Story: Taranaki places

Dawson Falls visitor centre (1st of 3)

Dawson Falls visitor centre

The Department of Conservation’s Dawson Falls visitor centre displays aspects of the ecology, flora and fauna of Egmont National Park. A section of the old Syme Hut, originally erected on Fanthams Peak in 1930, has been reassembled in the centre. The carved pou (post) outside the centre depicts the Ngāti Ruanui tribe’s relationship with the mountain. It was carved by Albert Tamati and dedicated in 2006. Behind the nearby Dawson Falls lodge is a small hydroelectric station with a generator made by General Electric around 1901. It was installed at Dawson Falls in 1935 and is one of the oldest still operating in the world.

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Private collection
Photograph by Caren Wilton

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How to cite this page:

Ron Lambert, 'Taranaki places - Egmont National Park', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/25929/dawson-falls-visitor-centre (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Ron Lambert, updated 1 Sep 2016