Tag Archives: New Zealand baches

Typology of the Baches of Taylors Mistake, NZ

Typology of the Baches of Taylors Mistake

by Janet Abbott, art historian and bach historian, Christchurch, NZ

The 72 baches of Taylors Mistake, Boulder Bay, Hobsons Bay and the cliffs and caves in between demonstrated a range of construction strategies. In the early 1900s when most of these baches were built there was no road access and the materials had to be found on site, boated in or carried, dragged and sledded over the hills. Nothing was wasted. Doors and windows were recycled from buildings in town. Baches that proved to be built too close to the sea and were washed away in a king tide storm were repurposed but the greatest treasure of all was dunnage. Over the hill from Taylors Mistake lay Lyttelton Harbour and until containers were used and biosecurity became an issue, ships would clear their decks of unwanted packing timber on leaving port. After a few days in the sea these exotic hardwoods washed up along the coast providing a ready supply of seasoned timber for building. Many of the earlier baches were made from this wood with the residue used for tree huts, dinghies and sledges.

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New Zealand baches

The Kiwi Bach – New Zealand vernacular architecture

The Kiwi Bach

Photos and text by Janet Abbott, art historian and bach historian, Christchurch, NZ

“Build them yourself on land you don’t own, out of things you’ve pinched from somewhere.”  

(Paul Thomson, The Bach 1985)

Huts, cabins and shacks are most commonly called baches in New Zealand. Pronounced ‘batch’ as in bachelor, these tiny holiday houses, often by the sea, are held close to the hearts of many Kiwis. There is nothing so fine as to travel over a winding, dusty road with the kids in the back, a stop to pick up fish and chips, and then arrive at your bach. The door opens to that particular aroma that belongs to the ancient furniture and musty magazines, and together with the sounds of sea, the birds, the wind in the trees, this transports you back to the carefree living of endless golden summers past. You can feel the sun on your skin, the sting of the sunburn and the ever-present sand in the sheets of your bed.  The excitement of catching a fish, climbing the cliffs, boating into sea caves and tobogganing down grassy slopes plays at the edge of memory. This is the kiwi bach.

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A rough history of bach legalities

A rough history of bach legalities

by Janet Abbott, art historian and bach historian

Local and central government authorities have attempted to regulate and/or remove the informally-built baches at Taylor’s Mistake since 1911.  They succeeded in removing all of the cave baches between Boulder Bay and Taylors Mistake in the clearances of 1979.  Now 45 out of the 72 baches remain and are currently facing a new round of Council public consultation and decisions.

https://ccc.govt.nz/the-council/consultations-and-submissions/haveyoursay/show/182

An article in the Press on the third of January 1911 entitled ‘The Cave Dwellers, Charms of Taylor’s Mistake, Leading the Simple Life’ sets the scene for these baches. It describes the pioneer cave dwellers Messrs Kennedy and Bickerton who had settled in caves twenty years ago [1891], followed by Mr Archbold fourteen years ago [1897] and states that there were now more than ‘thirty dwellings, no less than a dozen new ones having been started last year’.

Baches

Baches at Taylor’s Mistake, courtesy NZStuff

The article goes on to summarise the land ownership issues at the time which must have been seen as favourable enough for at least twelve families to invest in building huts.

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