Michael Fowler: Ducking, diving creek posed problems for Hastings

The only visible part of the Makiriri creek in Hastings is where it surfaces at Windsor Park. Photo / Hastings District Council

The earliest map of Hastings that I have seen, dating around the early 1860s, shows the boundaries of the Heretaunga Plains defined by the Ngaruroro River and Waitio Stream.

Running within the boundary was a creek called Makiriri – which in Maori means stony creek.

Near the point where the Makiriri creek began was Thomas Tanner's whare – which was where his shepherd lived. At that point Tanner was leasing the Heretaunga Plains from Maori.

In 1898, a description of the Makiriri creek said "it is a branch of the Ngaruroro River, which breaks off on the Maraekakaho Rd about two or so miles beyond Stortford Lodge. It then disappears, and percolates underground through the shingle, until it rises again to the surface at the racecourse."

From the racecourse, the original path of the creek through Hastings was across Railway Rd, where it separated and crossed Southampton Rd and Hastings St, before joining at Hastings St and then Lyndon Rd.

From there, parallel to Hastings St, it crossed Lyndon Rd and Eastbourne St. The creek then took a sharp turn over Hastings St, before moving over the area of the present Hawke's Bay Opera House and former Hastings Municipal Buildings. It then crossed Heretaunga St East, Queen St, Avenue Rd, St Aubyn St, Ellison Rd, Victoria and Albert streets before turning and making its way to Windsor Park, then back to the Ngaruroro River.

The Hastings Town Board asked for tenders in 1885 to fill in the creek where it crossed Havelock (now Heretaunga) Rd, Railway Rd and Queen St. This put the creek underground in this location.

In 1890, the Hastings Borough Council diverted the creek from going into the racecourse by putting it into the Southland drain.

This caused problems further away in Hastings East when the drain overflowed. Alfred Masters' hop grounds near Windsor Park were flooded because of insufficient outlets. He took a successful case against the Hastings Borough Council in 1894, and other property owners petitioned the council to revert the creek to its normal course way.

As the creek ran through several streets, such as Victoria St, this caused a number of problems and those trying to get to Heretaunga School (where the Mega Business Park is now) from Hastings East could only get across by foot.

A temporary road had to be made through the creek for wheel traffic.

In 1898, works began to alleviate the problem in Hastings' northeast area by restoring the creek's original path, so it was not diverted to the Southland drain. Where it flowed in parts of Hastings, the creek would be made six feet (1.8m) deep at the bottom and the width would depend on where it flowed through.

About this time the creek was dammed to form a lake on the racecourse grounds.

In 1900, the 1898 works were deemed to be a success in restoring the creek, and the eels and carp in the creek were said to be plentiful.

At this time the Makirikiri creek was used for a water supply for the fire brigade in the northeast Hastings East area.

In 1910 pipes were laid from Avenue Rd to Ellison Rd to carry the creek underground, and the racecourse lake was drained and filled in during 1914.

During 1930, pipes were laid to underground the rest of the creek, and the only visible appearance of it today is where it surfaces at Windsor Park.

The Makiriri creek at Windsor Park was widened by work schemes during the 1930s Great Depression to form the boating lake.

The creek, as mentioned earlier, goes directly under the Hawke's Bay Opera House at about two metres underground and can be heard in the building.

During the various renovations of the building, pumps have been required to dispose of the water.

The underground creek has caused water issues at other times too, I am told.

When the Hastings municipal buildings were being constructed in 1916, the builders, Stanley Brothers, used shingle from the nearby old Makiriri creek-bed for the concrete aggregate.

Therefore, both the Hawke's Bay Opera House and former municipal buildings have two elements of the Makiriri creek – water running underneath and stones used in construction.

I understand the creek will be represented as part of the design in the renovations.

It would be also great if, where the creek surfaces at Windsor Park, the Hastings District Council could name the waterway Makiriri.

• Coming soon, Historic Hawke's Bay by Michael Fowler. A collection of his best articles 2016-2018. Email mfhistory@gmail.com for pre-order information.

• Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant and contract researcher of Hawke's Bay's history.