A Katikati institution came to an end this week as the former RSA building on the corner of State Highway 2 and Henry Rd was demolished.

Earlier this year, Katikati News reported that a McDonald’s restaurant was expected to open on the site in 2027.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council approved McDonald’s consent application in May for a 450sq m restaurant with seating for up to 75 patrons.

The restaurant would include a drive-through and 16 car parks. It could be a 24-hour operation but its final hours were to be confirmed.

McDonald’s head of impact and communications Simon Kenny said in May the restaurant was expected to open in 2027. “We now move into the construction planning phase.”

On Monday contractors began demolishing the former RSA building, which triggered a trip down memory lane for many long-time Katikati residents.

Katikati’s former RSA building being demolished this week. Photo / Merle Cave

Here, Katikati News traces the building’s history.

According to the Katikati RSA & Citizens Club, the building was opened on July 22, 1961. It included a memorial shrine with a wooden tablet listing the names of men from the local district who died in the two world wars.

An article in the Bay of Plenty Times on May 25, 1975, noted the clubrooms were built on land donated by Mr J. E. Silson.

“Members raised funds, took out debentures and received a dollar-for-dollar subsidy from the Homewood Trust to finance the building, valued now at $50,000,” the article said.

“In its first 14 years the clubrooms was used for snooker and association activities, and the adjoining hall was rented out.”

The building’s first renovation came when the RSA amalgamated with the Katikati Citizens Club to gain a charter under the name RSA & Citizens in 1975, according to the Western Bay of Plenty Community Archives Collection.

“It was a well-used venue for club members as well as other clubs in Katikati, such as the Rotary Club and Lions Club.”

The Bay of Plenty Times article, titled “Katikati RSA opens its doors”, also said the RSA had leased its clubrooms to the newly formed Katikati RSA & Citizens Club so the facilities would be available to the whole community.

The Katikati RSA and Citizens Club's sports bar. Photo / Rebecca Mauger

“Discussion on the possibility of forming a chartered club first began about four years ago, and a special meeting of the RSA was held in August 1973, which laid down guidelines governing the setting up of the club, said Mr R. N. Smith, president of both the Katikati RSA and the new club.”

The article said a separate incorporated club was to be formed, membership was to be open to both sexes and was to include citizen membership without distinction.

“It was felt that the RSA, whose membership has remained more or less constant at approximately 100 members during the past 15 years, was too small to operate as a chartered club. Its clubrooms were not used to capacity and there appeared to be a need in the Katikati community for a club of this nature.”

Afterwards, negotiations were held with the Licensing Control Commission and the RSA’s national headquarters to decide on venue use acceptable to both.

On March 3, 1975, a licence was granted to the club and since February that year a team of voluntary labour under the leadership of Scott Syngrove and Len Samson worked long hours to convert the hall into clubrooms and rebuild much of the interior to provide a lounge, with kitchen and bar facilities.

For three months the men worked on the carpentry, painting and finishing while a women’s committee planned colour schemes, carpet, and made and hung curtains.

The article said the Licensing Control Commission had limited membership to 250, and this number was almost reached before the club opened its doors.

The building had undergone renovations and additions since.

Western Bay of Plenty Community Archives Collection holds a photograph of the World War II Bofors anti-aircraft gun in front of the Katikati RSA building, which was installed in 1990. It was moved to the RSA Retirement Village on Binnie Rd in 2024.

According to the Katikati RSA & Citizens Club, the Henry Rd clubrooms were extended in 1992, and a mural was added to the exterior of the building.

“Unveiled in 1996, the mural by artist Geoffrey Fuller includes 24 wartime scenes from campaigns in which Katikati servicemen and women have been involved,” the club’s website said.

Katikati RSA members, John Dallimore and president Glenn Burt reflect with pride, the mural titled ;Those Who Served on the eastern side of the building on the corner of SH2 and Henry Road in Katikati.

The building used to hold Katikati’s Anzac Day and Armistice Day commemoration services until they were moved to the town centre in April 2014, coinciding with the opening of the new Memorial Square outside Katikati War Memorial Hall.

The wider Katikati community had a soft spot for the building, with many families celebrating milestones at the clubrooms over the years.

The building was also a major drawcard for socialising from the 1970s into the millennium and beyond.

Events held at the RSA building included everything from snooker events to fishing competitions to beer festivals and wedding receptions.

This meant nearly all residents had stepped foot into the RSA building for one reason or another over the years – many quite frequently.

In October 2022, the Henry Rd venue was rebranded by the Katikati RSA & Citizens Club to The Club Katikati.

The Katikati Advertiser reported the decision to rebrand was made after a year or two of struggling, especially after Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns. Like many RSAs across the country, memberships had dropped and clubs were taking new approaches.

“The Katikati RSA & Citizens Club has been working towards a fresh focus and membership drive, giving the venue a facelift, a new name and new signage will grace the building in time for the signing of its new lease.”

The RSA and Citizens Club were two separate clubs.

RSA president Brian Dunning said the RSA opened in Katikati in 1961 and in the mid-1970s the Citizens Club joined it.

The Club Katikati would take over the lease on the building, and the land and buildings would go into a charitable trust by the year’s end, Dunning said. Subsequently, the trust was called the Katikati RSA Charitable Trust.

In 2023, The Club Katikati went into recess in July before relaunching in September. But it never gained enough traction and eventually closed.

The Katikati RSA Charitable Trust put the Henry Rd land and building up for sale via Colliers in early 2025 and it was sold in June 2026.