McLean’s Trading Post

McLean's Trading Post, 27 December 1963
Colour 35mm slide, Photographed by Robert Gale
Courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, Ref. 0005/20/1

Donald (Don) McLean was a well-known and hard-working Tauranga businessman born in Oropi in 1921. His father was the head teacher at the local school for several years and Don was the only son following five sisters.

Prior to serving in the Air Force in the Solomon Islands during the Second World War he worked for Gamman’s Sawmill at Mamaku. Following his return to New Zealand and starting a family Don, a master builder, in conjunction with two brothers-in-law, Charlie Merriman and ‘Poodle’ Ake, helped construct many homes in the Patton and Sylvester subdivisions (Hampton Terrace, Oxford Street and Baycroft Avenue). Don also built the first four shops in ‘Merivale’ (Parkvale) and the family lived in a flat above one of them. First there was a grocery/dairy, a hardware outlet was added, followed by the drapery and lastly, he built another grocery store.

On the opposite corner, across Kesteven Avenue was the McLean and Co. joinery workshop and local joiner/carpenter Claude Hewlett became part of the construction team, also helping to building the houses. The other half of this building was unused except for the storage of an old Chev motor vehicle and spare timber – it had no floor in that side of it. He had more building material stored around the building plus an old tractor. Don’s work vehicle was a 1928 faded blue Chevrolet. He also had a small Commer truck and in the 60s it was replaced by a “J” model Bedford truck.

Another building venture was McLean’s Trading Post on the east side of Cameron Rd between 9th and 10th Avenues. The concrete floor was laid in 1960 and the iconic horse and wagon installed on the roof of  this and all subsequent ‘Trading Posts’.

Don, employees and other helpers manhandle the horse and wagon on the roof of the 10th Avenue Trading Post
Image courtesy of the McLean family

The wagon was an old farm one rebuilt to look like a pioneer vehicle. The “horse” was drawn by local character and artist Michael Hodgkins and made by Claude Hewlett. In 1964 Hayman’s Hall opposite the Boys College was up for sale. It was purchased and for a short time second-hand goods were sold from there. Once the new McLean’s Trading Post was established on Grey Street in the centre of town, the Hall was once more used as a dance and meeting venue, and later a licensed restau-rant, until its demolition in the 1970s. Various members of the wider McLean and Merriman clans, including the Akes and the Rodgers, worked in the business especially on auction days.

Sales of local produce, fruit trees and flowers were held during the day every Friday, and the main auction was the same evening. There were large auctions of found and unclaimed stolen goods by the police, and the usual deceased estates. A former staff member recalls there being many free-standing wardrobes which were often dismantled on site by buyers who only wanted the mirrors —  the ‘robes’ being left on Don’s premises. There were also dozens of concrete laundry tubs as house-holders upgraded to stainless steel.

The Grey Street mart is where the writer first remembers seeing the horse and wagon on the roof when taken there by her grandfather. He was a regular customer, as were many others keen for a bargain.

McLean’s Trading Post as supermarket site
Bay of Plenty Times, 17 December 1963
Courtesy of Pae Korokī, Gifford-Cross Collection, Ref. Photo gcc-5513

Christies Furnishings bought the building and McLeans’ temporary premises were located in the former Ellis Motors Ltd on the corner of Devonport Road and First Avenue. The writer’s husband recalls going as a schoolboy to an auction there, hoping to buy a book on Gamman’s Mill but it was bought by Mrs McLean herself. He was disappointed as he had played the ‘wag’ from school especially.

In 1970 the last and largest premises was constructed on three levels at the intersection of Second Avenue and Cameron Road. In the mid-70s this became Simons Furnishings and is presently Greenslades.

Information for the compilation of this article has kindly been provided by members of the McLean family.

Sources

The Ngawaro Regional Historical Review (2005) by Jim Pendergrast

Oropi - The 100 years following the Confiscation of the Land (2019) by Robert Craig Scott

Oropi School Centenary and District Reunion (1899-1999) Edited by Annie Rae Te Ake Ake

Merivale Tauranga — Proud of it, Merivale-Tauranga Oral History Project (October 2000) Compiled by Belinda Leckie & Helen Unsworth, Merivale Community Inc.   

McLean’s Trading Post (1978) by Jessie A. Parry, Journal of the Tau-ranga Historical Society, No. 62, December 1978