Hororata Historic Walking Tour
#9 Hororata Hotel
Edwin Derrett, one of the first settlers in the Hororata area, opened an accommodation house on the corner (behind the present-day substation) to cater for “swaggers and travellers”, as there were too many to be put up at Haldon, a small settlement southeast of Hororata.
In 1873 Derrett built a new hotel on or near its present situation. Constructed of wood by a local tradesman it was two stories high; “The rooms were large and lofty, and there were several private sitting rooms, a spacious commercial room, in addition to a large number of bedrooms, the dining room, and the private rooms of the proprietor and his servants.” Remodelled and modernised in 1967 by K.P. O’Sullivan, the hotel was badly damaged in the 2010 earthquake and deemed uninhabitable soon after. The recipe for the Hororata Hotel's famous pies was sold at the pub's demolition auction along with many other hotel memorabilia. Next stop: The Post Office |