Updated: 12 December 2020
Website Owner: Dr. Kenneth M. Baker
info(at)ourhokianga.com
Website Owner: Dr. Kenneth M. Baker
info(at)ourhokianga.com
December 2020 - Recapitulation of Annual lunch where speaker Barry Jones presented an extensive display of
documents and memorabilia from his early days in Opononi and Waimamaku; New book published by Ken Baker
called Finding Joseph Bryers of the Hokianga – Early New Zealand Settler; New Manea Centre (“Footprints of Kupe”)
opening to take place on 9th December.
November 2020 - Annual lunch to be held at the Opononi Hotel, 21st November 2020; Lunch Speaker Barry Jones will
also have available copies of his books Opononi Memories 1938 –1951 and The Drewet Girls and Their Families; Bill
Keir will also have on sale his book Waimamaku Garage History; Cal for creation of a Collection of Dr. Smith Stories.
July 2020 - Post-Covid Newsletter - The Museum is open again from Tuesday 14th July; Farewell to Barbara Coulter who
passed away 13th March 2020; AGM to be held 30th August 2020 - nominations forms included with the Newsletter; The
amazing Waimamaku Garage Visit and Bill Keir's project to write the garage history; Pam Collins and Wai-Marie
Hadfield Te Paa join as volunteers; New Museum exhibit 28th Maori Battalion.
June 2020 - Special Newsletter featuring Congratulations to Alexa Whaley of Ōmāpere on the occasion of the award of
the Queen's Service Medal for services to historical research and heritage preservation.
February 2020 - Reports on Te Kamaka o Kahurangi Whina Cooper –unveiling of a statue of Dame Whina Cooper at
Waipuna Marae, Panguru, Hokianga, 3 February 2020; and Waitangi: Report on the 5th February 2020 the opening of
the 28th Maori Battalion museum – Te Rau Aroha and which features Military Cross recipient Captain Harding Waipuke
Leaf; upcoming Waimamaku Wild West Fest on 22nd February 2020.
December 2019 - Proposed visit to the Waimamaku Garage March 2020; Proposed excursion courtesy of the Ambler
family to the top of Piwakawaka, the highest hill between Waiotemarama and the Tasman Sea; Details of the end-of-year
talk by Dr. Aroha Harris based on family letters between Motukaraka/Mangamuka and Auckland in the 50s and 60s.
August 2019 - Account of the 2019 AGM - Elected Dawn Metcalfe, President; Sandy Clark, Vice President; Claire Kaahu
White, Secretary; Rita Hume, Treasurer; Raeone Dellaca, Museum Curator; Obiturary Grace Wilkinson responsible for
displays over many years; Annual Lunch (now dinner) 5.30 p.m. 16th Nov 2019 with speaker Aroha Harris; Upcoming
event - visit to the Aladdin's Cave of Waimamaku Garage; Progress on Opononi Sea Wall; Review of Dr Smith's "Medical
Advice from a Back Block Hospital".
June 2019 - Upcoming exhibition 'Fresh Look at the Dog Tax War' ; Kohukohu photographer Charlie Dawes ; Upcoming
exhibition in September 'Music in the Hokianga' ; Hokianga Historical Society AGM scheduled for 18 August 2019 -
nominations must be in before 11 August 2019 ; Christmas Lunch scheduled at Hokianga Hotel for 16 November 2019
with guest speaker Dr. Aroha Harris ; Account of Te Whakatupuranga o Mihi Kerenene - on 25 May over 100 people
gathered in brilliant sunshine in Rāwene to remember the passing of Jane Takotowi Clendon nee Cochrane and to
launch a book about her life by her great grandson Michael Browne and on sale at Museum for $22.
March 2019 - Museum to remain temporarily closed on Thursdays; Rae Dellaca appointed as Acting Curator for
Museum; New volunteers come forward - Rebecca Chou, John Browne, Kathryn Darby and Vivienne Davies; Two new
exhibitions staged - The 1918 Flue Epidemic and the 1893 Women's Franchise; Acquistion of the family files from Sister
Isabelle (Barbara Jean) Harding; Manea Footprints of Kupe project.
December 2018 - Review of 2018 events. Notice of talk by Ken Baker about his new book “The Obscure Heroes of
Liberty” describing the efforts of ordinary Belgian citizens in German occupied territory who helped New Zealand and
Allied soldiers in WW1 to escape
September 2017 - AGM outcomes - Heather Ayrton as Patron, Membership remains at $25 double/$15 single, Clare
White appointed Secretary; Christmas Lunch to be held at the Copthorne Hotel on the 25th November, reservations are
essential with Dawn Metcalfe at 09 405 8890 or the Museum at 09 405 8498, speaker to be Kevin Prime, Commissioner
with the Environment Court and of Ngati Hine, Ngati Whatua, Tainui and Welsh descent; Sandy Clark's report from her
first day as a volunteer at the Museum; Chairperson's (Dawn Metcalfe) Report to the AGM.
July 2017 - Preparations for AGM on 20th August 2017 including accompanying documents; creation of HHS Facebook
page; Christmas lunch scheduled 18 November 2017; All Saints Rawene WW1 Roll of Honour.
March/April 2017 - Easter Sunday Walk 15th April 2017 with guide Lorraine Parlane - Meet at the top of Pakia Hill;
Upcoming Events, June: Film Afternoon, Early Spring: Exploration of Motukaraka Church and Marae Complex,
November: Christmas Lunch; Request for Speakers; Account of Colin Quincey talk, Medal story; Request to identify
statuettes from Waiotemarama.
January 2017 - Report on Christmas lunch and presentations by Colin and Shaun Quincey; Preparations by Grace
Wilkinson and Ken Baker for th ANZAC April exhibition featuring the Hokianga part in the WW1 Maori Battalion; new
archival material of the ledgers and stock records of Robert Proctor's Taheke Store (1886-1910) presented by Sandra
and Colin Baker; Loma Morrison (nee Letts) presents Warwickshire figurines; Gary Clover and research on the pre-
1840 Wesleyan Mission; Hilda Field begins her memoirs at 94.
October 2016 - Colin Quincey to speak at pre-Christmas lunch (details); Robin Hoare talk on "rolling stock"; Visit from
Te One School, Chatham Islands; World War One exhibition evolving - memories of Roy Beazeley (1884-1969) and
Hokianga Hisotrical Society wreath laid at Passchendaele on 99th anniversary commemorations of 'New Zealand's
blackest day' on 12 October 1916.
September 2016 - Outcome of the AGM, President: Dawn Metcalfe; Vice president: Barbara Coulter; Secretary: Alexa
Whaley; Treasurer: Doug McKenzie; Curator: Donna Washbrook; Members (five): Diane Hunia, Elizabeth Barber Martin,
Denis Ryan, Claire White, Grace Wilkinson; Patron: Heather Ayrton; Review of showing of Tumanaco/Hope, film by Judy
Reinken; Looking for someone to organise the Annual Harbour Cruise; Anyone recall the name Tono ARAMA?
August 2016 - Details of AGM to be held Sunday, 28th August 2016, 2.00p.m. in the Omapere Church Centre, SH12,
Omapere; Review of Sunday afternoons in the Museum.
June 2016 - The Winter Programme; Sunday Afternoons in the Museum at 2p.m., 17 July 2016 - Speaker Doreen Beer
- Law and Life as a Rural Practioner, 21 August - Projection of the film Tumanako/Hope produced and shown by Judy
Reiken; 18 September 2016 - Robin Hoare talking about "The Thing by the Side of the Road at Kohukohu"; Christmas
Luncheon to be held on Saturday 19th November - speaker Colin Quincey; Improving signage & directions to the
Museum; Museum landscaping approved by Council; Commemoration of the Battle of the Somme 1916; Museum
preparing for the opening in April 2017 of the new trail "Wandering with the Ancestors" featuring the founding of the ship
Ventnor and its Chinese lading.
April 2016 - The "non-newsletter" - Robin Hoare, Rawene Member, gives an illustrated talk about Kohukohu's rusting
relic, the old rail wagon at the Kohukohu Fire Station at 2 pm on Sunday 17th April putting this relic in the context of many
types of vintage rolling stock – steam locomotives, ancient and modern trams, logging tramways – all Hokianga's history.
March 2016 - Northland Heritage presents Certificate of Appreciation to Alexa and Owen Whaley for “the collection,
curation and archiving of the history of the Hokianga”; John Klaricich describes the proposed 'Kupe Experience'; Diana
and Howarth Mountain donate to the Museum a numbered print of one of Eric Lee Johnson’s paintings; proposed visit to
the pa-site of Whiria on Easter Sunday, March 27; Peter Nash reviews Olive Harris' Both Sides of the River; HHS project,
a booklet to look at the effects World War I had on Hokianga; Death of Dawn Bridge who in 2003-4 contributed hugely to
re-writing the HHS constitution.
October 2015 - Details of Christmas Lunch (Saturday 21 November at Copthorne Hotel, Omapere) at which John
Klaricich will speak of plans to create the 'Kupe Experience' at Opononi; Details of planned Harbour Trip planned for 29th
December 2015, Evening Harbour Cruise 6th January 2016, exploratory coastal walk from Pakanae Cemetery to old
Nuhaka Mission site and whiri climb on Easter Saturday 26th march 2016; new book 'Both Sides of the River' by Olive
Harris available for sale.
August/September 2015 - AGM outcomes and Hiku Cherrington steps down as President after 11 years of excellent and
dynamic leadership and is replaced by Dawn Metcalfe nee Ambler; The Hokianga Museum & Archive Centre receives a
special Award in the 2015 Trust power Volunteers Awards and especially for its WWI programme and "for going above
and beyond to mark an important centenary”; campaign to collect historical photographs from the area where still in
private hands.
July 2015 - Sunday Afternoons in the Museum - Sister Anne to talk about St Isaacs at 2 pm on Sunday, 26th July and on
20th August, Dr Paul Bowker describes the Rawene Sailing Club’s ‘Mucking about on boats’; AGM details including the
nomination forms, for Saturday, 15th August 2015, 2.30
p.m. in the Hokianga Museum.
May 2015 - 2015 programme; Sunday Afternoons in the Museum; AGM plans; Farewell to Glyn Fell - and his
reminiscences on the Motukaraka Dairy Factory; Diaries of the Rev. H.A. Cochrane; Ventnor activities at the Museum.
February 2015 - Waitangi Day events; Waimamaku Wild West Fest 21st February featuring Waiotemarama District High
School; photos of early families from Wekaweks, Waimamaku and Waiotemarama; request for information on Utakura
School and Church Hall; availability of WW1 book by Ken Baker, Hokianga Remembers - Part 1 Belgium, North East
France and England by Ken Baker; Ching Ming for ancestros on the Ventnor on 11-12 April 2015.
documents and memorabilia from his early days in Opononi and Waimamaku; New book published by Ken Baker
called Finding Joseph Bryers of the Hokianga – Early New Zealand Settler; New Manea Centre (“Footprints of Kupe”)
opening to take place on 9th December.
November 2020 - Annual lunch to be held at the Opononi Hotel, 21st November 2020; Lunch Speaker Barry Jones will
also have available copies of his books Opononi Memories 1938 –1951 and The Drewet Girls and Their Families; Bill
Keir will also have on sale his book Waimamaku Garage History; Cal for creation of a Collection of Dr. Smith Stories.
July 2020 - Post-Covid Newsletter - The Museum is open again from Tuesday 14th July; Farewell to Barbara Coulter who
passed away 13th March 2020; AGM to be held 30th August 2020 - nominations forms included with the Newsletter; The
amazing Waimamaku Garage Visit and Bill Keir's project to write the garage history; Pam Collins and Wai-Marie
Hadfield Te Paa join as volunteers; New Museum exhibit 28th Maori Battalion.
June 2020 - Special Newsletter featuring Congratulations to Alexa Whaley of Ōmāpere on the occasion of the award of
the Queen's Service Medal for services to historical research and heritage preservation.
February 2020 - Reports on Te Kamaka o Kahurangi Whina Cooper –unveiling of a statue of Dame Whina Cooper at
Waipuna Marae, Panguru, Hokianga, 3 February 2020; and Waitangi: Report on the 5th February 2020 the opening of
the 28th Maori Battalion museum – Te Rau Aroha and which features Military Cross recipient Captain Harding Waipuke
Leaf; upcoming Waimamaku Wild West Fest on 22nd February 2020.
December 2019 - Proposed visit to the Waimamaku Garage March 2020; Proposed excursion courtesy of the Ambler
family to the top of Piwakawaka, the highest hill between Waiotemarama and the Tasman Sea; Details of the end-of-year
talk by Dr. Aroha Harris based on family letters between Motukaraka/Mangamuka and Auckland in the 50s and 60s.
August 2019 - Account of the 2019 AGM - Elected Dawn Metcalfe, President; Sandy Clark, Vice President; Claire Kaahu
White, Secretary; Rita Hume, Treasurer; Raeone Dellaca, Museum Curator; Obiturary Grace Wilkinson responsible for
displays over many years; Annual Lunch (now dinner) 5.30 p.m. 16th Nov 2019 with speaker Aroha Harris; Upcoming
event - visit to the Aladdin's Cave of Waimamaku Garage; Progress on Opononi Sea Wall; Review of Dr Smith's "Medical
Advice from a Back Block Hospital".
June 2019 - Upcoming exhibition 'Fresh Look at the Dog Tax War' ; Kohukohu photographer Charlie Dawes ; Upcoming
exhibition in September 'Music in the Hokianga' ; Hokianga Historical Society AGM scheduled for 18 August 2019 -
nominations must be in before 11 August 2019 ; Christmas Lunch scheduled at Hokianga Hotel for 16 November 2019
with guest speaker Dr. Aroha Harris ; Account of Te Whakatupuranga o Mihi Kerenene - on 25 May over 100 people
gathered in brilliant sunshine in Rāwene to remember the passing of Jane Takotowi Clendon nee Cochrane and to
launch a book about her life by her great grandson Michael Browne and on sale at Museum for $22.
March 2019 - Museum to remain temporarily closed on Thursdays; Rae Dellaca appointed as Acting Curator for
Museum; New volunteers come forward - Rebecca Chou, John Browne, Kathryn Darby and Vivienne Davies; Two new
exhibitions staged - The 1918 Flue Epidemic and the 1893 Women's Franchise; Acquistion of the family files from Sister
Isabelle (Barbara Jean) Harding; Manea Footprints of Kupe project.
December 2018 - Review of 2018 events. Notice of talk by Ken Baker about his new book “The Obscure Heroes of
Liberty” describing the efforts of ordinary Belgian citizens in German occupied territory who helped New Zealand and
Allied soldiers in WW1 to escape
September 2017 - AGM outcomes - Heather Ayrton as Patron, Membership remains at $25 double/$15 single, Clare
White appointed Secretary; Christmas Lunch to be held at the Copthorne Hotel on the 25th November, reservations are
essential with Dawn Metcalfe at 09 405 8890 or the Museum at 09 405 8498, speaker to be Kevin Prime, Commissioner
with the Environment Court and of Ngati Hine, Ngati Whatua, Tainui and Welsh descent; Sandy Clark's report from her
first day as a volunteer at the Museum; Chairperson's (Dawn Metcalfe) Report to the AGM.
July 2017 - Preparations for AGM on 20th August 2017 including accompanying documents; creation of HHS Facebook
page; Christmas lunch scheduled 18 November 2017; All Saints Rawene WW1 Roll of Honour.
March/April 2017 - Easter Sunday Walk 15th April 2017 with guide Lorraine Parlane - Meet at the top of Pakia Hill;
Upcoming Events, June: Film Afternoon, Early Spring: Exploration of Motukaraka Church and Marae Complex,
November: Christmas Lunch; Request for Speakers; Account of Colin Quincey talk, Medal story; Request to identify
statuettes from Waiotemarama.
January 2017 - Report on Christmas lunch and presentations by Colin and Shaun Quincey; Preparations by Grace
Wilkinson and Ken Baker for th ANZAC April exhibition featuring the Hokianga part in the WW1 Maori Battalion; new
archival material of the ledgers and stock records of Robert Proctor's Taheke Store (1886-1910) presented by Sandra
and Colin Baker; Loma Morrison (nee Letts) presents Warwickshire figurines; Gary Clover and research on the pre-
1840 Wesleyan Mission; Hilda Field begins her memoirs at 94.
October 2016 - Colin Quincey to speak at pre-Christmas lunch (details); Robin Hoare talk on "rolling stock"; Visit from
Te One School, Chatham Islands; World War One exhibition evolving - memories of Roy Beazeley (1884-1969) and
Hokianga Hisotrical Society wreath laid at Passchendaele on 99th anniversary commemorations of 'New Zealand's
blackest day' on 12 October 1916.
September 2016 - Outcome of the AGM, President: Dawn Metcalfe; Vice president: Barbara Coulter; Secretary: Alexa
Whaley; Treasurer: Doug McKenzie; Curator: Donna Washbrook; Members (five): Diane Hunia, Elizabeth Barber Martin,
Denis Ryan, Claire White, Grace Wilkinson; Patron: Heather Ayrton; Review of showing of Tumanaco/Hope, film by Judy
Reinken; Looking for someone to organise the Annual Harbour Cruise; Anyone recall the name Tono ARAMA?
August 2016 - Details of AGM to be held Sunday, 28th August 2016, 2.00p.m. in the Omapere Church Centre, SH12,
Omapere; Review of Sunday afternoons in the Museum.
June 2016 - The Winter Programme; Sunday Afternoons in the Museum at 2p.m., 17 July 2016 - Speaker Doreen Beer
- Law and Life as a Rural Practioner, 21 August - Projection of the film Tumanako/Hope produced and shown by Judy
Reiken; 18 September 2016 - Robin Hoare talking about "The Thing by the Side of the Road at Kohukohu"; Christmas
Luncheon to be held on Saturday 19th November - speaker Colin Quincey; Improving signage & directions to the
Museum; Museum landscaping approved by Council; Commemoration of the Battle of the Somme 1916; Museum
preparing for the opening in April 2017 of the new trail "Wandering with the Ancestors" featuring the founding of the ship
Ventnor and its Chinese lading.
April 2016 - The "non-newsletter" - Robin Hoare, Rawene Member, gives an illustrated talk about Kohukohu's rusting
relic, the old rail wagon at the Kohukohu Fire Station at 2 pm on Sunday 17th April putting this relic in the context of many
types of vintage rolling stock – steam locomotives, ancient and modern trams, logging tramways – all Hokianga's history.
March 2016 - Northland Heritage presents Certificate of Appreciation to Alexa and Owen Whaley for “the collection,
curation and archiving of the history of the Hokianga”; John Klaricich describes the proposed 'Kupe Experience'; Diana
and Howarth Mountain donate to the Museum a numbered print of one of Eric Lee Johnson’s paintings; proposed visit to
the pa-site of Whiria on Easter Sunday, March 27; Peter Nash reviews Olive Harris' Both Sides of the River; HHS project,
a booklet to look at the effects World War I had on Hokianga; Death of Dawn Bridge who in 2003-4 contributed hugely to
re-writing the HHS constitution.
October 2015 - Details of Christmas Lunch (Saturday 21 November at Copthorne Hotel, Omapere) at which John
Klaricich will speak of plans to create the 'Kupe Experience' at Opononi; Details of planned Harbour Trip planned for 29th
December 2015, Evening Harbour Cruise 6th January 2016, exploratory coastal walk from Pakanae Cemetery to old
Nuhaka Mission site and whiri climb on Easter Saturday 26th march 2016; new book 'Both Sides of the River' by Olive
Harris available for sale.
August/September 2015 - AGM outcomes and Hiku Cherrington steps down as President after 11 years of excellent and
dynamic leadership and is replaced by Dawn Metcalfe nee Ambler; The Hokianga Museum & Archive Centre receives a
special Award in the 2015 Trust power Volunteers Awards and especially for its WWI programme and "for going above
and beyond to mark an important centenary”; campaign to collect historical photographs from the area where still in
private hands.
July 2015 - Sunday Afternoons in the Museum - Sister Anne to talk about St Isaacs at 2 pm on Sunday, 26th July and on
20th August, Dr Paul Bowker describes the Rawene Sailing Club’s ‘Mucking about on boats’; AGM details including the
nomination forms, for Saturday, 15th August 2015, 2.30
p.m. in the Hokianga Museum.
May 2015 - 2015 programme; Sunday Afternoons in the Museum; AGM plans; Farewell to Glyn Fell - and his
reminiscences on the Motukaraka Dairy Factory; Diaries of the Rev. H.A. Cochrane; Ventnor activities at the Museum.
February 2015 - Waitangi Day events; Waimamaku Wild West Fest 21st February featuring Waiotemarama District High
School; photos of early families from Wekaweks, Waimamaku and Waiotemarama; request for information on Utakura
School and Church Hall; availability of WW1 book by Ken Baker, Hokianga Remembers - Part 1 Belgium, North East
France and England by Ken Baker; Ching Ming for ancestros on the Ventnor on 11-12 April 2015.
| Hokianga History and Memorabilia |