Friends of Ōtamataha Pā Mission Cemetery

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

Collection Highlight – Reverend Brown’s Top Hat

Imagine arriving in New Zealand in 1829 after months at sea. Among your most prized possessions is a black top hat from London, carefully packed for the journey to a new and unfamiliar land.

Few objects in The Elms collection are as instantly recognisable as Reverend Alfred Brown’s top hat.

Today it may appear simply as a formal item of nineteenth-century clothing, but this hat accompanied Archdeacon Brown through some of the most significant chapters of Tauranga’s early history. Whether travelling on horseback, meeting with Māori communities, conducting church services, or carrying out the daily responsibilities of mission life, the top hat would have been a familiar part of his public appearance.

Made in London, the hat reflects the customs and expectations of Victorian society, where dress conveyed status, respectability and professional standing. Its original leather travelling case, also pictured here, reminds us that life in early New Zealand often involved long and challenging journeys. Unlike today, clothing and personal possessions were expected to endure years of regular use and careful maintenance.

More than a fashion accessory, this top hat offers a tangible connection to the man whose vision and determination helped shape The Elms and the wider Tauranga community. It allows us to imagine Alfred Brown not simply as a historical figure, but as a person who walked these grounds, welcomed visitors to this house, and carried out his work in a rapidly changing world.

Photo by Amanda Aitken Photography.

07/08/2026

02/08/2026

The D-Day landing beaches in Normandy, France have been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

These shores witnessed one of the most pivotal moments of the Second World War, where thousands of Allied service personnel came ashore on 6 June 1944.

This designation is especially meaningful because Normandy is home to many of our cemeteries and memorials. This latest inscription also follows UNESCO’s 2023 recognition of 51 of our cemeteries and memorials across France and Belgium, which commemorate those that fell in the First World War.

📷Ryes War Cemetery, Bazenville, Normandy, France

28/07/2026

"The graveyard became a burial ground for about 100 imperial and colonial troops as well as 14 Maori warriors who died while on active service in the Tauranga district during the New Zealand Wars,” says Ben.

"Some of the graves include those who fell during the battles at Pukehinahina (Gate Pa) and Te Ranga in 1864, and – in later years – casualties of other skirmishes at Te Irirangi and Whakamarama. In time it also became known as the Old Military Cemetery, reflecting its role as a military burial ground.”

Other graves include soldiers who died from dysentery and typhoid at Camp Te Papa between 1864 and 1876.

Celebrating cemeteries week

27/07/2026

"A framed oil painting of Taumata Kahawai, Tauranga, the area of land at the northern end of the Te Papa peninsula. The artist appears to have been located by the Monmouth Redoubt and looking towards the Mission Cemetery and Mauao, Mount Maunganui. A stamp on the back of the canvas shows that the canvas was made by Winsor and Newton." - Tauranga Heritage Collection.

A framed oil painting of Taumata Kahawai, Tauranga, the area of land at the northern end of the Te Papa peninsula. The artist appears to have been located by the Monmouth Redoubt and looking towards the Mission Cemetery and Mauao, Mount Maunganui. A stamp on the back of the canvas shows that the can...

27/07/2026

Ōtamataha Pā Mission Cemetery. Image Credit: Debbie McCauley, Author (28 June 2026).