 Telegraph Hotel,
Otaki
 In
September 1874 John Prosser having sold Whitewoods Hotel -a base he used
when running his coaches from Wellington to the Hutt, moved
north to to take over the Otaki Telegraph Hotel. With no
roads from Paekakariki onwards, settlers travelling north on the sands
along the coast or they had to go by sea with their belongings. There were
at least nine rivers and streams to be crossed, a wet and sometimes
hazardous journey and arduous also for horses who needed to be spelled and
fed along the way. Prior to the introduction of a coach service in the
1870s, the main route from Wellington north to Wanganui and beyond was
around the coastline either by horse or by foot. By 1843 a
ferry
service had been
established at Parewanui to take people across the mouth of the Rangitikei
River.
In
1868 when coaching days commenced, the town of Marton in
Rangitikei became linked by road with Wellington and Wanganui,
Coaches
travelled twice weekly between these towns along rough roads with
few bridges and many fords. In keeping with the Prosser strategy, having
pit-stop hotel accommodation along the way, made great business sense.
The Prosser
coaches (four in hand) soon traversed the west coast along what was
then known as the Beach Highway - Bill's skill (William Robert
Prosser) was acknowledged when
negotiating the route along the sandy sometimes rocky coast
from Wellington norhwards - a distance of a 100 miles.
Ref. The Beach Highway by Paul
Melody
By 10th Oct
1874 newspapers remarked on the hotel's change Under John
custodial care but in January 1875, he
advertised -
HOTEL TO
LET. — The Telegraph Hotel, Otaki. Apply to John Prosser, on the premises,
or to T. & W. Staples, Thorndon Brewery
Feb 1875, brother James Prosser (brother Samuel had taken
over as Licensee of the Crown and Anchor Hotel in Wellington) moved north
and after what was almost a fatal flooded crossing, took over
the hotel from John.
They quickly
settled in and 8th Apr. Jane Prosser proved a stage triumph
at Otaki's musical evening with her reading "the Charge of the
Light Brigade" being given a hearty encore plus readings
from Shakespeare and "Lord of Burleigh".
The stay in
Otaki was brief and 5 Feb. 1876 Fred Bright, a well-known
settler in the Paikakariki district, took over as proprietor of the
Telegraph Hotel at Otaki, having purchased James Prosser's interest in
it's leasehold. James moved on to Marton to take over the
Club Hotel from brother
William who now moved to Wellington to take over the Traveller's
Rest Hotel at Taita in the
Hutt.
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