(Special thanks to Margaret Abbot, YHA life member and ex-board member for the text, pictures and inspiration for this section of the website)
In June 1948, the first YHA Hostel in Arthur's Pass was opened in what had previously been Brake's Store and Tearooms. This hostel provided forty beds and was used as a base for trampers, climbers and skiers in the National Park.
By 1952 the hostel had reached the end of its life and it was demolished to make way for a new purpose built hostel. Fundraising for this started four years before the building began and it was estimated that the total cost would be three thousand six hundred pounds. Money was raised through raffles, bottle drives, jumble sales, film evenings, socials and Life Membership subscriptions. Also many interest free loans and donations from members helped towards the total.
Work commenced on 21st August 1954 with the first work party of members and tramping club members, who had to begin by clearing two inches of snow from the site before the real work could begin.
Members taking part in work parties paid for their own accommodation, transport and food, and many attended most of the weekends. Others worked fulltime on the project for a week or so at various stages of the project.
The Foundation Stone was laid by Sir William Bodkin on 25th September 1954, dedicating the hostel to the first president of the New Zealand Youth Hostels Association and discoverer of Arthur's Pass, Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson. A special train carried 475 people from Christchurch for the event with others arriving by bus and car.
The members had help initially from a Christchurch builder, Mr Stan Muirson, who oversaw the project and built the block walls, roof and framing, but the majority of the work was done by the volunteers. The organisation and overseeing of the work parties was in the hands of a man with great organisational talent, Mr Tom Wingham. Tom, who ran a carrying business, was on the job virtually non stop and rarely missed a work day, not only working himself but conveying materials from Christchurch when required. Twenty seven work parties were held at weekends, in which over 200 people contributed approximately 6000 hours of voluntary labour. Women were well represented in the work parties, cooking meals, painting and even swinging hammers and shovels.
Click Here to open a PDF Poster (1Mb) celebrating 75 years of YHA Hostelling in New Zealand, featuring "Arthur's Pass - Past & Present".
Below is a gallery of historical images taken during the construction of the hostel, it's opening, and the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2005.
Click on the following thumbnails to open the bigger picture in a viewing window.
(Please note that this archive requires JavaScript to be active on your browser to function correctly. Click on a picture number to open the image normally as a link in a new window if you experience trouble.)
The Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson Memorial Hostel
Work commenced on 21st August 1954 with the first work party of members and tramping club members, who had to begin by clearing two inches of snow from the site before the real work could begin.
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