Tauranga Heritage Collection web site

Landing page of the Tauranga Heritage Collection browser, where you can search the collection in a variety of ways. Image courtesy of Tauranga Museum

Tauranga Museum team are working hard to make the Tauranga Heritage Collection accessible to as many people as possible. The digitisation of the collection is an important part of this goal. The project started a few years ago and we now have close to 16,000 objects available to view online at https://view.taurangaheritagecollection.co.nz/explore

Objects are uploaded nearly every day and we encourage visitors to keep checking in to see what is new. Our photographer, Michal Pinkerton, takes photographs of the highest quality which ensures that the objects are represented as accurately as possible and can be viewed from all angles. Here is a selection of objects which have been added to the website in the last few weeks.

Tobacco cutter 4450/84. Image courtesy of Tauranga Museum

Used for cutting plugs for pipe smokers, this McMillan’s Rotary Tobacco Cutter had more chopping power than was needed for domestic purposes and is likely to have been owned by a grocer or tobacco shop. By the 1920s this instrument was largely obsolete as cigarette sales dominated the market.

Marine Compass, MV Rena 0188/16. Image courtesy of Tauranga Museum

On October 5, 2011, the MV Rena, a container vessel, carrying a mixed cargo from Napier to Tauranga ran aground on Ōtāiti (Astrolabe Reef), 12 nautical miles off the Bay of Plenty coast. What ensued was New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster. This compass was salvaged from the wreck. An investigation found that it was not used by the crew when they took the Rena off course, and this was a contributing factor in the disaster.

Beer advertisement 0585/86. Image courtesy of Tauranga Museum

Founded by W. Joseph Coutts and his three sons, The Waitemata Brewery Co. (later known as Dominion Breweries) began production in Otahuhu in 1929, which is still in operation today. It was the following year that the revolutionary Waitemata Sparkling Ale was produced and only quite recently, in 1999, was it discontinued. Marketing for the beer often made grand claims that it was “a tonic” and “good for you” with one series of advertising promoting the ale as a drink that could prolong one’s life!