Rotorua Blue Baths

The Blue Baths was opened in 1932 in a two-storeyed Spanish Mission style building within the Rotorua Government Gardens. The Baths represented a change in social attitude - it was the first time in NZ men and women could swim together in a public facility rather than segregated bathing. Locals, out-of-towners and overseas visitors flocked to enjoy the thermal waters. Following a downturn in popularity from the mid-1950s onwards, the Baths was closed in 1982 and lay idle for many years until being reopened in 1999 after being modernised. The Blue Baths closed to the public on 26 January 2021 after a  seismic assessment found structural integrity concerns.

Find out more: Te Ara: Thermal pools and spas: The Blue Baths

Early beginnings: 

Designed by the Government Architect:

The Blue Baths was designed by the Public Works Department's architect John Thomas Mair who was appointed from 1925 to 1941. His other building projects included courthouses, post offices, police stations and office buildings (see Te Ara: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography & images on DigitalNZ).  On 25 June 1992, the Blue Baths was registered as Historic Place Category 1 under the Historic Places Act 1980. For a description of the building's architectural style and materials used, see Heritage New Zealand.

Constructed in 3 stages:

Social and sporting events:

The Blue Baths was used for a number of social and sporting events, including Christmas carnivals and swimming championships. Local schools frequently used the facilities and many people took swimming and diving lessons. 

Blue Baths closed in 1982 & reopened Dec 1999:

Closed in 1982, the building was restored and reopened on 21 December 1999. The original Juvenile Pool was fully restored and two soak pools added.  The Juvenile Pool was usually around 30°C whilst the two hot soak pools varied between 37°C and 42°C.  The Adult pool was ‘shallowed’ and turned into a large event space - the Lido Lounge - covered by a 5m ceiling. The Foyer and upstairs “Tearoom” (renamed  Social Room) were retained for social events. A  gallery in the former adult male changing rooms, which was on the east side, had a historical display of the building's past. For an outline of the operations, see the Blue Baths website, which also includes a historical timeline.

Blue Baths closed to the public from Jan 2021:

On 26 January 2021, the Rotorua Blue Baths closed to the public "after a detailed seismic assessment found structural integrity concerns. It achieved just 15 per cent of the New Building Standard." 

Source: Desmarais, Felix, "Rotorua’s Blue Baths: The ‘staggering’ state of a former NZ tourism jewel",  NZ Herald, 7 January, 2023, URL: https://bluebaths.co.nz/history/ 

On 25 August 2021, the Rotorua Lakes Council advised that, "New fencing is going up around the Blue Baths to replace the temporary construction fencing that was erected when the building was closed for assessment due to structural concerns... No decisions have yet been made about the building’s future but this is expected to be considered as part of the Long-term Plan process which will occur next year to set the work programme for the 2023-33 period."  

Source: Rotorua Lakes Council (25 August 2022): News - Blue Baths Update

This DigitalNZ story was updated in Nov 2023