"THE ONLY REAL TURKISH BATHS"
CHRISTCHURCH’S TURKISH BATH CULTURE, PART 2
In August 1884, work was underway on a new Turkish Bath establishment for Christchurch. Near the Kaiapoi Woollen Factory on Cashel St East between Manchester and Madras streets, it was a grand establishment. Built of brick, it covered an area of 60 by 33 feet from its Cashel street frontage, extending back to Bedford Row.
At the front were hairdressing rooms and a ticket office. A passage ran through the building from front to back with six chambers on one side containing hot, cold, and shower baths. On the opposite side were the Turkish baths, “the special feature of the establishment”.
The business operated for about nine weeks before it was beset with financial problems. A second proprietor took over, but he didn’t last either. Four months later, the extensive furnishings of the Turkish Baths went up for auction with no reserve.
In July 1885, it reopened for the third time in less than a year with Robert Hall as manager. His father, John William Hall, ran baths in Dunedin and Wellington, and Robert had “considerable experience in the Management of Baths”. Hall’s proprietorship lasted well into the twentieth century, with Hall as the Hydropathist and Mrs Hall as Ladies’ Attendant.
Located near the Madras street end of Cashel street, the baths were sandwiched between the N.Z. Farmers’ Co-op and the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company’s warehouse and clothing factory. In 1886 the premises underwent repair and reopened “in splendid condition, and a much higher temperature than ever there has formerly been”. Hall also took the opportunity to add Steam Baths. In 1890 he remodelled again.
After 20 years running the business, Hall handed it over in 1905 to his brother-in-law and half-brother trading as Young & Co Hydropathic, Turkish Steam and Hot Baths. This followed several years of family difficulties which came to a head in early 1902 when Mr and Mrs Robert Hall brought suit against each other in the Christchurch Supreme Court for misconduct. From 1909, the Hall name was back above the business once again, under the sole proprietorship of William Cox Hall until its end in 1921.