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…

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…

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…

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…

You will have seen the press report on “The Dead Tell Tales” when historian Lyn Williams took us through the Hautapu Cemetery telling us of the lives of some of Cambridge’s hard-working, notable and/or colourful…

A Tribute to the Cambridge Independent. This is part two of a two-part story written by Cambridge Historical Society committee member Carole Hughes. Editors came and went but Gordon Chesterman made a huge input.  Eventually…

  Cambridge Museum and Historical Society partners with  U3A to provide three lectures a year focussing on the history of Cambridge and the Waikato region. Meetings are free for Friends of the Museum and are…

The very first European force policing the Cambridge area was the 3rd Regiment of the Waikato Militia.  The men erected the Star Redoubt in Fort Street and immediately established a communication line with Pirongia, Hamilton…

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…

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…

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…

  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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

In our last issue, we introduced you to Mary Teresa Murphy.  Mrs Murphy owned properties and businesses in central Cambridge, and often appeared before the courts – as either defendant, plaintiff, or sometimes both.  She…

Most of the Cambridge histories in Victorian times concern men – their business interests, leisure pursuits, transgressions and good works.  Victorian women, on the other hand, are difficult to research.  Their roles were largely seen…

This letter was written in Liverpool on 18 February 1918.  The grammar and spelling are authentic, but I have added paragraphs for easier reading.  An article on Daniel Murphy  and Bill (William) Morse follows this…

1600 Ko Ngāti Raukawa Te Ihingarangi, grandson of Raukawa and Turongo, and son of Rereahu and Rangianewa, built a home above the Waikato River at Karapiro (now known as Te Tiki o Te Ihingarangi). He…

Part 3 of a history of the Karapiro-Maungatautari area by Te Kaapo Clark and Lyn Tairi for the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand in 1992. 1500 Ko Ngati Kahupungapunga “During this period Ngāti Kahupungapunga had…

March 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of Te Miro School and District.  The Centennial celebrations planned in 2020 were delayed due to Covid-19.  Next month will see a rescheduled centenary event go ahead at last. …

If you wander around Hautapu Cemetery in Cambridge, you’ll see headstones showing the names of soldiers buried far from home.  This article explains why these soldiers, who survived the war, moved to Cambridge to battle…

The Cambridge Christian Community In December 1976, a commune called the Cambridge Christian Community started in Cambridge.  It was in French Pass Road and, after falling on hard times, it received gifts, donations and pledges…

Part 2 of a history of the Karapiro-Maungatautari area by Te Kaapo Clark and Lyn Tairi 1992.   To read Chapter 1, please click here. 1400 Ko Ngati Kahupungapunga “Tawhao, a descendant of Hoturoa who lived…

Gardner & Sons were general merchants and importers who set up shop in Cambridge in the early 1900s. Their store was on the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets, where the Z petrol station is…

The observant among you may have noticed this sign temporarily appearing next to Stirling Sports in Victoria Street. Simply Elegant Brides was a business run by Elisse Mills. She originally opened the Sewing and Button…

Te Ihingarangi: a history of the Karapiro and Maungatautari area by Te Kaapo Clark and Lyn Tairi This timeline traces the whakapapa of the tangata whenua of Maungatautari. It is reproduced here with kind permission…

At Easter 1915 the Cambridge Fire Brigade was proud to host a demonstration, where several events were contested for the honour of winning the Morrin Shield. The postcard/flyer was designed and sent out to fire…

This article, written by Ivy Nicholls to the Cambridge Historical Society in 1964, is held in the Cambridge Museum collection, no. 1576/10.   Your letter re Cambridge Pioneers to hand. I do not know if…