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The Life and Times of Bert Simpson
An excerpt from an autobiography written in Tauranga in 1996 by Bertie Simpson. His parents were Taotaoroa farmers William and Julia Simpson who were involved in the Duke of Cambridge Lodge and the Methodist Church…
Read MoreYou are not forgotten
WWII soldiers in Europe and the Middle East had to suffer periods of tedium when mail was eagerly awaited. Swapping stories, memories, references to common acquaintances, and looking forward to the future kept their thoughts…
Read MoreCharlie Smale and Florence Wright
Jan Kilham, a member of the Cambridge Historical Society, was inspired to share this touching story after reading about Dr Stapley in the Society’s newsletter of March 2022. I found the stories of the first…
Read MorePostcards from the War
During World War One, Keith, Harry and Kenneth Armer sent postcards to their loved ones back home. Silk embroidered postcards were popular at the time. They wrote about their lives as soldiers and imagined…
Read MoreThe First Cars of Cambridge
The following is an abridged transcript of a talk given to the Cambridge Historical Society by Neville Souter, aged 70, in September 1969. His grandfather, Captain William Burns Souter founded the firm of W Souter…
Read MoreThe Ballad of Robert Barlow
According to an entry in the Cambridge Police Charge Book, Robert Barlow, alias Tanete, was imprisoned at 4pm on 8 February 1871 “for stealing from a ‘whare’ at Maungatautari certain articles of clothing also a…
Read MoreRā Maumahara New Zealand Land Wars Commemorations
TE PŪTAKE O TE RIRI, HE RĀ MAUMAHARA The flags lining Cambridge’s main streets mark a national day of remembrance – held on 28 October -when we to acknowledge the lives lost during the…
Read MoreLetter to Kenny from “Nui”
We do not have the full name of the writer of this excerpt from a letter to Kenny Wilkinson dated 27 May 1958. “Nui” is talking about the Karapiro stream which runs under the Karapiro…
Read MoreRobert Boyce – Pharmacist
The Boyce family go back a long way in Cambridge. Robert’s grandparents Charles and Sarah Boyce (pictured) arrived in Cambridge in 1874. Charles worked as a cooper (barrel maker) for Hally’s Brewery, later setting up…
Read MoreThe Datsuns
Can you believe that this Cambridge band has now been around for over 20 years? This year they released their seventh album, reminding us why this band has survived for so long. They’ve been described…
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