Collection Stories

“Minutes of a meeting held 16 May 1877 in the Orderly Room [of the Armed Constabulary redoubt] at Cambridge for the purpose of forming a band. Fourteen gentlemen were present. Proposed by Mr Brennan and…

A concrete ‘bunker’ halfway down the ‘Buckland Track‘ in the Cambridge Domain and a large depression in the ground behind the old railway station, are all that remain – other than the stories of the…

The first game of bowls in Cambridge was probably played on Martin McDermott’s lawn in Queen Street in October 1898. In December 1899, the Domain Board gave the Club permission to play in the Domain…

The brewery in Brewery (now Empire) Street provided a service to the district for many years producing vats of pure amber beer and cordial. In the 1940s it was suggested as an air raid shelter…

Marianne Estelle BRIDER formerly THOMSON nee DAVIS Marianne Estelle was born in Bournemouth, England to James and Frances Anne Davis c1873 and came to New Zealand c1919. Marianne Estelle was the granddaughter of Rev Richard…

Samuel Howard was advertising his business ‘Cambridge House’ in Victoria Street, Cambridge in 1893. He advertised goods such as Men’s Colonial Tweed Suits for thirty shillings. Beaver Mole Trousers, 8s 9d. Fern Boots made specially…

Karapiro Creek Bridge The first Karapiro Creek Bridge, built by Mr Greville, was swept away in a flood in 1869. It was replaced in the same year by one built on a much higher level…

Traders and missionaries were the first Europeans to venture into the Waikato in the 1850s. After Cambridge was established in July 1864 general stores were set up on both sides of the Waikato River to…

In August 1906, a meeting of 20 gentlemen unanimously agreed that the forming of a social club should go ahead. This became the Cambridge Club with John Lundon as president, J A Hammond vice president,…