Donovan's Store

17 The Strand and Albert Street, OKARITO

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This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Formerly the site of a major Maori pa, Okarito became South Westland's principal port following the West Coast gold rushes of 1865-6. In its heyday, when the nearby Five Mile Beach was the richest gold-yielding black sand beach in all of Westland, as many as 25 hotels served the local population. One of them, the Club Hotel, was later bought by Jimmy Donovan and converted into the store which still bears his name. James Donovan was born in Hokitika in 1867 and spent much of his childhood accompanying his parents as they moved from one gold rush to another. After turning his hand to roadwork, gold mining, stable-minding and pit-sawing Donovan opened a store at the now extinct Lake Mapourika settlement with his wife, Eva. The Donovans lived in Mapourika until c1889 when they moved to Okarito to open the store which they ran for over fifty years. Between 1912 and 1932 Jimmy Donovan also farmed at the nearby settlement of Whataroa, but it is for his work on the Westland County Council that he is best remembered. Donovan served as the representative of the Okarito Riding on the Council between 1893 and 1896, and again after 1925. In 1940, at the age of seventy-three, he served a term as council Chairman. By 1950 his store had become the last remaining shop in Okarito. In recent years it was run by Mr Keith Robertson, who bequeathed it to the Department of Conservation in 1987.

Donovan's Store, Okarito. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 27/07/2016 | Shellie Evans
Donovan's Store, Okarito. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans - flyingkiwigirl | 13/06/2016 | Shellie Evans
Donovan's Store, Okarito. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 13/06/2016 | Shellie Evans

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 1

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

5008

Date Entered

6th June 1990

Date of Effect

6th June 1990

City/District Council

Westland District

Region

West Coast Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Sec 12 Town of Okarito, (RT WS3A/13, NZ Gazette 1990 p. 3432), Westland Land District and the building known as Donovan’s Store thereon.

Legal description

Sec 12 Town of Okarito, (RT WS3A/13, NZ Gazette 1990 p. 3432), Westland Land District

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