Ururoa, An Early Tauranga Visitor

 A tonne of ordnance crosses the Kaimai Range, 1832

Ururoa (the great white shark), also known as Rewharewha Te Koke, c. 1780–1861, was a prominent Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu, and Te Tahawai rangatira (chief) of Whangaroa. A close relative and brother-in-law to the renowned Ngāpuhi musket general Hongi Hika, Ururoa led many taua or fighting expeditions alongside him during the 1820s, and following Hongi’s death in 1827, cemented his role as a leading rangatira at Whangaroa.

The artillery general Ururoa or Rewharewha Te Koke. [1]

An enthusiastic artilleryman, Ururoa joined Titore Takiri’s grand amphibious artillery expedition against the Tauranga iwi in December 1831. Ururoa’s Whangaroa contingent arrived at the Bay of Islands in waka taua carrying 140 musket-armed warriors and four 12-pound carronades from the Boyd which had been attacked at Whangaroa in 1809. Their arrival boosted the number of Titore’s toa or fighting men to 600 and the number of cannon and short barrelled carronades to ten.

To revenge Ngāpuhi’s previous reversals at Tauranga, Titore Takire and his rangatira assembled ten artillery pieces for their 1832 campaign [2]

Accompanied on the little schooner Karere (Messenger) by the Rev. Henry Williams and fellow missionaries, who hoped to end the fighting, the expedition comprising 80 waka and Māori-owned cutters entered the Hauraki Gulf in January 1832. Here, Ururoa’s taua and Ngāti Maru allies ascended the Waihou River by waka and laid siege to the great fortress of the Ngāti Haua people and their paramount chief Te Waharoa at Matamata.

Rev. Henry Williams’ schooner Karere (Messenger) accompanying Ngāpuhi’s 1832 amphibious expedition. Stowed in the hulls of the waka taua and Māori-owned sailing boats, their artillery pieces and munitions served as ballast.[3]

 Despite subjecting the pā and its inhabitants to musket and artillery fire during a 2–3-week siege, Ururoa’s artillerymen were unable to create a breach in the palisades that would allow his allied infantry to storm the fortress. Following a surprise foray by Te Waharoa’s warriors, who captured some Ngāpuhi who were crucified on his palisades, Ururoa raised the siege.

Urgently needing to reinforce Titore’s main fleet, in February 1832, Ururoa set out to take his force of 200 musketeers and his artillery train directly over the Kaimai Range to Tauranga Harbour by means of the centuries-old Wairere track

Like Ururoa’s artillery expedition, trading and missionary parties struggled to negotiate the vast Mangapouri swamp that surrounded Matāmata Pā on three sides.[4]

When traversing the Mangapouri swamp between Matamata and the Waihou river below the Kaimai Range, Ururoa’s men dragged and floated the artillery pieces and their munitions across in small waka. Described by the travelling botanist J. C. Bidwill in 1841 as ‘of a custard like consistency and of a light brown colour’, any heavily loaded warrior straying from the column immediately sank to his armpits and could be extracted only with the assistance of his comrades.

 After emerging from the quagmire and crossing the fast-flowing Waihou River, the Ngāpuhi camped that night below the dark, bush clad Kaimai Range, which rose abruptly 1,510 feet to the summit of Mount Wairere. Nearby, the rain-swollen Wairere Stream, a glistening silver beacon which marked the entrance to the track, thundered down from the heights.

The Waihou River, Kaimai Range and Wairere Falls 
A notoriously difficult mountain crossing to this day, the Wairere Track climbs steeply on the right of the falls, from the Matamata Plain to a high summit plateau at 1200 feet, before descending to the Te Puna Peninsula on Tauranga Harbour [5]

Placing their precious carronades at the centre of the column, the following morning, Ururoa’s taua began the steep ascent to the summit plateau. The gun captains distributed men along the length of the single haul rope attached to each carronade and sled while others were tasked to heave on the sides and ends of the gun sleds as opportunity offered. There were gradients where the toa on the haul ropes bent double with the strain and preserved their balance only by supporting themselves on their hands and knees. The upper section of the track was most difficult for it was slippery due to clouds settling on the tops. Here, the gun teams could catch their breath only by securing the carronades to trees.

A 12-pound carronade from the plundered Boyd. [6]

Favoured by Māori predatory raiders like Ururoa, who referred to them as pū repo (great guns), early 19th-century British 12-pounder carronades were short, smoothbore cast-iron naval guns. Requiring a crew of four, they were used by artillery chiefs to fire single gunstones or quantities of round stones when iron cannon balls and grapeshot were unavailable. With each gun weighing between 290 and 318 kgs and each iron ball 12-pounds (5.4kg), in February 1832, Ururoa’s gunners hauled more than 1.000 kgs or one metric ton of ordinance over the Kaimai Range to Tauranga.

At last, the carronades were dragged over the shoulder of the peak to the summit plateau, where Ururoa’s taua camped the night beneath a canopy of tawa, rimu, miro and many softwoods. At first light the column commenced the day-long crossing of the summit plateau. The deeply rutted track was muddy and overgrown in many places, requiring the gunners to slide the gunsleds over or beneath fallen trees and struggle through thickets of head-high fern, the carronades crashing after them. 

A waka used by Ngāpuhi to haul cannonballs at Ruapekapeka Pā, Northland in 1845. Ururoa used similar waka to haul his carronades and munitions over the Kaimai Range in 1832.[7]

Proceeding down the range after camping overnight on the eastern edge of the plateau, the carronades were slid down the track. Precipitous drops on either side of the ridge required all the strength of the anchor men; and sure footedness, and constant use of hand holds by the brake men using shrubs and trees to retain control. On the steepest sections, the stern ropes of the gunsleds were passed around a tree and slowly played out as the gun slid downhill. When the stern rope was nearly played out, the bow haulers snubbed the guns to trees on either side of the track to secure them, while the brake men made their way down the ridge to repeat the process.

The lower track provided glimpses of Tauranga Harbour, the Bay of Plenty coast and Ongarahu village on the Te Puna Peninsula. The expedition soon found the track levelling off and the forest opening out. The gruelling six-mile descent ended where a tiny tributary of the Pārapāra Sream crossed their path amid bright afternoon sunshine and low fern covered hills.

On 7 March 1832, Titore Takiri and Ururoa’s fleet of 80 waka taua and sailing boats moved down the harbour to besiege and bombard the Ngāi Te Rangi hapū defending Otūmoetai Pā.[8]

Ururoa’s taua subsequently attacked and dispersed the inhabitants of Ōngarahu and elsewhere on the Te Puna peninsula before mounting the carronades in the bows of plundered waka. His little fleet of waka pū repo reunited with Titore Takiri’s grand fleet at Matakana Island on Tauranga Harbour on 6 March 1832.

 Rev. Henry Williams noted that Ururoa’s taua had already engaged the Ngāi Te Rangi people at Otūmoetai Pā ‘in four or five severe engagements. The most recent had occurred that very afternoon when several artillery rounds were exchanged. Ururoa’s gunners subsequently participated in the historic artillery sieges of Otūmoetai and Maungatapu Pā - extraordinary and unique events in the military history of New Zealand.

Sources

Bentley, Trevor, Tribal Guns and Tribal Gunners, Wilsonscott, Christchurch, 2013: 85-95.

Bentley, Trevor, Early Maritime Tauranga, Vol. 1. Kererū Books, Tauranga, 2025: 103, 188-189, 217,

Bidwill, John, Rambles in New Zealand, W. S. Orr & Co., London, 1841: 78-79.

Gudgeon, T. W; Reminiscences of the War in New Zealand, Southern Reprints, Papakura, New Zealand,

1986: 127.

Matheson, Alister, Wairere Track: Ancient Highway of Missionary and Māori, Publicity Printing, Tauranga, 1975: 10, 13, 21, 24, 75, 30-32, 189, 220.

Wade, William, A Journey in the Northern Islands of New Zealand, George Rolwegan, Hobart, 1852: 131-132.

Williams, Henry, The Early Journals of Henry Williams, 1826-1840, (L. M. Rogers ed.), Christchurch, Pegasus Press, 1961: 107, 110, 133, 148, 243, 251, 440-441,

Williams, William, Christianity Among the New Zealanders, Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, London, 1867: 158.

Woon, William, Reports from Select Committees on New Zealand, British Parliamentary Papers, Vol. XX, 1837-40, (680), 158.

Images

[1] Ururoa Rewharewha Te Koke (1780-1861), Wiki Tree, https://www.wikitree.com › wiki › Te_Koke-1

 [2] Titore Takiri, Sherrin, R. A. A.; Wallace, J. H.; edited by Thomson W. Leys. Early History of New Zealand: From Earliest Times to 1840. H. Brett, Auckland, 1890: 342.

 [3] Williams, Henry, ‘War canoes and Mission boats’ Sherrin and Lees, 1890: 150.

 [4] Williams, Henry, 1792-1867. [Williams, Henry] 1792-1867 ‘Passing through a swamp in New Zealand’. [London, Seelys, 1836]. Ref: PUBL-0031-1836-1. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

 [5] Merrett, Joseph Jenner, 1815-1854. [Merrett, Joseph Jenner] 1816-1854. View from the Banks of the Thames of the Fall of Wai Riri. Ref: PUBL-0076-090. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

 [6] Carronade, Carron Company; artillery maker(s); circa 1780; Scotland, cast iron. Dimensions Overall: 500mm (width), 350 mm (height), 1220 mm (length), 460kg (weight). Registration Number DM000143, Te Papa Tongarewa, National Library of New Zealand, Wellington.

 G[7] raham, David Henry, 1885-1965: Men alongside a waka used to sledge cannon balls at Ruapekapeka. Photographs of taonga Māori. Ref: 1/4-018228-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

 [8] Joseph Josenhans, ‘War Canoes’ in Illustrations of Missionary Scenes, An Offering to Youth, Mainz, Joseph Scholz, 1855. XII.

Why Are New Buildings Made to Look Historical?

An Exploration of Traditional Architecture in Modern Times

[Editor’s note: In August local architect Phil Green put forward to members of Tauranga Historical an illustrated talk on the above topic.  It was not a discussion of old buildings: it explored reasons why, despite having unlimited technological freedom, modern architects so often create new buildings intentionally designed to resemble historical architecture. Because of its relevance to heritage conservation debate generally, we offer a lightly edited version of it here.]

Two city-state skylines: Athens, above, and Singapore, below

As one of humanity's oldest forms of cultural expression, buildings tell stories about the societies that created them.  Even though computer modelling now allows architects to design forms that would have been impossible only decades ago, they still make use of historical references.

Reasons for this tradition can be found by examining its historical origins, the social influences and economic motivations that drive it, and developments in construction techniques.  The tradition also has its critics; its continued use carries some implications for the future.

Creating buildings that imitate earlier styles is not a modern phenomenon. Throughout history, architects have repeatedly looked backwards for inspiration. The Renaissance revived the architecture of Ancient Rome. The Gothic Revival movement of the nineteenth century brought medieval design back into fashion. The Greek Revival movement spread across Europe, New Zealand, Australia and North America, where government buildings were deliberately designed to resemble ancient Greek temples. These styles were not considered copies. Instead, they represented admiration for earlier civilisations while adapting them for contemporary society.

Today's historical-style developments continue this tradition. Architects have a wide repertoire of historical elements they can use:

• Stone or brick façades
• Symmetrical layouts and classical proportions
•  Columns, porticos, decorative cornices and arches
• Timber detailing and decorative ironwork
• Structural features like pitched roofs and traditional window arrangements.

Auckland Municipal Destructor and Depot (Former), Auckland. CC BY-SA 2.0
Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org | Joe Ross

https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/7664/Auckland-Municipal-Destructor-and-Depot-Former

Although these features can appear to be centuries old, most are manufactured using modern construction techniques. Behind the façade is usually reinforced concrete, structural steel, modern plumbing, elevators, air conditioning and sophisticated earthquake engineering. Therefore, these buildings are historically inspired rather than historically constructed.

One of the strongest arguments for historical architecture is its ability to preserve cultural identity. European cities attract millions of tourists because their streets possess architectural consistency developed over centuries. Many newer developments - including in colonised countries - imitate these environments because visitors associate traditional architecture with authenticity and culture. Some entire towns have been designed using historical styles specifically to attract tourism. Although these places may be relatively modern, visitors enjoy the atmosphere they create

Cuidad Cayala, Guatemala City [1]

When entirely modern buildings are inserted into historic districts, many people believe they interrupt this visual harmony. Architects are therefore asked to design sympathetic buildings that blend with their surroundings. This approach is especially common in heritage precincts where planning regulations require new developments to complement existing streetscapes. Rather than competing with historic landmarks, new buildings become part of a continuous architectural story.

British urban street: eighteenth, nineteenth and late twentieth-century styling

Numerous surveys have shown that the public often prefer traditional architecture to highly modern designs. Psychologists suggest that humans naturally appreciate buildings containing patterns, symmetry and ornament. Traditional buildings also tend to include features at human scale: visible windows, decorative entrances, textured materials, clearly defined roofs.

Glass towers, while impressive, can sometimes feel anonymous or intimidating. Traditional architecture often creates a greater sense of comfort and belonging. Supporters of today's revival architecture see it as continuing a tradition that has existed for thousands of years, and  argue that cities should prioritise beauty over novelty. If people enjoy traditional buildings more, architects should design environments people actually want to live in.

Suburban residential street in Poundbury, Dorset [2]

Financial considerations can play a major role. Historic-looking buildings often command higher property values. Luxury developments frequently incorporate classical architectural elements because they communicate permanence, stability and prestige. Hotels designed to resemble historic mansions often attract visitors seeking a distinctive experience. Retail developments may re-create historic streets because customers generally spend more time in visually attractive environments. Developers understand these preferences. If buyers prefer traditional homes, developers build traditional homes. Architecture therefore reflects market demand as much as artistic vision. For developers, architecture is therefore not only an aesthetic but also a commercial strategy.

Regent Street, Christchurch New Zealand.
Left to right: before the 2011 earthquakes; rebuilding; and re-completed.

Not everyone supports historical revival architecture. Critics argue that it imitates rather than innovates; that architecture should represent its own era, and that false historical appearance may confuse future generations.  Certainly, decorative features can increase construction costs. Many modernist architects believe “honesty in architecture” means expressing modern materials rather than disguising them. They argue steel should look like steel—not stone.

Another criticism of older architecture is that historic buildings are often inefficient. However, modern historical buildings usually combine traditional appearance with sustainable technology. Thermal, energy and water conservation measures mean architects no longer need to choose between beauty and sustainability. Modern engineering allows both.

Although historical buildings may appear handcrafted, today's construction methods are highly advanced. Technologies such as computer-aided design (CAD,) Building Information Modelling (BIM), laser-cut stone, 3D-printed mouldings, prefabricated wall systems, earthquake-resistant steel frames and fire-resistant materials dramatically reduce construction costs while maintaining historical appearance. A building that once required decades to complete can now be finished within a few years.

Artificial intelligence, robotics and digital fabrication are changing architecture rapidly. Future historical buildings that appear to be almost identical to buildings constructed centuries ago may be constructed using autonomous robots and 3D-printed stone. At the same time, architects continue searching for ways to balance innovation with cultural heritage. Rather than replacing history, modern architecture increasingly seeks to build upon it.

Centre for Performing Arts, downtown Vancouver, Canada

The growing popularity of new buildings designed to look historical reflects a desire to connect the past with the present. These buildings preserve cultural identity, satisfy public preferences, enhance tourism, and often provide economic benefits, while incorporating modern technologies that improve safety, comfort and sustainability. Although debate continues between supporters of modernism and advocates of traditional design, historical-inspired architecture demonstrates that progress does not necessarily require abandoning the past.

Instead, architects are finding ways to combine centuries of architectural knowledge with contemporary engineering, creating buildings that honour history while serving the needs of modern society. However, historical significance is not always determined by architectural excellence alone. Sometimes ordinary buildings become treasured because of the stories they hold. Schools, community centres, workplaces, and homes can all gain historical value when they become connected to important evens, cultural movements, or shared memories. Heritage is a much about people as it is buildings.

Looking further ahead, future generations may even preserve examples of modular housing, adaptive reuse projects, and resilient structures designed to cope with rising sea levels and changing climates. These buildings may tell the story of how communities responded to some of the greatest challenges of our era. 

Left: Neoclassical futurism, designed by Tim Fu [3]. Right: A biophilic city, designed for construction by 3D robots [4]

Ultimately, the architecture that becomes historic will be the architecture that best represents who we were. It will reflect our innovations, our struggles, our successes, and our vision for the future. As architects, planners, builders, and citizens, we have a responsibility to consider not only what we build today, but what legacy we leave for tomorrow. The historical architecture of the future is already being designed, constructed, and lived in around us. The buildings we create today are not merely structures of the present – they are the heritage of future generations.

Image credits

All images except the photo of the Auckland Municipal Destructor and Depot were sourced by Phil Green.

References and captions

These were contributed by the editor.

 [1] For further discussion, see https://www.archdaily.com/1034953/the-cayala-paradox-how-are-private-districts-shaping-public-space-design-in-guatemala

[2] For further information, see https://poundbury.co.uk/

[3] An exponent of architectural practice using artificial intelligence: see https://www.timfu.com/tim

[4] for a practical example of a biophilic structure within an existing city, see https://journalofbiophilicdesign.com/journal-of-biophilic-design/rotterdam-rocks-a-new-biophilic-landmark-for-rotterdam

Blame it on the demon drink

A crazy night of lighting fires that led to three years in gaol for George Victor Clark did not discourage Ethel Appleton from marrying him in 1927 [1]. He was the son of Elizabeth and John Angus Clark, a mining agent, of Tauranga. His father died when the boy was fourteen and George became a cabinetmaker, then joined the Wellington Infantry Regiment in 1917 where he became a machine gunner.

Wall of Le Quesnoy, scaled by NZ soldiers in October 1918.
Photo: Barry Arabin, private collection; 2003.

George Clark served in the battle to liberate the French citizens in the town of Le Quesnoy, one of the last engagements by New Zealanders in World War One [2]. The German army occupied Le Quesnoy but the town could not be attacked by artillery as there were so many French civilians living there.  It is a walled town in a star-shaped fortress, one of many that Vauban, Louis XIV of France’s military engineer, had designed and built throughout France over 250 years before the Great War. This stalemate meant that Lieutenant Averell led his New Zealand troops up a ladder and over the town wall to liberate Le Quesnoy.

By 1919 George was back cabinetmaking in Tauranga and living with his mother in Edgecumbe Street.  His brother Harold also lived at the same address. 

Towards the end of November 1922, after a day of drinking in hotels in Tauranga, George Victor Clark lit a fire in Tanner Brothers’ Butchery, that was put out by a passing man before the fire brigade arrived. His second fire was lit in Peter Munro’s premises. He then lit some rubbish at the Opera House and also at Whittaker’s, a café. He gathered up some flammable materials and set a fire under the floor of A E Hammond’s timber yard in Willow Street. This fire was extinguished by the Fire Brigade.

A E Hammond's timber yard, Tauranga 1900s. 

Image: Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 99-1140

Constable Skinner arrested Clark who duly appeared before the Magistrates’ Court on a charge of arson, from where he was remanded to the Supreme Court. He wished to make a clean breast of his offences and make a fresh start.  His explanation was that he had been to the pictures then went to his workshop from where he took a box of paper and rubbish, but did not know why. No one had offered him an inducement and the liquor had affected his head: he had been drinking beer in the Tauranga, the Masonic and the Commercial Hotels all afternoon. Witnesses claimed that he was in a dazed condition watching the fires. The Supreme Court sentenced him to three years reformative detention [3].

Fire engine outside Tauranga Fire Station, Durham Street, c. 1927

Image: Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 99-738

This sentence had been established by the Crimes Amendment Act 1910 and was used heavily through the 1920s. Judges could sentence offenders to indeterminate periods of detention for up to 10 years, rather than a fixed term of punitive hard labour. The aim was rehabilitation and individualised treatment of each prisoner [4].

Although many returned servicemen suffered poor mental health on return home due to injury or illness during the War, no witness at Clark’s trial offered this explanation for his misbehaviour. Shell shock or, as we know it now, PTSD, was not always apparent. Clark had a home and work to return to, in contrast to some of the men who found settling down difficult after such a frightening and disturbing period of their lives. There had been a strong support of temperance at the time of the War. Drinking was seen as the driver of poverty, crime and ill health. At the liquor referendum of 1919 it was expected that prohibition would win but the vote of the returning soldiers for continuance saved the status quo.  However, a decision concerning Clark’s behaviour on that critical November day cannot assume any of these factors to be its cause.

A Half-Century of Progress in Fire Fighting:
Interesting Pictures from Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, North Island [5]
Image: Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19280621-44-01

Upon release George Clark returned to his trade as a cabinetmaker, and married, and had four children. Newspapers of the day and the Police Gazette have not recorded any further crimes.  The family had moved to Auckland by 1943 where he worked as a carpenter, and later a caretaker.  He died in 1961.

References

[1] Marriage index, Births, Deaths, Marriages & Citizenship, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.

[2] Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database.

[3] Bay of Plenty Times, 21 November 1922.

[4] McLintock, A. H., 1966: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, Early Reforms https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/penal-system/page-2  (accessed 30 July 2026)

[5] Supplement, Auckland Weekly News, 21 June 1928. The full text of the caption reads ”The photographs show the members and equipment of the volunteer fire brigade fifty years ago and at the present time. In the old picture the Captain is Mr D. Asher, who was a member of the Auckland Fire Brigade prior to this. The old engine was used in Auckland before being shipped to Tauranga. It was sent to the scrap heap at Whakatane quite recently.  – R. J. Rendell”

Movie Memories

 After attending the Tauranga Historical Society’s October meeting, where Brian Ducker gave an entertaining and illuminating presentation on fan mail sent by New Zealanders to Hollywood stars in the early to mid-twentieth century, and hearing the questions it prompted from fellow attendees, I found myself delving into Tauranga Museum’s collection to discover what it might reveal about the region’s own film history.

Among the collection’s treasures are more than two hundred and fifty movie posters spanning the 1930s to the 1970s. The films represented include Crime Over London (1936), Nothing Sacred (1937), Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950), Dr No (1962), The Sound of Music (1965), Planet of the Apes (1968), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

Just two of the more than 250 movie posters in the Tauranga Museum collection, ranging from Crime Over London (1936) to The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Collection of Tauranga Museum (0051/11, 0723/10).

These posters come from local cinemas and illustrate a time when moviegoing was a very popular form of entertainment in the Western Bay of Plenty. At least six theatres operated in the district, including the Regent, Town Hall and Odeon theatres in Tauranga, the Plaza Picture Theatre in Katikati (originally known as “Everybody’s Theatre”), the Capitol Theatre in Te Puke, and the Regent Theatre on Victoria Road, Mount Maunganui. Originally built as a dance hall in the 1920s, the theatre was first known as Arcadia Hall before being converted into a cinema.

Plaza Picture Theatre in Katikati circa late 1940s. Image courtesy of Western Bay District Library.

Like fan mail, movie posters have become highly collectable, though for different reasons. Created to promote films in cinema lobbies, they were never intended for public sale. Their scarcity, artistic value, and nostalgic appeal are among the reasons they are so sought after today. The collection also includes other forms of film advertising, such as lobby cards and smaller window cards, which were used to promote films both inside and outside cinemas.

A window card advertising Wonder Man (1945) and a lobby card for Serpico (1973), starring Al Pacino. Collection of Tauranga Museum (0179/11/1, 0128/09).

While these posters are eye-catching, the programme posters produced for theatres such as the Regent and Town Hall offer the clearest glimpse into the cinema-going experience of the day, revealing the sheer number and variety of films available to audiences. 

A programme of films showing at the Regent Theatre and Town Hall, Tauranga, in August 1934. The two theatres operated as Tauranga Theatres Ltd. and were part of the Robert Kerridge theatre empire. Collection of Tauranga Museum (0001/21).

Together, these posters and programmes do more than advertise films. They preserve memories of nights at the pictures, of theatres that have long since disappeared, and of a time when the arrival of the latest Hollywood production was an event anticipated by communities across the Western Bay of Plenty.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Brian Ducker for sharing his wonderful collection of stamps, envelopes, letters and postcards.  A philatelist collects and studies stamps and postal history; a deltologist collects and studies postcards.

Library buildings in central Tauranga

From Tauranga City Library’s archives

A monthly blog about interesting items in our collection.

Later this month the new Tauranga Library and Community Hub opens at Te Manawataki o Te Papa, Willow Street. It occupies the site of the Civic Centre that housed the library from 1989 to 2022, and is next to the site where the library had been (mostly) housed from 1930 to 1988.

Prior to that the Library was in the Mechanics' Institute building on the corner of Harington Street and Willow Street. Tauranga Borough Council took over the management of the Library from the Institute in 1906.

This was the second Institute on the site. The first, built in 1872 and extended in 1878, was lost to the big North End fire in 1881. Fortunately it was insured, so a replacement was constructed that same year. A room in the old Government Buildings in Willow Street was used as a temporary location while reconstruction proceeded (not the building in the background of the first photo - it went up in 1906).

Before the first reading room was completed the Institute's collection, developed in 1871, was held in a spare room of James Bodell's home in Cameron Road.

Here is a selection of images from our collections of these past Library buildings.

Tauranga Public Library and Mechanics Institute, Harington Street, built 1881), in the right foreground, probably about 1907.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 03-235

F.H.Hammond's bakery and grocer's shop on the south west corner of Willow Street and Hamilton Street, Tauranga. Subsequently used by Bond & Bond, it later housed the Children's Library before being pulled down in 1970 to make way for the 'new' Tauranga City Council Administration building.

Photo c 1915. Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 99-1145

In 1930 an Art Deco style building was erected on Willow Street next to the Town Hall. It housed the Public Library upstairs and the borough's electricity department downstairs. c.1940s.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 01-549

Tauranga Public Library, still only in the upstairs part of the Willow Street building, and looking crowded, 1959.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 06-306

Children watch magic tricks performed by magician G. A. Hansen, at the Tauranga Children's Library, now upstairs in the Art Deco building. Published 31 August 1974.

Tauranga City Libraries Photo gcc-24906

Tauranga Public Library's Newspaper Room, Tauranga Town Hall 1987. The Library's Archives collection was also in the Town Hall.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 06-351

Shelf tidying the downstairs collections in Tauranga Public Library's 1930 building was a cramped task, 1988.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 07-103

Tauranga Public Library, the 1930 Willow St building pre-demolition in November 1988.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 99-1015

In 1987 Tauranga Round Table members erected a relocatable building on Hamilton Street as short-term accommodation for the children's section of Tauranga Libraries. This photo shows library staff moving boxes of books from the Children's Library into "The White House".

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 07-040

The new Civic block upon completion, in the Bay of Plenty Times of 27 July, 1989.

From: 100 years of local library - Tauranga Central Library.

Photograph of the same corner site as above, after an extra floor was added in 2006-07. The Library spread into more of the rear portion of the building. [In 2015 retiree Rodney Giddens undertook to provide a photographic record from the roadside of Tauranga’s CBD].

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 15-449

The Devonport Road entrance to He Puna Mānawa. Tauranga Library moved into the former Goddard's Arcade in early 2022 while the Willow Street building was demolished and construction began of the new Tauranga Library and Community Hub, to open on 16 October 2026.

The library network in Tauranga

Sources:

Pae Korokī links:

Tauranga 1882 - 1982 / edited by A. C. Bellamy. [Tauranga] : Tauranga City Council, 1982.

Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, 1871- (Organisation)

A detailed timeline of the library service in Tauranga, from 1867 onward.

100 years of local library - Tauranga Central Library.

The library network in Tauranga.

Te Ao Marama - Tauranga City Libraries moments in history.