The Butcher’s Shop, located on the Rawene foreshore, is a purpose designed and built butcher’s shop that opened c.1923. The shop was opened by a local farmer and has been in near continuous use as a retail store for 90 years. The store has architectural significance with features included in the design which were included to cater to the butchery. The Butcher’s Shop was constructed for Matthew Lundon in the mid-1920s during a period of expansion in the township. The local council invested in roading and bridges following the end of the First World War which connected Rawene and the wider Hokianga to other centres and with the freezing works. A number of businesses were established in Rawene during these years to cater to the increased population.

Plans for the Butcher’s shop were commissioned by Matthew Lundon in 1923 and the building was constructed shortly afterwards over the water off Clendon esplanade. Lundon, a local farmer, was born at Motukaraka on the opposite side of the Hokianga and farmed land in that area until his death in 1940. His butcher’s shop was not the first in Rawene, the Halliwell Brothers from Kohukohu had opened a branch store at Rawene c1902, however their store appears to have closed before Lundon established the Butcher’s shop. Lundon was working as a butcher by 1924 and records show a marine lease issued to Lundon from 1926.

The Butcher’s Shop is a purpose-built butchery and various design elements reflect the requirements of the work being done in the building. This single story building extends over the foreshore on timber bearers and concrete piles and is built from kauri. Plans show a butcher’s shop at Kohukohu similarly located over the water. The building was re-piled in 1985. A concrete structure is located under the building, towards the rear, extending from the floor to the foreshore. The front of the building has a stepped façade with a small louver window above a corrugated verandah roof covering the wooden deck connecting the shop to the road. A large window is centred on this side with the main entrance to the left. At the rear of the building is a deck overlooking the water that has been added since the building was originally built. The interior is divided into two spaces. The front room has a sink and bench in the northwest corner. A Frigidaire cool room is located in the southwest corner of the second room and has a walk-in door and glazed window to view the interior. The Frigidaire likely dates to post 1937 as the installers, Bond and Bond Limited, began publicising their units that year. The shop also has a slop hole which allowed for the easy disposal of offal from the butchery business, the hole is 30cm across and in 2009 was covered with a plastic lid. The floating concrete floor was installed in 1954.

Lundon owned the shop until his accidental death on his farm at which time the building and lease was sold to Williams. By 1984 the store had been purchased by M & D Neilson and was still being used as a butcher’s shop. The store has had a number of owners since, with a variety of different retail businesses including a health shop, haberdashery, and as a clothing shop. The store was sold again in 2016.