By Roger Childs
Very Few Buildings in New Zealand have such intimate links with childhood experience and memories. –Margaret Tennant
From Rotorua to Otaki Beach
About five years ago Anthony Dreaver spoke to the Kapiti Historical Society about the closed Otaki Health Camp and invited members of the audience to visit the site at Otaki Beach. A few of us did and we were impressed with the parts of the old Health Camp which had been restored. However, it was sad to see that the sizeable Rotunda which had been the boys’ dormitory in which about 60 primary age lads slept, was in a bad state of repair.
Soon after, with the initiative of Di Buchan, a charitable trust was set up to coordinate the Friends of the Otaki Rotunda and to restore the building, which had started life in Rotorua as part of the King George V Military Hospital. This important facility was built in 1916 to care for casualties from World War One.
In 1931 the Rotunda was dismantled and moved to Otaki Beach where local businessman Byron Brown had provided land for the first permanent Children’s Health Camp.
Health stamps to fund the camps
The first health stamp was issued close to Christmas in 1929, and first day covers and miniature sheets as well as stamps came out every year until 2016. Many older readers will recall collecting the stamps, covers and sheets. The money raised from the sales were a vital source of funds for Health Camps like Otaki.
Some philatelists will recall that a few of these stamps became very valuable. As a kid in the 1960s I could never raise enough pocket money and lawn mowing cash to buy the ‘red boy’ or the ‘blue boy’ from the Stamp Shop in Wellington‘s Cable Car Lane.
The Rotunda comes to life
Last Sunday we went to witness Shakespeare in the Rotunda and were amazed to see the largely restored landmark featuring secondary students performing excerpts from Henty V, A Midsummer Night Dream, Macbeth, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love’s Labour’s Lost and a couple of sonnets.
It was great to see students making full use of the centre stage and the pathways and surrounding areas behind the chairs in an exhilarating and enthusiastic rendition of the works of the bard.
It is so pleasing to know that there are still secondary school pupils who love Shakespeare. Many older readers like me will recall the joy of studying a play in depth each year which included remembering plenty of lines – I recall knowing Mark Antony’s entire speech from Julius Caesar – plus the wonderful sonnet on Brutus – This was the noblest Roman of them all.
There is still some work to do to finish off the rotunda restoration, however thanks to the work of the Trust under Di Buchan’s leadership, the efforts of volunteers and the generosity of local trades people and firms, this ‘Wonder of the Kapiti Coast’ is nearly complete. It will soon be regularly available for concerts, plays, wedding receptions and gatherings of various sorts.
(You can become A Friend of the Otaki Rotunda by e-mailing admin@otakirotunda.org.nz)