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The Hero behind the Street Name
Tucked away just opposite the entrance to Resthaven Retirement Village, is a quiet cul-de-sac called Donald Lane. Who was Donald and why was a street named after him? The answers can be found in the…
Read MoreFrom Timber Mills to Landmarks: The Story of SPND in Cambridge
Explore the history of Speight Pearce Nicoll & Davys, the local builders whose work from 1908 onward helped shape Cambridge’s homes, businesses, and streetscapes.
Read MoreShipwreck Secrets Uncovered
Maritime archaeologist Matthew Gainsford gave a talk to a gathering of Friends of Cambridge Museum and U3A that took us on the final voyage of the HMS Buffalo. The vessel, once a timber carrier, quarantine and immigrant ship, now lies wrecked 50 m off the coast of Whitianga. Thanks to an expert team including Gainsford, Dr Kurt Bennet, Rebecca Cox and Ngāti Hei iwi, her story is being rewritten.
Read MoreLooking Back at Te Koutu / Lake Te Koo Utu
Lake Te Koo Utu (formerly called Te Koutu) is one of Cambridge’s most loved green spaces and its history is layered with stories of flourishing Māori communities, followed by town community effort, vision, and a fair bit of hard work. In the 1950s, a dedicated group of locals rolled up their sleeves to improve the lake and its surroundings. Their efforts, ranging from road building and planting projects to ambitious fundraising drives, left a lasting mark on the park we know today.
Read MoreThe Tragedy of Joe Kum Yung
The Tragedy of Joe Kum Yung, offers a powerful reminder that personal histories, whether preserved or discovered, help us understand the wider forces that have shaped New Zealand.
Read MoreThe ‘Forlorn Hope’ at the Battle of Rangiriri 20 November 1863
The family history of Thomas Wells (1842–1910), local merchant and mayor of Cambridge.
Read MoreWho was “the Duchess” of Cambridge?
Image: Left – Stuart Newall’s house and former Post Office. Centre – Wesleyan Chapel. Right – the rear of the Duke of Cambridge Hotel. Background Pukekura and Maungatautari Part 1 – A question New Zealand…
Read MoreOf Spitfires and Cock Pheasants
Flight Lieutenant E. P. ‘Hawkeye’ Wells In the cockpit of the Subscription Spitfire, ‘Waikato’. Donations from the provinces of New Zealand in 1941 supported the purchase of new Mk V cannon-firing Spitfires for No. 485…
Read MoreTop gear all the way
When Ken Wilkinson of Cambridge broke the record for the fastest road trip between Auckland and Wellington in 1931, his time included stops for food, petrol, trains and mobs of sheep and cattle. No mention…
Read MoreTwo Cambridge icons: a suit of armour and Tui Carter
The suit of armour at the front entrance of the antique shop in the Veale Building represented the height of the antique trade in Cambridge in the 1970s. Behind the towering suit of armour was…
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