Bayswater In Its Prime

Not sure of the year but most likely when the Takapuna Boating Club used to haul members’ boats on the northern land that is now a park (of sorts). Russell Ward says it was a lovely little place to work on boats and he hauled a few there before the Bayswater Marina developer and Takapuna City Council conned TBC out of it.

Speaking of being conned, do not start me on the control TBC has over the building on the foreshore, that is a con job 😦

Harold Kidd Update

The building has an interesting history. The Takapuna Boating Club was formed in 1914 to promote mainly centre board sailing in Shoal Bay and, of course, made its mark on New Zealand yachting history by commissioning Bob Brown to produce the design of the “Takapuna” 12ft 6in monotype “flattie” for competition by boys and girls, which became the “Zeddie”. About 1920 the club’s members secured the lease of the site at Bayswater and bought a tannery building at Panmure which they transported by barge and rebuilt into a magnificent three-storeyed clubhouse.
Very popular dances were held on the street-level floor every Saturday night. During my youth Benny Levin was the bandleader but rock and roll wrecked the music/dancing scene in the late fifties. I did get to sub on string bass with the band from time to time and it was a swinging group, mainly using stock orchestrations.
Later the dancefloor was taken over by Shore Sails as a loft.