1975

The Hawke’s Bay Community College opens: 4^th October, 1975
Dr John Harré appointed Director by inaugural Council (1975-1985).
A new initiative in education alongside vocational training, Community Colleges’ introduced the concept of Community Education that promoted lifelong learning. ...

1974

Napier and Hastings Boys’ High Schools offer tertiary classes in carpentry, motor fitting, secretarial and hairdressing but the demand is such that a Board is set up to have oversight of what would become the Hawke’s Bay Community College.
Workshop, Library, building barns, roading and four...

1973

The Ōtātara Pa Historic Reserve is gazetted as a reserve for historic purposes. It is one of the largest and most ancient Māori pa sites in Hawke’s Bay and among New Zealand’s most important archaeological sites. It is managed by the Department of Conservation in association with...

1973

1971

The owners of Redcliffes Station offer 27 ha (including the Pa site) to the Crown at less than the market value. The Crown, Napier City Council and Hawke’s Bay County Council purchase the site which is immediately adjacent to the land destined to become the EIT Hawke’s Bay campus.

1960

The University of Hawke’s Bay Trust is established to administer the Hetley land.

Margaret Hetley later agreed that the site could be used for tertiary education more generally.

1960

The Hetley’s lived in the renovated Stables until their new house was completed in 1960 on the original homestead site.

1958

Margaret Hetley, a graduate of Cambridge University, donated land from the Hetley Estate to the people of Hawke’s Bay on the occasion of the centenary of the province and in memory of her husband Frederic St Arnaud Hetley. Her original intention was that the land be used for a university.

1940

In 1940 Arnaud and Margaret Hetley purchased Ōtātara (as it is now known) which comprised the ruins of the homestead, stables and pastoral land to the east and north east of the Pa site.

1851-1940

Ōtātara Pa was part of Donald McLean’s Ahuriri Crown Purchase in 1851 and was sold, sub-divided and farmed in part over time by the Dolbel family of Redcliffes Station; Henry Williams; George and Airini Donnelly from 1906 and then their daughter, Maud Perry.

1840s

Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) Hawke’s Bay is located below the original Ōtātara fortified site which had an upper pa, Hikurangi and a lower one, Ōtātara. Both are of significance to the Ngāti Kahungunu people because it is the place that commemorates Taraia’s arrival in...