Explore
Listen to “Popular Jocular Doctor Brown” and other hits!
Despite so many innovations in sound recordings, records and record players have never really gone away. And this recent addition to our collection helps to explain why. Cameron Knapp, the donor of this handsome La…
Read MoreThe stories not always seen
By Elizabeth Harvey, with thanks to Raewyn Nordstrom In early May, Friends of the Museum gathered beneath the autumn trees for a guided walk through Hautapu Cemetery. Led by local historian Lyn Williams, The…
Read MoreRitchie Pickett – Fearless in Fashion
This article is based on Andrew Johnstone’s interviews with musician/music entrepreneur Grant Hislop and Ritchie’s sister Penny who volunteers for the Cambridge Museum. Please contact us if you wish to hear these interviews in full.…
Read MoreThe hero behind the street name, Donald Lane
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 MoreSPND: From Timber Mills to Cambridge Landmarks
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 More