Poster, 'Rotorua'

This poster advertises the healing properties of thermal waters at Rotorua, as well their recreational potential. Rotorua was one of the three main New Zealand government spas (Te Aroha and Hanmer being the other two) which were developed in the 1880s.

People had great faith in the power of bathing in mineral water to cure physical ailments such as arthritis and rheumatism. Bathing or drinking were the most common ways to 'take the waters'. People were also given massage or douche (spray) baths, especially at larger spas such as Rotorua. Government medical officers advised on the curative properties of different kinds of water, and supervised treatments.

The New Zealand Railways advertised these opportunies to promote its rail network: 'The Government Spa at Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand-famed for its warm mineral baths and its electrical treatment, under expert medical guidance, of rheumatism, sciatica, and similar bodily complaints' (The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 8, 1 February, 1933).

Pleasure seekers as well as invalids were drawn to Rotorua by fine hotels and other recreational activities. For example, the Blue and Ward swimming baths became extremely popular from the early 1930s.