From Tauranga City Library’s archives
A monthly blog about interesting items in our collection
It has been wonderful to welcome 1000+ Elms Foundation Archive items into the climate-controlled archives of Tauranga City Libraries, and to make information about these precious taonga searchable on Pae Korokī.
Some of these documents of national significance used to live in the now demolished library building at Willow Street, but when leaks were discovered in 2017, the collection was transferred to Tauranga Heritage Collection. After several years of safekeeping, they have returned to the Libraries purpose-built facility.
 |
| Andrew Gregg and Elisha Rolleston |
Andrew Gregg, The Elms Foundation General Manager, and Elisha Rolleston, Mātanga Taonga Tuku Iho Māori, with the Heritage and Research Team of Tauranga City Libraries, discuss the significance of the collection and talk about some treasures within it in two short videos.
The original handwritten land deed for the Te Papa block covering more than 1,000 acres of land from the mission station to Pukehinahina/Gate Pā, Andrew notes “cemented a relationship between the Church Missionary Society and tangata whenua in 1838-39. This document represents a commitment to shared guardianship of the land in the heart of Tauranga city.”
 |
| Page 1 of the deed - The Elms Foundation Archives 2008.0002 |
Also now available to read online are Māori Baptism records Reverend Brown kept for Matamata and Tauranga between 1838 and 1862, and his rough copy journals from March 1835 to April 1850 – turn the pages and develop your skills at interpreting cursive handwriting.
 |
| Rough Copy journal about to be opened |
Over time, more information and images from the collection will be added to Pae Korokī , complementing the previous collaboration that made digital copies of the The Elms Foundation Image Collection available online. Appointments to view the Archives collection items in person can be made by emailing: research@tauranga.govt.nz
These archival items have been digitised and added to Pae Korokī. For more information about other items in our collection, visit Pae Korokī or email the Heritage & Research Team: research@tauranga.govt.nz
Written by Kate Charteris, Heritage Specialist at Tauranga City Library.
