The Last Strum

Yesterday was the funeral of respected and much loved Ngāi Tamarāwaho kaumātua Peri Reweti Kohu (1951-2022), a man I consider one of my ‘uncles’ – one of the group I treasure as advisors and friends, who have always treated me with kindness, respect and aroha.

1881 Great Tauranga Fire: Tauranga Nearly Destroyed

The Great Tauranga Fire of 1881 reduced to ashes all the buildings on the block between Harington and Hamilton Streets, destroying almost the entire northern end of the township. This article is from the Evening Star of 1 June 1881 (p. 2) and gives comprehensive details about the fire, including the massive effort by local Māori to try and help shopkeepers save their goods.

Commemoration an Opportunity for the Creative

This article about the commemorations for the Battle of Gate Pa appeared in CreativeBeat Magazine in February 2014 (p. 9).

A Passion for Publishing Children’s Books

In modern times educators have embraced teaching the history of Aotearoa. This makes a change from when I was at school and we covered mainly British history with just a dash of our own. The importance of teaching children their own history was demonstrated more fully to me after I published my first bilingual children’s book, Taratoa and the Code of Conduct: A Story from the Battle of Gate Pā.

Revisiting Tauranga Moana’s Matariki Festival 2015

The last traditional Matariki festival in Aotearoa is said to have been in
the 1940s. In Tauranga, Matariki was revived in around 1992 at a small
school in Welcome Bay called Otepou with an early morning trek up the
Kōpukairoa Ranges. Tauranga Libraries joined the Matariki renaissance
in 2005 by offering workshops to the community. Since then the yearly
winter festival has grown in size as the library has worked to establish
Matariki as a cultural and social event for the Tauranga community.

Easter Holidays in Tauranga, 1884

An annual free Easter excursion was provided by the Directors of the Northern S.S. Company on Tauranga harbour.

Floggings at Tauranga Domain

Today if you are found guilty of a misdemeanour you might receive a fine or a light jail sentence. If you were a member of the armed forces occupying Tauranga in the 1860s you would be tied to a “triangle” on what is now the Tauranga Domain, and flogged.

The Pioneers, Settlers and Families of Katikati and District

In 2012 Bay of Plenty historians Christine Clement and Ellen McCormack (QSM) co-authored a comprehensive history of early Katikati settlers, The Pioneers, Settlers and Families of Katikati and District (ISBN: 9780473206055). This article by Debbie McCauley was first posted in 2013, and updated in 2021.

Debating Te Tiriti and Māori at the governance table in Tauranga Moana

An interesting debate last night between Buddy Mikaere and Margaret Murray-Benge and well done to host Greerton Lions and chair Terry Molloy. When people give up their time for these types of events, they both ought to be heard respectfully by the audience, whatever the preconceptions and bias those attending already have.

Tauranga Garden Party with a Vintage Twist

“In less than a week Tauranga will be transported back in time to the grace and style of a bygone era. Tauranga Historical Society invite you to rewind the clock and experience the relaxed atmosphere of a garden party whilst sipping homemade lemonade in the heritage garden of a Category II listed historic house. Enjoy afternoon tea in elegance under the Tremains Marquee at the Vintage Café while reposing at tables lovingly dressed in the remnants and romance of the past as your ears are serenaded by the jazz quartet with their toe-tapping rhythms and jazzy harmonies” – Debbie McCauley.