Articles
Shipwreck 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
In 1905, the murder of Joe Kum Yung in Wellington’s Haining Street exposed an underlying racism in New Zealand. Joe Kum Yung was born in Poonyu County, Canton in 1837. He arrived in New Zealand in…
Read MoreThe ‘Forlorn Hope’ at the Battle of Rangiriri 20 November 1863
Earlier this year (March 2025), the Cambridge News featured a deserving tribute to Ensign Dugald MacColl of the 3rd Waikato Regiment (Militia) who is reputed to be just the third person interred in the Hautapu…
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…
Read MoreJack Silcock – Prisoner of War, part II
In October 2023 we printed the first part of an article based on a memoir written by Jack Silcock of Cambridge. Soon after his marriage to Lola, he was serving in a medical unit in…
Read MoreJack Silcock – Prisoner of War
Jack and Lola Silcock Jack and Lola Silcock moved to Cambridge in 1958 when Jack was appointed Principal at Leamington Primary School. They spent the rest of their lives here. Lola was a Life Member…
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