From Tauranga City Library’s archives
A monthly blog about interesting items in our collection
Captain Don Robert Munro’s hand-written memoirs, a treasure trove of maritime adventures, contribute to the preservation of his legacy. From basic square riggers to witnessing the advent of satellite navigation systems, his memoirs stand as a chronicle of seafaring technology over the decades.
 |
| Tauranga City Libraries - Ams 309/1 |
Born in 1903 to a farming family in Hāwera, at age 11 his father introduced him to R.H. Dana’s “Two Years Before The Mast”, igniting a passion for the sea. His seafaring journey began in 1922 as a 17-year-old deck boy on the three-masted topsail schooner, the “Zingara”. This was his initiation into a lifelong commitment to the unpredictable expanses of the world’s oceans. His baptism by fire occurred in 1924 during his maiden voyage around Cape Horn aboard the four-masted steel barque “Lawhill”.
 |
| Lawhill. State Library of Victoria, Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11828136 |
Munro’s maritime narrative continued with subsequent voyages aboard various vessels. After serving during World War II as the Captain of the tugboat “Terawhiti”, Munro transitioned to commercial fishing out of Tauranga in the post-war years. Mount Maunganui became his beloved home. As captivating is this life story sounds, it’s merely a glimpse into the vast seas of his memoirs.
 |
Photo of Don Robert Munro (Captain) in Cape Horn Rig, 1988. |
One of Munro’s most significant contributions was his involvement with the International Association of Cape Horners. As the inaugural President of the New Zealand section in 1973, he played a pivotal role in fostering camaraderie among sailors who had faced the rigours of Cape Horn - in a sailing ship and while enduring a nonstop 3000-mile voyage. His commitment went beyond organisational duties; upon learning of a Cape Horner arriving or departing, the Cape Horner flag would proudly flutter from his Pilot Bay home. Our archives contain numerous condolence letters from diverse sections of the International Association of Cape Horners following Munro’s passing in 1995, a testament to his enduring legacy.
 |
| Condolences from the Danish section of the Amicale Internationale Des Capitanes Au Long Cours Cap Horniers. Handwritten on the back of a A.I.C.H St Malo postcard, 7 Aug 1995. Tauranga City Libraries Ams 309/2/1 |
Sources:
Avery, M. (1995, August 19). Skilful skipper a seafaring gentleman. Bay of Plenty Times.
Henderson, M. (1996, September). Captain Donald Robert Munro. New Zealand Company of Master Mariners Auckland Branch Newsletter.
Tauranga City Libraries.(1990) Capt D. Munro interviewed by Jinty Rorke[Video]. Pae Koroki. https://paekoroki.tauranga.govt.nz/nodes/view/66051
These archival items are on our schedule for digitisation to be 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
