Early history In the late 19th century, there was growing interest among tourists to visit and bathe in the thermal pools located near the
Pink and White Terraces. As a result, in 1880, the government established Rotorua as a tourist resort. In 1886, the active volcano of Tarawera erupted, destoying a number of villages and the Pink and White Terraces. On 22 November 1880, Judge F.D. Fenton met with 47 Māori leaders to discuss a proposal supporting the creation of a township, resulting in
Ngāti Whakaue gifting 50 acres of land along the southern area of
Lake Rotorua. This area, formerly known as the Sanatorium Reserve, is today named the
Government Gardens, and is the land that the Rotorua Museum stands on. As such, the New Zealand government hoped that the development of a Bath House would appeal to wealthy tourists, particularly from the
Northern hemisphere, who could afford to stay in Rotorua for two or three weeks and use the baths to treat their physical or psychological needs. It was New Zealand's first spa facility, and was noted as the first major investment in the New Zealand tourism industry by the government. The Bath House was known for its therapeutic treatments using water sourced from surrounding thermal springs. The bath treatments were thought to be able to successfully treat a series of illnesses such as;
Rheumatism,
Indigestion,
Constipation,
Obesity,
Sciatica, Nerve Trouble, Spinal Curvature, and
Neuritis. The north wing accommodated male patients, while women were treated in the south wing. By the 1940s, spa treatments greatly declined in popularity, with medical professionals advising that they should be complementary to work done in hospitals, rather than relying on them as a cure-all solution. Rotorua's new Director of Physical Medicine, Dr. G.A.Q Lennane, condemned the promotion of spas as a substantial treatment for illnesses, stating that the spa conception was responsible for the delayed knowledge of the treatment of rheumatic diseases. They called for the exploitation of Rotorua's mineral waters to stop and for rational science to be used instead. Despite Wohlmann being considered the most distinguished balneologist available, he was fired by the government in 1912 due to the fact they could pay a younger and less experienced balneologist for half the price.
The museum's origins The Rotorua Museum is now housed in the former Bath House building. Rotorua Museum opened in the south wing of the Bath House in 1969; Rotorua Art Gallery opened in the north wing in 1977. Up until 1990, there was a nightclub and two licensed restaurants, one upstairs and one downstairs, that occupied parts of the building. ==Rotorua Museum Bath House exhibition==