The Coal Yard & other stories
Page 15Hotels around the district
On the left can be seen the Argyle hotel with Taylor’s home and shop in the big building opposite. The bakery was in the brick building behind where the cable car sheds are being built.
(photo from the Hocken Collection, Uare Taoka o Hakena, University of Otago)
Up Taieri Road on the corner of Helensburgh Rd., there had been another hotel. Known as Halfway Bush Inn, it’s last operator (between 1875 and 1892) was W. T. Bunting. Later it became a store but although it was later taken over by Bretherton’s the older folk in the district still referred to it as Bunting’s Corner.
Three other Hotels were the Kaikorai Junction Hotel that operated in 1881, the Volunteer Hotel and the Shepherd’s Arms Hotel in the Halfway Bush- Taieri area.
When Bretherton’s had the store, I had the misfortune to have put a soccer ball through a small window in the store room. Grabbing the ball I took off for home at a fast pace. My Aunty Jess (Still) was in a bus that pulled out at the same time. She said I was out of sight by the time the bus reached the corner. Later Jock Still (my father) took me back to the store to apologize and pay 7/6d (75cents) for repairs. The money to be deducted from my pocket money each week until squared up. However this threat never eventuated.