Fortescue Huddlestone chose the site for the first building of the Hermitage at Mount Cook and later became the first manager, 1884-94. His venture was not a success, the government taking over in 1895. He was Art Master of Nelson College 1898-1918 and was a member of the Bishopdale Sketching Club, later Nelson Suter Art Society

The Hermitage History

The initial accommodation house was a small cob building made of sun-dried bricks, situated beside White Horse Hill near the base of the Mueller Glacier. In 1886 The Mount Cook-Hermitage Company began a rugged horse-drawn coach service from the railhead at Fairlie to The Hermitage. It took visitors two days to reach the Hermitage. In 1906, the Mount Cook Motor Company began running service cars to The Hermitage. John Rutherford, who rode in the first regular horse coach in 1886, drove in one of the first cars. After nearly 30 years, bad weather and fire starting to take its toll on the original Hermitage building which was also struggling to cope with increased demand.

In January 1913, as the second Hermitage was under construction near the present day site, the original building was damaged by flood. Two months later it was destroyed beyond repair by a second flood. By the time the second Hermitage opened in 1914, The Mount Cook Motor Company was expanding to keep up with increased visitor demands and was keen to keep The Hermitage open throughout winter. Eventually the company applied to lease the property, taking it over in 1921. The Hermitage was extended, camping facilities developed and package tours offered for perhaps the first time in New Zealand. In 1944 the lease expired and the Hermitage was returned to the Government. Disaster struck in September 1957 when the second Hermitage was razed to the ground in a spectacular fire. The Government moved quickly to design and build a new hotel.

The third and present Hermitage was operational by May 1958, and was then part of THC (Tourism Hotel Corporation), a chain around New Zealand of 12 Government owned hotels. The original accommodation wing, now known as the Mount Cook Wing (standard rooms), still stands today. Numerous additions have been made over the years since, notably 1967 - Glencoe Motor Inn (now Glencoe Lodge); 1969 - The Panorama Restaurant; 1975 - the Chalets; and 1977 - the 40-room Wakefield Wing. Travel to The Hermitage was made easier in 1975 with the completion of a sealed road from Pukaki to Mount Cook. The Hermitage returned from Government to private ownership in 1990, and in 2001 a $20 million redevelopment of the hotel gave a new look to all public areas, and saw the addition of the 60-room Aoraki Wing. Today The Hermitage remains an icon of superior accommodation and dining, and is a world-renowned tourist destination.

The Hermitage website www.mount-cook.com