History continued Out and About Macrocarpas A remnant of the Radar Station A well-disguised surf club One of Piha's founding houses A tree that's seen changing times Another old survivor A very early bach Marked for demolition History of Piha schools The church in Garden Road back to History page
Out-and-about Piha bears many marks of its rich and vibrant past - if you know where to look. This part of the Web Site will show you what to look for where. The Piha Domain macrocarpas The Macrocarpa trees in the domain. Photo: Sandra Coney These two grand old macrocarpas in the Piha Domain go back to the nineteenth century. Some think they are part of a circle of macrocarpas planted by Jack 'Pa' Bethell when he farmed at Piha in the 1890s, but they may be older. The Ness family, who, with the Cowans, first started farming in the Piha valley, had their farmhouse at Piha by the 1870s, and photos from the 1930s show Peter Ness standing in front of a macrocarpa very like the one in the photo - only younger. back to top A remnant of the Radar Station During the Second World War, Piha was home to the Piha Number 4 Radar Station, perched high on cliffs at the end of Te Ahu Ahu Road. It was the longest serving station in New Zealand opening in 1942 and closing in 1959. It was a COL (chain overseas low-flying) station with a range of 200 miles. In the 1950s the station was also used for ground-breaking experiments tracking radio stars. When the station was dismantled in 1959, some of the rimu timber went to make baches, but this building was transported down to the Piha Domain intact where it still serves as a cooking block for campers. Photo Sandra Coney back to top A well-disguised surf club When Piha Surf Club built a new clubhouse in 1951/52, the old clubhouse was trucked along Piha beach and re-erected on Marine Parade South as a bach. The old clubhouse lost its distinctive lookout tower and the verandahs were closed in. It's so well disguised that only aging locals know where it came from.   Photo: Sandra Coney       back to top One of Piha's founding houses This black creosote villa opposite the RSA in Beach Valley Road has perhaps the richest history of any building in Piha. It was built in 1913 for the Sidney Millington, the Railways Clerk at the Piha State Timber Mill, who lived there with his wife Mary and two small daughters. The old photo shows Sidney milking the house cow, and the color photo was taken from approximately the same position, at Easter 2000. Many years ago the verandahs were opened up and it lost its timber chimney. In the 1920s, the house was owned by Richard Kibblewhite, who made the first - failed - attempt to subdivide Piha. In the 1930s it was purchased by Consuelo Ketterer, who opened her legendary tearooms next door. In her day there was a monstrous rubber plant on each side of the front steps, and a khaki army tent was usually pitched beside it. This was home to the Spivs & Drones Club.
	Photo credits: Black & white: The Railway Clerk's house, about 1915. Photo: William Williams, Alexander Turnbull Library Colour: Sandra Coney

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A tree that's seen changing times back to top

A huge bowed puriri is a landmark at the entrance to Stedfast Park, home of the Boys' Brigade at the end of Glen Esk Road. This once stood next to the school house for the Piha Mill and because of its distinctive shape, can be clearly identified from early milling photos. The building in the distant left of this photo marks the approximate position of the Piha Mill, which ran from 1910 until 1921.

Another old survivor   back to top

Another distinctively shaped old Piha tree is this pohutukawa on the corner of Seaview Road. It is prominent in many old photos. During the 1930s, the relief workers building the Piha Road had their cookhouse and tents near the tree, and for about thirty years, from the 40s to the 60s, it stood next to the Piha Hall and Theatre. To the right is the old Piha School, relocated to this spot from Taurangaruru in 1960. The school closed for good in 1961, but the school building lingers on, in a somewhat neglected state. Black & white photo: Crichton D'Ora, Colour photo: Sandra Coney

A very early bach A tiny cottage on Marine Parade South is one of the oldest bachs in Piha. It is thought to have been built as a beach cottage for the mill and is certainly visible in photos from around 1920 when there were no other structures on the beach. In the 1930s it was purchased by the Cullen family.   Photo: Sandra Coney    back to top

Marked for demolition
	This tiny shed has had a venerable career as a bus shelter and Piha's first library. Now on its last legs, it is still hanging on beside the brand new Piha Library (see at right).   Photo: Sandra Coney

back to top History of Piha schools Schools have come and gone at Piha, according to the population and enthusiasm of education authorities. For most of their history the schools have had to make do, in houses, bachs and halls. In 1910 a school opened at the Usshers' Ocean View House, but this moved to a site at the Piha Mill in 1913. As the teacher was shared with Whatipu, school took place only half the week. By 1920 there were sixteen children on the roll, but the next year the school shut down as families moved out with the closure of the mill. Later, the Piha School reopened at the south end of Piha Beach in a bach owned by Ted Le Grice. In 1927 Mr Greinhow, the teacher, announced that he was leaving, and Lucy Le Grice, aged sixteen, took over as sole teacher. After a closure of some years, in 1947 a number of parents began agitating for a new school. The next year a school was opened in the Piha Hall but this only lasted a year. In 1954 a school was once again opened in the hall. Some children came from far afield. The Hettig children were driven by their father to the beginning of a two-mile-long foot track leading from the Anawhata Road to North Piha. They were collected from there by Dot Mercier in her Austin A40 and driven the last leg to the school. In 1959, with the roll at twenty-one, and after continual complaints about the lack of toilet facilities at the hall and the difficulty in heating it - one winter day a temperature of 46 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded - a piece of land was purchased from Les Crichton next to the Piha Hall. It was a great day when the old Taurangaruru School arrived at the site, but the celebration did not last long, for in 1961 the school once again closed. It has never been reopened despite the efforts of parents. back to top The church in Garden Road The Church of the Sacred Heart, nestled among huge pohutukawas in Garden Road, was given by Trixie Wales in memory of her husband Stan. He was an Auckland importer and exporter who was only fifty-two-years-old when he died in 1962. Just before his death, Stan Wales had bought from the Nathans a section neighbouring the family bach. Before the church was built, Catholic masses had been said on Sundays at the Wales' bach in the Christmas holiday season, with Mr Wales driving into Glen Eden to pick up the parish priest. When the congregation increased in size, the Sunday mass was shifted to the Piha Hall and the Wales children remember having to clean out the lolly papers each Sunday morning before the mass was held. A fund-raising committee collected money to build the church, donations coming from friends and business associates of Stan Wales, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. After the land was transferred to the name of the Bishop of Auckland, Trixie Wales, and later her family, continued to take responsibility for the maintenance of the church and its grounds. The 140-seat church was dedicated on Sunday, 25 October 1964 by Archbishop Liston. It was designed by Walter Nicholls, its dominating feature being a steeply sloping canopy entrance, reminiscent of a Hawaiian fale. The church was for some years used for services by other denominations as well as Catholics. It closed on 8 April 2001.

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