Kihikihi charitable Trust concerned for future after Waipa council scraps lease waiver
Members of a Kihikihi charitable trust are worried that the historic Police House and Temple Cottage museums on Rata Tu Reserve may need to close their doors to the public.
The trust is facing rising operational costs following a reduction in support from Waipa District Council.
Previously, the council have waived lease fees for the site, but from July 1, the trust is expected to pay for their water, sewage and insurance, costing $4000 a year – and they’re struggling.
Chairperson Bruce Addison said the fee arrangement had been in place for a number of years, “But suddenly, since we’ve renewed the lease, they’ve come back to us and said they’re not prepared to waive the fees anymore.”
The change puts the volunteer group, which operates with limited financial resources, into a difficult situation.
Addison said the trust receives $1000 from the Waipa District Council for gardening and housekeeping, as well as another $1000 from Trust Waikato, which takes care of their security, however, there is a large shortfall.
“The difference between us and a rugby club… is that we’re all volunteers, we don’t charge a subscription (to join)”
The trust supports school visits and is open to the public, but don’t charge an entry fee to the buildings, “We ask for donations when we’re open, but if people don’t put anything in the donation box, we don’t get anything.”
A small group of seven volunteers are the driving force behind the Kihikihi Police House and Temple Cottage Charitable Trust, however a recent Matariki fundraiser saw more people join.
Some of the mainstays of the trust alongside Addison are Tina Jackson, Jan Burch (housekeeper) and Raewyn Easton (secretary).
Easton said the trust has tried a few ways to increase funding including going to council for more money, but said they’re “very slow at getting back to us.” The trust had also gone back to Trust Waikato and asked for more support, but they weren’t able to secure anything extra.
Jackson said that an ideal number of volunteers would be 20. That way, “if we only get half a dozen, we’ll be happy”. The philosophy is that it’s better shoot for high numbers and get adequate ones than shoot low and get a dismal response. Burch said that because they are working with children when schools come to visit, all volunteers need to be police vetted.
The Trust was formed in 2007 when it took on the lease of the 1907 Police House from the council. The building has an office at the front and a house at the back which would have been for the serving police officer and his family. The building, no longer a working police house, has gone through vacant periods, and a period when it was an Art Room.
Just behind the house is a holding cell which originally belonged to Te Awamutu. As for the date, Burch reckons it’s probably “the same age as the police house.” There was an holding cell on the Kihikihi site while the police house was active, but it’s current location is at the Mystery Creek Historical Village.
The Te Awamutu holding cell (now nicknamed “Kihikihi Jail”) is no longer active, but Addison said it was once used to hold prisoners overnight while they were making the journey to Waikeria prison.
The trust also took on a idyllic 19th century cottage which is housed next door, the cottage had been donated to Te Awamutu Historical Society in the early 1990s.
The donor of the cottage, Miss Isabella Temple, did lots of social work and was a well-known figure in the Kihikihi community.
Miss Temple was born and lived her whole life in the two bedroomed cottage, originally a forest rangers dwelling before being gifted to Isabella’s grandfather, Charles Temple. Burch said Miss Temple he never married and was reportedly very distrustful of men and firmly against alcohol. She also had a fierce reputation when it came to children, and Burch said local kids were told to not go by her house or, “if they had to, go on the opposite side of the road and don’t make eye contact”.
She wasn’t alone though, she did have a fondness for cats, Burch said. Isabella was fiercely independent and outspoken and very firm in her beliefs, which often put her at odds with others, according to “Women of Waipa” (1993). Miss Temple didn’t have a car and would insist on paying her share.
There’s also all the historical documents and artifacts. Bruce said the archives they have, such as photos which are displayed on the hallway of the Police House and a couple in Isabella’s cottage, could be donated to the Te Awamutu Museum, but worries that they would be archived and “thrown in the ‘dungeon’ and forgotten about, or eventually chucked away.”
One item saved by Jan is an 1887 ‘Sad Iron’ which was discarded from the museum, as they had many more in their collections.
Maintenance of the buildings is a major concern. Jan said that if you don’t keep maintenance on these buildings, “you’ll look like the Alpha Hotel, and nobody wants that”. The 1867 Alpha Hotel across the road has been left to ruin for well over a decade. While plans were set for it to be turned into a community house, Tina says funding “sorta dried up.”
Another major problem they have is a lack of awareness of the trust, and local engagement with the buildings, which they want to improve.
Bruce said he went to the local Lions club and spoke to the members “I asked people to put up there hand who actually knew we were here, and if they had ever been here.
“Most of them hadn’t.”
He said visiting groups are often surprised by what’s on offer “when we had the classic car club here, people were astounded at actually what was here”
The big fear that’s shared among all the members, is closure. Jan says she’ll be “gutted, absolutely gutted” if they can’t continue. It’s a feeling echoed by the others.
Having the buildings unattended and unused gives the group a lot of concern. Jackson fears that there may be homeless breaking into the buildings, and Addison worries that there’s sure to be graffiti if they’re left to ruin.
Since an article in the Te Awamutu News in April, the community has got on board with donations following the recent fundraiser.
It’s in the community’s hands, says Bruce.
Waipa District Council were contacted for comment on the 15 July but are yet to respond. This story will be updated.
