A rough history of bach legalities
by Janet Abbott, art historian and bach historian
Local and central government authorities have attempted to regulate and/or remove the informally-built baches at Taylor’s Mistake since 1911. They succeeded in removing all of the cave baches between Boulder Bay and Taylors Mistake in the clearances of 1979. Now 45 out of the 72 baches remain and are currently facing a new round of Council public consultation and decisions.
https://ccc.govt.nz/the-council/consultations-and-submissions/haveyoursay/show/182
An article in the Press on the third of January 1911 entitled ‘The Cave Dwellers, Charms of Taylor’s Mistake, Leading the Simple Life’ sets the scene for these baches. It describes the pioneer cave dwellers Messrs Kennedy and Bickerton who had settled in caves twenty years ago [1891], followed by Mr Archbold fourteen years ago [1897] and states that there were now more than ‘thirty dwellings, no less than a dozen new ones having been started last year’.
Baches at Taylor’s Mistake, courtesy NZStuff
The article goes on to summarise the land ownership issues at the time which must have been seen as favourable enough for at least twelve families to invest in building huts.