Warkworth’s Fiery Past

Warkworth has suffered its fair share of fires over the years. Houses, boarding houses and shops have all been lost to fire, at considerable cost, but thankfully there have been no lives lost.

One of the most devastating fires destroyed five businesses on the morning of 29 July 1931. A lack of firefighting appliances was a serious handicap and losses were estimated at £4000. Other shops were threatened but, luckily, the wind carried the flames away. The shops destroyed were Elliot and Holden (solicitors), the Rodney and Otamatea Times, H. Roper (radio dealer and electrician), D. Izzy (tobacconist and bootmaker) and H. Stubbs (butcher).

Mr Izzy was able to save his hairdressing chair and a number of boots and shoes, while Mr Stubbs removed a quantity of meat and some fittings including a safe. The heat from the fire was so intense that paintwork on the Warkworth Hotel opposite blistered and the large pines were scorched. Insurance cover for the shops and their stock was £2970, falling well short of the losses suffered.

Some other early fires included the following:

• On 14 October 1887, Mrs Bowen’s store, on the corner of Queen and Wharf Streets, where Warkworth Butchery now stands, was burned to the ground at 11pm. Fortunately, there was no one on the premises at the time. Mrs Bowen’s stock was insured for £600 but the building, valued at £80 and owned by Mrs Such, was uninsured.
  
• On the morning of the 10 March 1890, the home of John Grange was destroyed. Mrs Grange and a nephew escaped wearing only their night attire.
  
• On 18 July 1897, a nine-roomed dwelling belonging to B. Sceats and valued at £450 was totally destroyed by fire. Luckily, there was no one in the house at the time.
  
• On 17 May 1912, a fire broke out in the wharf shed at 2am. A line of men used buckets to try to douse the fire, but it spread to a shipping company office, as well as the office of Mr F. Civil. Timber, to the value of £90, was destroyed plus coal, manure, oats, drapery and a cask of tar.
  
• On 19 October 1914, fire broke out in a block of buildings in the centre of Warkworth at 11.30pm. Several shops were destroyed including Mr Craig’s tailor shop, Mr Dymock’s bootmaker’s shop and a cottage occupied by Mr J. Clayden, who owned the buildings. Mr Craig had his stock insured for £100, Mr. Dymock’s stock for £70 and the buildings were insured for £600. However, the losses exceeded the insurance cover.
  
• A six-roomed dwelling owned by the estate of the late John Hudson and occupied by Mr C. Bolstad was destroyed by fire at 4am on 9 March 1922. It was thought that embers from a fire caused the blaze. Luckily, both the house and furniture were insured.
  
• Mr J. Thornton’s motor garage and service station were destroyed in the early hours on 16 April 1930. A lack of water hindered efforts to douse the fire. Oxygen cylinders exploded and were thrown 100 feet into the air. Six motor vehicles, including two new ones, were lost in the blaze. Insurances covered £2500, but the damage and losses totalled £4500.
  
• On the evening of 17 March 1943, a fire broke out in the Warkworth Town Hall where the patrons, who were mostly American marines, were watching a film. The fire started in the operating box when the opening of a light shutter, on one of the projectors, caught fire. The fire was doused by fire protection equipment and, after 20 minutes, the movie resumed on a second projector.