Stock Image
The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events to 1900
Published by
Rotorua District Council (Ray Richards Publishers), Rotorua, 1986
ISBN 10: 0908596251
ISBN 13: 9780908596256
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: The Secret Bookshop, Tararua, New Zealand
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. A very clean copy that has no faults. Seller Inventory # 051382
Buy Used
US$ 17.00
US$ 30.00 shipping
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events to 1900
Published by
Rotorua District Council (Ray Richards Publishers), Rotorua, 1986
ISBN 10: 0908596251
ISBN 13: 9780908596256
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Signed
Seller: The Secret Bookshop, Tararua, New Zealand
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. This is a very clean copy that is signed on the title page by Don Stafford. Some very minor shelf wear to the wraps and a tiny amount of faint foxing to the closed page edges. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 040229
Buy Used
US$ 18.80
US$ 30.00 shipping
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events to 1900
Seller: Book Express (NZ), Shannon, New Zealand
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 448 pages. Inscription on front end page/inside cover. Seller Inventory # 6500z
Buy Used
US$ 18.67
US$ 31.00 shipping
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events to 1900.
Published by
Rotorua District Council / Ray Richards Publisher, 1986
ISBN 10: 0908596251
ISBN 13: 9780908596256
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: John Roberts, A.B.A., Bristol, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
HARDBACK - Original Binding. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First Edition. 448 pages, both the book and the dust-jacket are in fine condition. NOTE: Due to the weight of this book, there may be additional postage costs if sent outside the UK. Size: 24.5 x 18.5 cm. Seller Inventory # 2745
Buy Used
US$ 27.89
US$ 25.09 shipping
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
The Founding Years in Rotorua: A History of Events to 1900
Published by
Ray Richards Publisher & Rotorua District Council, 1986
ISBN 10: 0908596251
ISBN 13: 9780908596256
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: killarneybooks, Inagh, CLARE, Ireland
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Oversized hardcover, 448 pages, copiously illustrated with b&w photos, maps and illustrations, pictorial endpapers, NOT ex-library. Shipping weight over 1.5kg. Book is clean and bright, untanned, with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Gentle handling wear, a bit of rubbing to the boards edges. Bright untorn dust jacket. -- The formative decades of Rotorua illuminate the collision of natural forces, cultural encounters, and fragile institutions that shaped a unique colonial township and left records of significance for historians today. -- This book traces Rotorua's history from first settlement through 1900, presenting a detailed reconstruction of how the region confronted turbulence and adapted to opportunity. It recounts resistance around relocating from the 'old town' at Ohinemutu, strained efforts to reconcile Maori land rights with settler-driven investment schemes, and the impact of the Thermal Springs Districts Act on shaping Rotorua's civic birth. Against this backdrop lie dramatic episodes: guerrilla unrest subsiding into agricultural enterprise, the devastating Mount Tarawera eruption, the slow arrival of transport links, and the tactical development of tourism around hot springs, lakes, and forest clearings. Each theme - warfare, commerce, timber and farming, hospitality, and governance - is grounded in archival records left by Maori and European inhabitants. The volume includes population tables, council proceedings, and civic rosters, complemented by illustrations that capture daily life, hardships, and the small triumphs of a community tested by isolation and nature yet resilient in forging a blended identity. -- Distinctive for its integration of social, environmental, and political history, this account stands apart from narrowly economic or tourist-centered narratives. It offers enduring value as an archival baseline for understanding demographic change, Maori-Pakeha relations, and the infrastructural struggles of a colonial frontier town. With New Zealand's heritage tourism and bicultural identity in constant public debate, the book supplies vital context for policy discussions, genealogy, museum interpretation, and regional scholarship. This is a primary resource essential to cultural historians, family researchers, and collectors seeking the foundational narrative of one of New Zealand's most iconic places. Seller Inventory # 012169
Buy Used
US$ 58.48
US$ 39.96 shipping
Ships from Ireland to U.S.A.
Ships from Ireland to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available