hanmer springs

Spa and health resort 70 km south-east of the Lewis Pass. The hot springs in the Hanmer basin, known to Māori, were discovered by local runholder William Jones in 1859. Bathing facilities were opened in 1883. A sanatorium was built in 1897. During the First World War it was replaced by a convalescent hospital that later became the Queen Mary Hospital. It treated people with joint disorders, and later those suffering from psychiatric illness and alcoholism.

Meaning of place name
Named after Thomas Hanmer, the part-owner of Hawkswood station from 1852 to 1855, and for a while manager of St Leonards.