By Roselyn Fauth
Caroline Bay Tea Rooms with Phoenix Canariensis trees (Phoenix palms) on the right. Timaru. 2022. Source: Roselyn Fauth.
When I walk into the Caroline Bay Tea Rooms, I do not just see a building, I feel all the memories of all the fun I have had there over the years. We are so lucky to have this wonderful venue in Timaru. I don't know if you like to do the same, by I like to stand by the door and imagine all the people who have stood there too. Dressed up for weddings, ready for a guest speaker, waiting for a friend, holding a child’s hand, or simply popping in for a brew or cuppa. Built in 1905, back when the beach came almost right up to the lawn, the tea rooms were part of Timaru’s big vision to turn Caroline Bay into something special. You could hear the waves from the steps and wander straight from the sand inside.
As a woman and a mother, I often think about places like this. What they offered the women who came before us. Why they still matter now. In the early 1900s, there were not many public spaces where women could simply spend time. You could go to church or the shops, but cafes were not always considered appropriate and pubs were completely off limits. Respectable women were expected to have a purpose in public, to be going somewhere, not lingering. Tearooms like this gave women something rare. A place to sit, talk, share news, and feel part of civic life. Often, they were managed by women too. That is part of what makes this place special...
My Own Story with the Tearooms
Most locals will have their own connection to this place. For me, it is personal too. I have a photo on my wall of my grandparents and their parents standing in front of the tea rooms. My dad thinks it might have been taken at their wedding reception. I have been to concerts here, loud and joyful ones. I have been a guest speaker at formal dinners, attended conferences, exhibitions, community events, and even received my 2025 South Canterbury Woman of the Year award from the Aoraki Women’s Fund right here on International Women’s Day.
I also had the privilege of designing the logo for Sopheze on the Bay, which includes an illustration of the tea rooms’ distinctive façade. I have helped them over the years share their story and promote their space for people to come and make their memories too. I love chatting with Jules and Vanessa Keen, the mother and daughter team who have run the venue for over a decade. They have hosted weddings, awards nights, corporate events, wakes, fundraisers and more, always with professionalism, warmth and pride. Their love for the building shines through, and they are an important part of the tea rooms’ living legacy.
Photo of Blind Spot concert at the Caroline Bay Tea Rooms. A stark contrast to the photos of the venue from the early 1900s. That was a really fun night. - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Recently, the tea rooms were given a fresh coat of paint, returning to the white and blue colour scheme of years past. The old caretaker’s cottage used to sit just next door. I have a faint memory of a green corrugated fence and a rooftop. That is all I ever saw of it before it was demolished. But if you head to the garden and look closely at the rocks behind the gazebo, you might spot a name scratched into the bluestone: A F Gibson, the caretaker who looked after the Bay for decades. Another quiet marker of pride and service.
A Christmas function I went to, I think it might have been a Camerons Clothing Christmas Work Function. I can spy my brother in the background Ruben Cloake, Beth Park who I used to row with in a womens crew. Camerons was my first job, I worked at all the stores, mens, womans, Flapdoodles for children, and Chillis for the youth. Seeing photos like this at Sopheze reminds me of great memories and speicial friendships. - Photography Roselyn Fauth
A Bay That Grew Quickly
When the Caroline Bay Tea Rooms were built in 1905, the beach came much closer to the front door than it does today. Early photos and maps show that the shoreline extended almost to the foot of the Bay Hill. Over the decades, harbour development and breakwater construction reshaped the coastline. What is now lawn and garden was once the edge of the beach. Visitors would have walked almost straight from the tide into the tearooms. It was not just near the beach. It was part of the beach experience.
Here you can see the Timaru Coastline, comparing the digitized survey maps (that were created 1848 - c.1870s) to 2022. The surveys were carried out for the legal purchase and sale of land parcels, initially under the administration of the Canterbury Association, which was founded in London 27 March 1848 in order to establish a Church of England settlement in New Zealand. The historic survey maps are a crucial source of information showing the Ngāi Tahu relationship with the landscape of Te Waipounamu. The Black Maps are fascinating objects that help bring to life the story of pākehā exploration and the development of Canterbury. https://apps.canterburymaps.govt.nz/BlackMaps This gives an insight into traditional areas of mahinga kai (sites of significance to Māori for food gathering) such as wetlands, lagoons, and estuaries before they were modified. - https://mapviewer.canterburymaps.govt.nz/?webmap=0db87348adef4595a91994a3dc85cefe&extent=1457673.4475%2C5078749.6304%2C1476018.3343%2C5087320.1322%2C2193
A Centrepiece of the ‘Riviera of the South’ Vision
At the turn of the 20th century, Caroline Bay was not the family-friendly haven we know today. It was a rocky, wild stretch of coastline bordered by railway lines, and shipwrecks. As Timaru’s harbour development progressed, especially the construction of the north mole in the 1890s, sand began to build up, and the Bay rapidly transformed into a sheltered sandy beach. The community saw an opportunity. From 1902, the Timaru Borough Council, supported by the Beautifying Society and local leaders, began to promote Caroline Bay as a seaside attraction. They wanted to create a European-style resort on the South Island’s east coast. The area was proudly branded as “The Riviera of the South.”
In that context, the tea rooms were essential. When visitors arrived by train from Christchurch or Dunedin, the tearooms helped set host the crowds. A proper place to sit and eat, a place to dress up for, to mark an occasion. From their opening in November 1905, Mayor Craigie called them the first municipal tearooms in the colony. They complemented other early features like the band rotunda and the planting of over 1,000 plants. They showed that Caroline Bay was not just beautiful. It was designed to be a destination.
The Women Behind the Bay
The tearooms have always been shaped by women. Not all are remembered by name, but I can feel their contribution when I am there. Mrs Cowan was the first lessee. She ran the building at a time when few women had visible business roles. She helped create a space that was safe, sociable and welcoming. At the opening, it was Mrs Craigie, the mayor’s wife, who was given the honour of unlocking the front door. She hosted the first tea party in the new building, bringing together other women, councillors and members of the Beautifying Society. The women of the Beautifying Society gave time and energy to planting and shaping the Bay. They raised funds, contributed shrubs, and supported the creation of this coastal sanctuary. Their efforts framed the tearooms with gardens and meaning.
Mrs J. Craigie: A Ceremony and a Key
The honour of opening the tearooms fell to Mrs Craigie, wife of Mayor James Craigie. On 23 November 1905, she turned the key to unlock the front doors and hosted the first official tea inside. The presence of councillors, dignitaries and members of the Beautifying Society at her table signalled something deeper than ceremony. In Edwardian New Zealand, women’s visibility in civic life was growing but still tentative. Mrs Craigie’s prominent role in this moment reflected changing attitudes. She stood at a literal threshold, not only of the tearooms, but of a new chapter in women’s public presence. Her role echoed the building’s purpose: a civic space where women were welcome, central and celebrated.
Mrs Cowan: The First to Welcome Us In
Mrs Cowan was the very first lessee of the Caroline Bay Tea Rooms in 1905. Though her name appears briefly in the records, her role was anything but small. At a time when women’s presence in business was still uncommon, she stepped into a visible and influential position. Running the tearooms meant more than serving tea. It meant creating a space where women could gather publicly, comfortably and with dignity. Her presence gave the building its first heartbeat. In many ways, Mrs Cowan set the tone for what the tearooms would become. A place of welcome, of celebration, and of women at the centre of community life.
The Beautifying Society: Planting Place and Purpose
The Beautifying Society, formed in the early 1900s, was instrumental in transforming Caroline Bay from a barren windswept shoreline into a place of civic pride. Though men often chaired these organisations, women drove their vision. They raised funds, selected plants, wrote letters and organised tree planting events that brought the community together. In particular, they helped frame the tearooms with green life and soft edges. The willows, shrubs and flowerbeds they planted helped define the tone of the Bay as genteel, family friendly and elegant. Their work turned raw land into a social landscape, where a cup of tea came with a view, and where hospitality was matched by intentional design. Their contributions endure in every planted path and sun dappled lawn.
Jules and Vanessa Keen: Modern Stewards
Over a century later, Jules and Vanessa Keen continue the legacy. As mother and daughter operators of Sopheze on the Bay, they have turned the tearooms into a venue that balances history with celebration. Their work honours both the architecture and the atmosphere, preserving the charm while adapting it for today’s events — weddings, fundraisers, awards nights and more.
More than caterers or event managers, they are stewards. They have cared for the building as one would a home, with attention, respect and love. Their dedication has ensured the tearooms remain active in the community, not a relic but a living space. Their presence echoes Mrs Cowan’s entrepreneurship and Mrs Craigie’s hospitality — women shaping public life, one gathering at a time.
And then there are lots of women like me, who have brought our own families here, been honoured here, worked here, celebrated here, and stood in that doorway, feeling its history.
Built with Intention: The Architecture of the Caroline Bay Tea Rooms
The Caroline Bay Tea Rooms are also a great example of early New Zealand architectural design. Located off Evans Street and Virtue Avenue, just below the Bay Hill and behind the Caroline Bay Hall, they reflect a uniquely South Canterbury approach to elegance and purpose. Built in the Arts and Crafts style, the tearooms are single-storey, with a hipped roof, exposed rafters and an irregular rectangular footprint. There is a copper lantern on the main roof, and ram’s horn finials at either end. The entrance porch, made from local bluestone, creates a striking focal point on the north-east side. Multi-pane windows and timber weatherboards complete the look. The building still contains parts of the original 1905 structure, with major additions in 1913, 1920 and a large expansion in 1931. Inside, the original plasterwork, timber panelling and casement windows reflect fine craftsmanship. It was designed to be beautiful, and it still is. Next time you visit, see if you can work out what direction the wind is blowing with the weather vein.
Why It Matters Nationally
The Caroline Bay Tea Rooms are not just a lovely old building. They are a record of what happens when women are given space, and when communities take pride in making places for people to gather, relax and celebrate. The tearooms show how women have helped shape public life – as hosts, leaders, business owners and honoured guests. This place has always made room for connection. For shared stories, cups of tea, and unforgettable moments.
Patrons having high tea in the Caroline Bay Tearooms, circa 1935, posed at tables bearing tiered plate stands, looking towards the camera. The tearoom's interior features ornate cornices and wood-paneled interior. - South Canterbury Museum CN 0277
"Aesthetic and architectural qualities are also noteworthy"
The Caroline Bay Tea Rooms are a striking building with strong clean lines and a combination of colors that set them off. The bluestone piers are a nod to the use of local materials and contrast strongly with the green and orange of the rest of the building. The setting of the tea rooms, surrounded by gardens and lawns, adds to their appeal.
I love the little details you can spy at the Caroline Bay tearooms like the mouldings in the ceiling. - Photograph Roselyn Fauth 2022.
Mr Alexander (A. F.) Gibson the long-serving caretaker of Caroline Bay. Gibson Rock, etched as a secret monument to spy at Caroline Bay behind the garden pegola. 2020 Supplied by Roselyn Fauth
Caroline Beach, Timaru, circa 1904, Dunedin, by Muir & Moodie. Te Papa (C.014384)
One of Timaru's famous shipwrecks, The "Ben Venue" was stranded at Caroline Bay. Here you can see the stern looking back to the cliffs where the Caroline Bay Tearooms are today. Circa 1882, Dunedin, by Burton Brothers. Te Papa (C.025205)
Caroline Bay, Timaru, 1920s, Timaru, by Havelock Williams. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa (O.020793)
Caroline Bay, looking North, Timaru, circa 1905, Timaru, by Muir & Moodie. Purchased in 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa (PS.001045)
Caroline Bay, Timaru, New Zealand. circa 1900, Melbourne, by George Rose. Taken from the railway embankment, the band rotunda, tea rooms, and caretakers house and showing a portion of the harbour. Melbourne, by George Rose. Purchased 1991. Te Papa (O.004821)
1910-1919 the Caroline Bay Tea Rooms are to the left. Looking north along Caroline Bay, Timaru. Showing The Pavilion (center). Over the roof of the Pavilion is the Midland Dairy Company's Palm Butter factory and to its left is Evans Street, with tennis courts beside. A train stretches across the picture from the left. Auckland Libraries Heritage Images Collection
Entertainment Hall. Caroline Bay. Timaru. P.W. Hutton and Co. Timaru. Looking along Caroline Bay, Timaru. Showing the Pavilion (center), on the hill, at left, is the Midland Dairy Company's Palm Butter factory. Below this is Evans Street, and the edge of the tennis courts. Auckland Libraries Heritage Images Collection
In this map, you can see the Waimataitai Lagoon before it was drained and turned into a park. The stream was piped underground and can be seen at the golf course. Miscellaneous Plans - Borough of Timaru, South Canterbury, 1911 - T.N. Brodrick, Chief Surveyor Canterbury ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/IE31423732
The layout of Sopheze on the bay in 2023, illustration by Rosleyn Fauth
Map illustration by Roselyn Fauth
The rustic bridge Caroline Bay Timaru circa 1915. Pictures of several children on and around the bridge, part of the walkway leading to the Caretaker's Cottage and Tea Rooms on the Bay (in the background). - South Canterbury Museum 2015/150.02
The Tennis Courts Caroline Bay. Timaru. FW Hutton and Co. Timaru . Looking across the tennis courts at Caroline Bay, Timaru shows men playing doubles, houses (left and rear); women seated (right foreground). Auckland Libraries Heritage Images Collection
J. S. Browning, (1831 – 1909), Timaru Looking North West, 1860, file copy print, Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago.
Above: Tea rooms ([1905/1907/1913/1920] 1931; FW Marchant (1905), Walter Panton & Son (1913 & 1931), Harold Broadhead (1920), and Turnbull and Rule (1931), architects; Messrs Stoddart & Mitchell, builders (1931). 2022 by Roselyn Fauth.
The logo I desgiend for Sopheze on the Bay.
South Canterbury Woman of the Year award 2025, presented by the Aoraki Womens Foundation.
Pheonix Palm Trees
Above: Phoenix canariensis growing by the Tea Rooms at Caroline Bay
The species originates from The Canary Islands and its correct name is Phoenix Canariensis, the Canary Island Date Palm, they are often referred to as Pineapple palms or Phoenix palms. The palm is easily recognized through its crown of leaves and trunk characteristics. When pruned, the bottom of the crown, also called the nut, appears to have a pineapple shape. It grows as a large solitary palm reaching between 10–20m in height.
New Zealand's Landcare Research has classified the palm as a 'sleeper weed' - "a plant that spreads slowly and goes unnoticed until it becomes widespread”.
"Further along on the north side of the pavilion there are other recessed seats, and hardy palms have been planted on the bank above."
- PROGRESS AT BAYTIMARU HERALD, VOLUME CXLVII, ISSUE 21507, 21 NOVEMBER 1939, PAGE 6
Did you know...
The Bay formed between lava flows providing shelter and food gathering for local Māori for several centuries. Te Rehe was the influential Kāti Huirapa rangatira from Arowhenua. Can you find him in the mural?
The name Caroline may derive from an early whaling ship used to drop off supplies and pick up whale oil. Most likely the Barque Caroline that was recorded at Lyttelton Harbour in September 1836. Can you point to a sign with “Caroline Bay”?
The Weller Brothers had their whaling station from 1839-1841. A whale pot stands at Pohatukoko Stream, known as Whale’s Creek. Can you stand above the pipe under ground?
The Bay was described “a dreary and uninviting line of rock under a cliff over which was dumped night soil and rubbish”.
By 1873 a voluntary rocket brigade had saved fifty one lives at sea. Can you find the brass rubbing plaque celebrating them?
1878 the Timaru population was 3389 and the construction of the harbour began. Currents created a sandy beach under the cliffs. Can you stand in the only sandy bay between Oamaru and Banks Peninsula?
1891 wheeled bathing sheds appeared. Can you find the large photo of them at the Bay?
The council leased the new foreshore from the harbour board in 1902 for a European-style beach resort. Can you find the willows by the Soundshell that was one of the first projects for the Timaru Beautification Society?
The first buildings at Caroline Bay were the caretakers’ cottage and shelters followed by the tearooms in 1903 and band rotunda in 1904. Alexander Gibson was the first caretaker and steps that lead down behind the tea rooms were named after him. Can you find the large rock with "A F Gibson Timaru 1904-1939" to the left of the blue stone arch in a garden marking his 35 year contribution?
1911 Caroline Bay Association was established. Timaru’s population was 11280. Christmas carnivals began, attracting thousands. Over the next century it featured beauty pageants, baby shows, concerts, rides and side shows. Can you find a large photo with a crowd?
1912 Marine Parade and a concrete Piazza overlooking the band rotunda were opened. Can you find the plaque with “Wynne Raymond” who opened the modern Piazza?
1919 A sundial was commissioned by The Bay Association to commemorate Mr Rhodes, who had been Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Waimate County Council, and who had made a generous bequest to the Association. It’s probably Timaru's first sundial. Can you find “HORAS NON MUMERO NISI SERENAS” translating to “I do not count the hours unless they are sunny.”?
Hot Salt Water Baths built in 1915 and demolished 1968 for the new community lounge. Can you find the plaque?
1929 The Caroline Bay Association commissioned a 350m wall recording 101 battles from the First Word War. Can you find the a sundial inscribed with the names of the 11 New Zealanders awarded the Victoria Cross?
1929 The Timaru Skating Rink opens.
1930 The first aviary was built and gifted by the Caroline Bay Association. There is a plaque at the aviary. Can you tweet to the birds that are not native?
1938 The band rotunda is replaced with a large Soundshell at Caroline Bay. Can you race up the steps to tell the time?
1941 UK Parliament Buildings are bombed in WW2. Can you find a brick that was brought to Timaru, and placed as a tribute in a round stone shelter near the whaling pot?
1957 The Stadium seating is presented to the citizens of Timaru by the Caroline Bay Association. Can you find the plaque?
1973 The Loop Rd opens to improve access to the Port. There are two memorials, can you find them?
1986 Timaru North Rotary provide stairs from Marine Parade to the sand where the Volleyball courts are now. Can you find the date in concrete?
1997 The Piazza opened, including a fountain and an elevator. Can you take in the view and a selfie with a sculpture?
2004 The Bay redevelopment began. 2008 The first Sculptures are unveiled from the Heartland Sculpture Challenge. Can you find five sculptures?
2009 Interpretive memorial at the bay was unveiled on Armistice Day. Can you find New Zealand on the map and find the country closest to “33"?
2009 The Face of Peace Sculpture was unveiled, near the memorial walk. Can you find the bird? What is it?
2010 The dunes of Caroline Bay were awarded the Best Dune Re-vegetation Project trophy. Today the established plantings are likely to be the most diverse in the country and studied by university students. Can you find 8 different
plants along the boardwalk?
2010 The aviary was relocated. Can you find the plaque with the original aviary donors name?
2014 Caroline Bay beach was voted the most popular beach in the South Island. Can you get a selfie with the red sign?
2016 Little penguins established a colony in Caroline Bay. Can you find the sign?
As the sand built up the times changed
After the construction of Timaru's artificial harbour, currents created a sandy beach under the cliffs. Stroll along the Promenade from the Piazza to the Kook Out at Caroline Bay. Can you find the Mean Tide posts? Can you work out where the tide used to be when these photos was taken?
Quarried rock protected the loess cliffs. Ashbury Park used to be Waimataitai Lagoon.
1880s Bay starts to form as a result of the ongoing development of the breakwater which began in 1878.
1882 The Ben Venue and City of Perth ships were wrecked against the Benvenue Cliffs which at this time were much further into the open sea. Can you stand where the ships were wrecked? Can you find the sign near the Lighthouse?
Women changed in private and access the sea using special carriages. Can you compare the fashion on the left to what we wear at the Bay today?
As the beach extended, the original Band Rotunda, (seen here) was replaced 30 years later by the larger Soundshell, reflecting the rapid increase in the popularity of the “European-style beach resort”. Can you stand at the Piazza and compare views?
1920s. The Memorial Wall was built to mark battles New Zealanders fought in the Great Wars, and was the sea wall at the time. Can you walk all the way along the wall? Can you find the Palliser fountain?
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