Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Historic Place Assessment Under Section 23 Criteria report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Historical: White's, formerly also known as the Courtenay Hotel, was built in 1864 by Charles White to serve travellers on the route between Christchurch and the Hokitika Goldfields. Like other such places, it served as a public meeting place, hosting several meetings which led to the formation of local authorities. When the railway diverted trade away from the old road to Kirwee, the township of Courtenay virtually disappeared. From the 1960s White's was no longer permanently occupied and concerns arose about its survival. In 1994 the present owners bought the badly deteriorated building and began a substantial restoration programme.

Detail Of Assessed Criteria

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Historic Place Assessment Under Section 23 Criteria report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. (a) The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history: A roading system supported by strategically spaced accommodation houses was important last century, especially as a device for linking between provincial capitals and their isolated hinterlands. Canterbury's links to its isolated Westland goldfields were especially tenuous. Much to the chagrin of Christchurch's leaders, Melbourne shippers often provided faster and more reliable communications than the eastern capital. White's is the last example of the old accommodation houses that served the West Coast route during the peak of Westland's gold-producing history. Chris Orsman notes that the recent restoration has probably resulted in the introduction of much new fabric to the building. That is of less concern to the historical significance of the place, since it is the place's long history and its location on the site that is of importance. White's has local and regional significance.