The Mystery of the Monmouth Cannons: Part 1

From Tauranga City Library’s archives

A monthly blog about interesting items in our collections.

Postcard, Taumatakahawai Pā (Monmouth Redoubt) c. 1910s.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī ref 06-519

While sorting through our files relating to the 1990 Monmouth Redoubt restoration project, we came across this original letter dated 21st of March 1914 (also published in the Bay of Plenty Times) from Colonel G. Arnold Ward, Former Mayor of Tauranga, regarding the origin of the old guns in the Monmouth Redoubt.

Letter from Colonel Arnold G. Ward to the Tauranga Town Clerk, 1914.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, VF CCR.

In his letter to the Tauranga Town Clerk, Ward recounts the history of the six guns displayed in the redoubt, comprising of four field guns that “had done good service here in the Maori war”, as well as two much older cast muzzleloader guns.

The four “field guns” were 6-pounder rifled breech-loading Armstrong guns, two of which may have been present at the Battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pā) (Osborne, 2014, para. 5). Following their years of service with the militia and later the Armed Constabulary (whose headquarters had been located on the redoubt), the guns had been made obsolete and placed into storage by the Defence Department - until 1899 when Mayor Ward requested that they be returned to Tauranga and displayed in the Monmouth Redoubt, as part of an initiative to convert the site into a public reserve (Kean, 2019, p. 13-15).

Print, Photographic, Armstrong Gun, Monmouth Redoubt, Tauranga, c. 1910s.
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, ref 0488/08

The two older guns mentioned by Ward were cast iron Napoleonic war cannons (more specifically carronades) dating to the early 1800s, which had been gifted to the Tauranga Borough Council in 1899 by Captain A. C. Turner and Mr. A. W. Burrows, in order to “add interest to the redoubt”. However, Ward admits, “their history I do not know and do not think their former owners knew it either”. 

Munitions on display at Taumatakahawai Pā (Monmouth Redoubt), Tauranga c. 1910s.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī ref 10-161

Unlike the Armstrong guns, neither of the cannons had any known connections to the redoubt. The Burrows cannon, named Tawakeheimoa (named after the eldest son of Ngāti Kererū), is now confirmed to be one of early trader Phillip Tapsell’s twelve “big guns” used to protect his trading station at Maketu Pā, until it's capture in 1836 (Kean, 2018, p. 20). Indeed, in his letter Ward points to Tapsell as a possible original source of the Burrows gun (Ward, 1914).

Cannon, Tawakeheimoa.
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection, ref 0017/99

The cannon donated by Captain Turner, known today as Te Tapihana, is also suspected to have come from Tapsell’s battery due to its similarity to the other Tapsell cannons (Matheson, 1989, p. 9). However, its provenance is by no means certain, since accounts about what happened to Tapsell's battery following the capture of Maketū Pā vary, making it difficult for us to verify the history of the guns (see Matheson, 1989, for a full discussion). 

One of the other cannons from Tapsell's battery, Maketū, c. 1970s.
Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī ref 06-137 

During restoration efforts at the redoubt in the 1990s there was some discussion as to whether the cannons ought to remain in Tauranga or be sent back to Maketū (Hansen, 1998, letter). In the end the council opted to keep the cannons, as by that point in time they had become an important part of Tauranga's history (Matheson, n.d., personal communications).

Te Tapihana Cannon, Monmouth Redoubt, 2024.
Private Collection, Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries. 

These days only Te Tapihana remains on display in the redoubt. Tawakeheimoa now resides in the care of the Tauranga Heritage Collection, as do three of the Armstrong guns – the remaining Armstrong gun can be found on display at the National Army Museum in Waiouru.

6-Pounder 3-cwt Armstrong RBL Gun Barrel, carriage is a modern reconstruction.
Display depicts a scene from the Battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pā).
Image courtesy of National Army Museum, Waiouru.

Stay tuned! The mysterious history of the Tapsell cannons will continue in next month's blog post.

For more images of the Monmouth cannons in the Library Archives click here. 

Sources:

    'Guns at the Redoubt'. (1914, 27 March). Bay of Plenty Times, p. 3.    

    Hansen, N. G. (30 January 1998). Letter to Tauranga District Council. Old Carronades at the Domain and on Monmouth Redoubt. Tauranga City Council Records (unpublished).

    Kean, F. (2018). Illustrated Historical Overview, Monmouth Redoubt, Lot 247, Section 1, Tauranga Town. Tauranga Heritage Collection (unpublished).

    Kean, F. (2019). History. In Walter, L., Greig, K. Monmouth Redoubt Historic Reserve Conservation Plan, September 2019. InSitu Heritage Ltd. (Tauranga City Council). 

    Matheson, A. (May 1989). Tapsell’s Big Guns. Journal of Tauranga Historical Society, No 37. Pp. 1-11.

    Matheson, A. (n.d.). Personal communication. Old Carronades in the Domain & Redoubt (and Historic Village). Tauranga City Council Records (unpublished).

    Osborne, J. (April 2014). Context: The Tauranga Campaign of 21 January 1864 to 21 June 1864 by John Osborne. Originally published on Tauranga Memories. Retrieved from https://paekoroki.tauranga.govt.nz. 

Ward, G. A. (21 March, 1914). "Old guns in redoubt". [Letter from Colonel G. Arnold Ward to the Town Clerk, Tauranga]. Collection of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, VF CCR. 

Function at The Elms

Function at The Elms, Collection of The Elms Foundation

This approximately 10 x 12 inch photograph was found a few years back in a box of loose images and documents at The Elms (Te Papa) in Tauranga, while things were being gathered from various storage areas in preparation for transfer to the Tauranga Heritage Collection storage facility. It is not named or attributed to a particular photographer but the location is immediately recognizable to me — the north lawn at The Elms. There is nothing particularly precious about the item but it has fascinated me for several years and various questions arise in my mind.

Exactly what was the occasion, when was it held and why? Who were these people - almost certainly exclusively women? What were they looking at or buying?

We may never know all these things for certain but I would like to put to you a scenario based on a few facts that I know regarding the residents of the property around that period. Please remember this is my supposition only.

I believe it may have been a garden fete held by my great-great-grandmother Euphemia Ballingal Maxwell and her spinster daughters Edith and Alice. They had lived at the Elms since 1887 and were reportedly keen on using the gardens for such events to raise money for charity. Written and photographic evidence shows that they helped support Dr Barnardo’s homes for orphans back in Great Britain, so it would seem reasonable to suggest that this may have been one of those charity fundraising events.

By the style of the hats seen it would seem to be around 1900-1910, and I would hazard a guess that they are items of hand- and machine-made sewing. I have heard that many and frequent sewing bees were held by the women of the Maxwell family as they were keen and skilled needlewomen.

This raises more questions in my mind today as I write. How were the women attending known to my relatives, was it through the church they attended? Or was it advertised in the Bay of Plenty Times? Was the kind person who erected the tent-like structure for shade a paid gardener, or the husband of one to the “committee”?

The possibilities are endless. I even imagine I can identify my great-great-grandmother sitting under the tree to the left of the crowd, chatting to one of her peers.

Mary Humphreys, Photographer: Part 5

A Plethora of Publishers (1907-1912)

In 1905 and 1906 several local and national firms had published postcards depicting Tauranga scenes, including a series of black-and-white and colour collotype cards depicting scenes photographed by Mary Humphreys. They were printed in Germany, published by local stationer T.S. Duncanson in early 1907 and appear to have sold well.

“Post Office, Tauranga”, postmarked 20 December 1907
Black-and-white collotype print, photographed by Mary Humphreys, unidentified publisher
Collection of Brian Ducker

Another series of Tauranga scenic postcards, this time printed in Berlin by monochrome collotype, were published in late 1907, of which two views are known – although there may be others as yet unidentified. We can be sure that at least one of them – a new view of the second Tauranga Post Office – was taken by Mary Humphreys, since she later published it as a real photo postcard under her own name.

Back of Berlin Series postcard by Mary Humphreys, published c. 1907
Image courtesy of Brian Ducker

Although the publisher is not identified, it is possible that they were published and sold by Duncanson’s competitor T.E. Wayte. An advertisement which Mary Humphreys inserted in October 1909 showing her readiness to execute orders for the Christmas season clearly indicated that she had business relationships with both stationers.[i]

“Strand, Tauranga”, c. 1906-1907
Black-and-white collotype print, attributed to Mary Humphreys, unidentified publisher
Collection of Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Ref. 04-246

The other was a view of The Strand looking north, the pavements in front of the shops and the balconies above full of people, and unusually there is not a horse or wheeled vehicle in sight.

“The Basin at Mount, Tauranga,” c. 1907, attributed to Mary Humphreys
Black-and-white collotype print, published by T.S. Duncanson, November 1908
Collection of Brian Ducker

In November 1908 Duncanson announced the arrival of yet another series of eight new Tauranga views.[ii] These were printed using the collotype process in black-and-white in England rather than Germany, probably as a result of British political pressure discouraging trade with Germany at around this time. “Harbour” was a reissue of number 103 in the A.G. Series, while the views of “First Avenue” and “The Spit & Mount” were also issued by Mary Humphreys as real photo postcards and exist as prints mounted in albums. It can probably be assumed that Mary took the photographs for all eight views.

Back of English Series postcard by Mary Humphreys, published November 1908 by T.S. Duncanson
Image courtesy of Justine Neal

English Series of postcards published by T.S. Duncanson, Tauranga, November 1908

The craze in postcards had by then gripped New Zealanders – the reduction in postage for a postcard from a penny to a half-penny in December 1907 helped to fuel the rising demand.[iii] That month the Sydney general post office was forced to suspend delivery of postcards due to the sheer volume received – half a million cards weighing almost two tonnes.[iv] In New Zealand a peak was reached in 1909 with over eight million cards sent through the post.[v] Throughout the country it was an opportunity which photographers and postcard publishers were keen to exploit, and Tauranga was no exception.

Souvenir of Tauranga, view of Tauranga waterfront from the Redoubt
Multi-view fold-out postcard “booklet” published by T.S. Duncanson, c. 1912
Collection of Justine Neal

Ten views of Tauranga on multi-view fold-out, black-and-white collotype printing

Back of “Souvenir of Tauranga” postcard, phototyped in Saxony (Germany)

Some local postcards were still being printed in Germany as late as 1912. Although we have no posted or dated examples to indicate when it was used, this fold-out collotype-printed multi-view issued by Thomas Duncanson could not have been produced prior to 1912, when the Coronation Fire Brigade Station was built. In December 1912 Duncanson announced, “a new series of post cards, picturesque Tauranga views.”  It includes at least one view – “Harbour South Tauranga” – published as a real photo postcard on Kodak Austral cardstock with Mary Humphreys’ characteristic lettering used for the title “Tauranga N.Z.” on the front (below). Another view – “Wharf and Strand” was published around the same time in FGR’s “Humphries Series” (see below), and was also likely her photograph. Some or all of the others may also have been taken by her, but definite attributions have yet to be made.

Women seated on foreshore, The Strand, Tauranga, c. 1910-1912
Photograph attributed to Mary Humphreys, printed on Kodak Austral cardstock
Collection of Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Ref. 04-574

Tauranga, photographed by Mary Humphreys, c. 1908-1914
Real photo postcard, published by F.G. Radcliffe as “Humphries Series” No 7
Tauranga Heritage Collection, Ref. 0112/09

Sometime around 1911 to 1914 several of Humphreys’ photographs were released as real photo postcards under the “F.G.R.” imprint of prolific publisher F.G. Radcliffe, who operated from premises in Auckland between 1909 and 1923. Radcliffe used a number of photographers around the country, and often titled a series with the photographer’s name.[vi] In Mary’s case he made a mistake in the spelling of her name, resulting in the “Humphries Series”, numbered from 1 to 13 (although only four of these have so far been found).

Wairoa River and Bridge, photographed by Mary Humphreys, before October 1901
Real photo postcard, published by F.G. Radcliffe as “Humphries Series” No 13
Collection of Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Ref. 03-048

No 13 in the series is her view of the Wairoa River and bridge previously published in the Weekly Press (1901) and as a collotype postcard by Duncanson (1907). Mention has already been made of No 4, while No 7 was a south-easterly view over downtown Tauranga, also published by Humphreys herself as one of a four-part panorama.

Back of “Humphries Series” No 13, published by F.G. Radcliffe, c. 1911-1914

Collotype printed postcards from abroad and half-tone local printings were well suited to general scenic views, but more topical subjects with perhaps more limited demand were better served by real photo postcards, which had better definition and quick turnaround times. Photographs could be taken of events, for example, and small numbers of prints produced from them and be ready for sale on shop counters within a matter of days. In the next article we will see how Humphreys ventured into that market on her own account.

References

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[i] Mary Humphreys, “Photographic Christmas Cards. Advertisement,” Bay of Plenty Times, October 11, 1909, Volume 38 Issue 5420 edition.

[ii] Thomas Sanderson Duncanson, “The Novelty Depot. ’Xmas Season, 1908. Advertisement,” Bay of Plenty Times, November 20, 1908, Volume 37 Issue 5285 edition.

[iii] “Untitled [Half-Penny Post Cards],” Bay of Plenty Times, December 16, 1907, Volume 36 Issue 5145 edition.

[iv] “Australian News. Sydney, Dec 28,” Bay of Plenty Times, December 30, 1907, Volume 36 Issue 5148 edition.

[v] Alan Jackson, “Early History of the Picture Postcard in New Zealand,” in Post Marks: The Way We Were - Early New Zealand Postcards, 1897-1922 (Auckland, New Zealand: Kowhai Media Ltd, 2015), pp15-21.

[vi] William Main and Alan Jackson, “Wish You Were Here”: The Story of New Zealand Postcards (New Zealand Postcard Society, 2005).

‘Fruit Brought Forth by the Sun’

Mr R. Henderson of Katikati packing tamarillos for export to Brisbane, July 1971
Image courtesy of the Gifford-Cross Collection, NZME, Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo, Pae Korokī Ref. gca-19469

When this recipe booklet fell from the pages of my mother’s Des Britton cookbook, I was delighted to discover that it was issued by several local fruit-growers’ associations.[i] At the top of the list of publishers was The Bay of Plenty Sub-tropical Fruits Association. Formed in May 1947, the group’s first resolution was to print precisely this kind of material in a bid to overcome what they saw as a major hindrance to the success of their enterprise - the consumer’s ‘ignorance’ of unfamiliar fruits.[ii]

 

‘Recipes: Sub-tropical and Citrus Fruits’ found in my mother’s 1970s cookbook
Images courtesy of Fiona Kean

Two months later, the first pamphlet featuring the tree tomato was ready for sale. Big things were expected of this ‘versatile fruit’ and in 1949 its production outstripped other sub-tropical varieties by a significant margin – 450 tons compared to 50 tons of passion fruit, 35 tons of Chinese gooseberries (kiwifruit) and 10 tons of feijoas.[iii] It was anticipated that 250 tons would be canned in Hastings the following season. Tree tomatoes grown in the Bay of Plenty were finally going places.[iv]

The historic Ōtūmoetai home, Maungawhare, circa 1900,
just a few years after this advertisement (below) was placed in the Bay of Plenty Times
Image courtesy of Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Pae Korokī Ref. 03-361

The first mention in the newspaper of a tree tomato growing in New Zealand was in May 1890 when the Waikato Times reported that Mr G. Mason of Claudelands Nursery was growing the ‘novelty’ from seed imported from Ceylon.[v] Two years later, papers were reporting plants for sale in Thames and in 1895 J. J. Bettelheim, a nurseryman and market gardener in Ōtūmoetai, Tauranga, was advertising for customers to inspect his tree tomato plants.[vi]

Astute readers will note that by the time my mother’s pamphlet was printed the fruit had undergone a re-brand and were sold as tamarillos. The new name was first suggested in 1966 by Mr W. Thomson the chairman of the Tree Tomato Advertising and Promotion Committee. It was officially adopted on April 4, 1967, at a ceremony held at Waitangi. Thomson explained the meaning:

“The first section of the composite name Tama, had been chosen as a compliment to New Zealand, the country of adoption. It also had historical significance, Tama being the commander of one of the early migratory canoes which brought the Maoris [sic] to New Zealand from Polynesia … The tree tomato was a native of Brazil and Peru. In these two countries the fruit is known as Paolo de tomate and tomate de arbol, which translated literally means tree tomato … we are endeavouring to get away from the association with the word tomato, but as a compliment to the countries of origin the final portion of this has been retained as Tillo. The letter T was replaced in Tillo make it easier to pronounce.”

Now is the perfect time to learn more about the tamarillo and fruit growing in our region, with the opening of the Western Bay Museum’s exhibition ‘The Food Bowl of Plenty’. To hear more about it, listen to museum manager Paula Gaelic on RNZ. Not to mention that tamarillo season has begun!

References

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[i] Best known in the 70s and 80s as a restaurateur and TV chief, Sir Des Britton was ordained an Anglican Priest in 1983 and served as the head of the Wellington City Mission from 1996 to 2011.

[ii] Calling themselves the ‘Small Sub-Tropical Fruits Association’ the later dropped the word ‘small’. Bay of Plenty Times, Vol. LXXV, Issue 14370, 21 May 1947, p.3.

[iii] Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue7139, 30 November 1949, p. 6.

[iv] Bay of Plenty Times, Vol. LXXVII, Issue 15068, 31 August 1949, p.2.

[v] Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2784, 17 May 1890, p. 2.

[vi] Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXI, Issue 3261, 6 May 1895, p.5.