Rotorua research source – https://www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz/

The Bath House Story

“The Bath House, which today houses Rotorua Museum, was once an famous spa which offered therapeutic treatments to visitors from all over the world.

Water from nearby thermal springs was piped to private bathrooms and larger Aix-douche massage rooms. There were also a number of deep pools where chronic disorders were treated. The north wing accommodated male patients, while women were treated in the south wing.

At its height the spa gave 60,000 to 80,000 baths annually and about 30,000 special treatments.

There is little left of the once state-of-the-art spa treatment equipment; most was destroyed when the baths closed in 1966.

“People came to Rotorua for two or three weeks once or twice a year and stayed at Brents, Grande Vue, Park Vue or Prince’s Gate. The relaxing regime included a swim at the Ward Baths before breakfast, followed by a visit to the Bath House for prescribed treatment. The Aix douche took half an hour, followed by half an hour in hot towels, and perhaps an hour in the Cooling Room, a totally relaxing process. An afternoon stroll through the gardens, perhaps a Rachel bath and an evening bath at the Ward Baths concluded the daily routine whilst ‘taking the cure’.” Dr Keith Ridings, 1995.”

A Brief History of the Rotorua Spa

“The potential value of Rotorua’s thermal springs as a source of revenue had been noted as early as 1874. A variety of thermal pools were concentrated in an area known as Te Kauanga, not far from Lake Rotorua’s edge.

When tourists in the 1870s and 1880s arrived to see the Pink and White Terraces of Rotomahana they also wanted to bathe in this wild thermal area nestled amongst pumice, sulphur and mānuka.

In 1882 the Pavilion Bath, the first building of the new Government township of Rotorua, was built on the site of the Priest’s Bath. It fell down two years later, a sign of maintenance problems in store for other bathhouses in the area.

In 1885 the first Blue Baths were opened, and in 1895 the highly acidic Postmaster Baths were completed, patients being advised to “sit quietly in the water so as to avoid any unnecessary disengagement of gases.”

Bath structures gradually became more imposing. The Duchess Bath, built to celebrate the visit of the Duchess of York, opened on the site of the present Polynesian Spa in 1901.

The Bath House, which opened in 1908, is the only surviving building from the first 45 years of the Rotorua spa. Elements of the Ward Baths, constructed on the site of the Duchess Bath in 1930, remain integrated into the present Polynesian Spa.”

Tepid baths Auckland:

Research sourced from – The Tepid Baths Auckland. A Conservation Plan Prepared By
Dave Pearson Architects Limited (2008)

“A history of the Tepid Baths provides a unique insight into the social patterns of early
Auckland as it developed and grew, and the changing needs and expectations of its
citizens. Bathing facilities were popular from the beginning, and one of the first such
facilities was built in 1860. It was very primitive, being little more than a wooden fence
which enclosed a piece of shoreline off Smale’s point just west of Queen Street. It was
privately run and only able to be used when the tide was in.

Between 1906 and 1911 the Auckland City Council considered a number of projects for
public baths in the city. Among these was a proposal for indoor baths in Patterson Street
(now Victoria Street West), using heated salt water from the Electric Tramways power
station. The Electric Tramways were at the time using sea water to cool their plant.
This proposal was the basis for the present Tepid Baths, however, the site eventually
chosen was on Hobson Street. It was not an uncontroversial site and there were at the time
some concerns as to its closeness to the morgue and its smallness. It was however very
central and accessible to local residents as well as being near a tram route.

In the 1920s, queues formed outside the Tepid Baths. They were regarded as a valuable
facility both for health and hygiene as well as being a popular and cheap form of
recreation. However, many technical problems arose regarding the quality and supply of
the water and heating for the facility. There were numerous complaints over the years
about the murky state of the water as public standards rose, and pollution of the harbour
water increased.

Since they were constructed, the Tepid Baths have continued to be a popular amenity all
year round. The baths were and still are a well-used resource for recreation and training.
The building has been adapted to changing social conditions, and it is interesting to see that this has been achieved, generally within the basic layout of the building as built in 1914.”