Welcome to the Tawa Historical Society Web Pages
Introduction
Tawa Historical Society was established in 2001 from an initiative of the Rotary Club of Tawa. The Society has membership of approximately 50 people interested in the heritage of the community of Tawa.
We aim to accurately identify and to educate the Community about aspects of historical significance in the Tawa area and where appropriate to also advocate for their conservation.
Our activities include research, field work, publication, advocacy, and submission on heritage matters to the Wellington City Council.
Meetings
Executive Committee Meetings are normally held at 7.30 pm on a Monday every second month at the Tawa Community Centre, Cambridge Street. Click here for the 2024 schedule.
The AGM is scheduled for Monday 2 September 2024.
Recent Society News
A new book about Tawa! Early Wellington Cricket and the Tawa Flat Cricket Club 1881-1910.
Early Wellington Cricket and the Tawa Flat Cricket Club 1881-1910 by Bruce Murray was published in 2023 and is now on sale.
This book focuses primarily on the settlers and early cricket in Wellington, the founding of the Wellington Cricket Association and the formation of the Tawa Flat Cricket Club and its early history. It details the story of the Pearce Cup and records the demise of the early Tawa Flat Cricket Club and the resurrection of Tawa cricket in 1947.
Author Bruce Murray completed his final book for the Tawa Historical Society just before he died in January 2023. In all Bruce produced 14 books for the Society covering a wide range of aspects of the history of Tawa. He was the Chair of the Historical Society for 22 years and will in particular be remembered for his leadership of the Society and other participants in the creation of the Tawa War memorial.
This book can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa for $15 each.
Alternatively, orders can be placed by email with Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz. These purchases will incur an extra few dollars postage cost. When placing an order with Ken, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent. Payment can be made by direct credit into the society’s bank account: BNZ 02-0552-0033337-00.
Please note: The book is published by the Tawa Historical Society which is a non-profit organisation. It seeks to defray the cost of printing through the sales of the book.
The Friendly Tennis Club
The Friendly Tennis Club, the story of the Ranui (later Linden) Tennis Club 1936-2016 by David Parsons was published in 2021 and is now on sale.
For 80 years the Linden Tennis Club was part of the fabric of community life in Tawa. It offered a venue for a popular sport for local residents. The Tawa Historical Society was commissioned to write about the history of the Linden Tennis Club as part of the winding up of the club in 2019 and sale of its tennis court property.
Author David Parsons has lived in Tawa since 1981. This is David’s first book for the Tawa Historical Society as sole-author. He co-wrote two others with the late Bruce Murray. He has also published four other books, three covering various aspects of New Zealand’s railways and one on New Zealand cricket.
With limited historical resources, David has produced a helpful and encouraging commentary on this sporting group, who for 80 summers established, maintained, improved and supported a significant addition to the community life of Tawa.
This book can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa for $20 each.
Alternatively, orders can be placed by email with Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz. These purchases will incur an extra few dollars postage cost. When placing an order with Ken, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent. Payment can be made by direct credit into the society’s bank account: BNZ 02-0552-0033337-00.
Please note: The book is published by the Tawa Historical Society which is a non-profit organisation. It seeks to defray the cost of printing through the sales of the book.
The Streets of Tawa.
The Streets of Tawa by Bruce Murray was published 2021 and is now on sale.
A revised and updated edition of “The Streets of Tawa” was published in November 2021.
The 2005 edition of “The Streets of Tawa” was published in 2005 and was the first book published by the Tawa Historical Society. Since then, new information has been acquired and sixteen years on, it is timely for the publication to be updated with a 2nd edition.
This new edition is an informative, up-to-date account of how the streets of Tawa came to be named, while at the same time, it contributes to the local knowledge of the early history of the settlement of Tawa.
Author, Bruce Murray has a longstanding and detailed knowledge of Tawa and is the author of several books pertaining to Tawa’s history.
This book can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa for $25 each.
Alternatively, orders can be placed by email with Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz. These purchases will incur an extra few dollars postage cost. When placing an order with Ken, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent. Payment can be made by direct credit into the society’s bank account: BNZ 02-0552-0033337-00.
Please note: The book is published by the Tawa Historical Society which is a non-profit organisation. It seeks to defray the cost of printing through the sales of the book.
The Old Porirua Road
This book by Bruce Murray was published 2021 and is now on sale.
The original old Porirua Road was the main route north from Kaiwharawhara for only a short time - until June 1858 when the route up the Ngauranga Gorge was opened. The original road climbed from Kaiwharawhara up the Ngaio Gorge for the flatter, rolling hills of Crofton (Ngaio), Khandallah and Johnsonville, before heading down the valley of the Porirua Stream to Porirua Harbour.
Bruce Murray’s book revisits the first 24km of the highway from Kaiwharawhara to the northern boundary of Tawa. He describes the initial development of the road and the role of Captain Edward Daniell, and then follows the route through Cockayne Road, Box Hill, Burma Road and Fraser Avenue to Johnsonville. From there, Bruce describes the route from Johnsonville along Middleton Road through Glenside and on to Tawa. There are two detailed chapters on the Porirua Road in Tawa Flat.
‘The Old Porirua Road’ is liberally illustrated with maps and photographs.
This book can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa for $20 each.
Alternatively, orders can be placed by email with Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz. These purchases will incur an extra few dollars postage cost. When placing an order with Ken, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent. Payment can be made by direct credit into the society’s bank account: BNZ 02-0552-0033337-00.
Please note: The book is published by the Tawa Historical Society which is a non-profit organisation. It seeks to defray the cost of printing through the sales of the book.
Tawa, its recreational parks and reserves.
This book was published in October 2020.
The author, Gilbert (Gil) Roper is a member of the ‘Tawa Historical Society’ and ‘Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves’.
This, full colour-illustrated, 190-page publication features:
• a description of the 33 parks and reserves in Tawa
• aerial images and maps showing their location
• the walking tracks identified in the reserves
• the playground and recreational facilities within the parks
• maps and images identifying the development of the parks and reserves
• descriptions of the history of the sports groups that use the parks
• iconic features and trees within the parks and reserves
• the origin of the names of all the Tawa parks and reserves.
This book can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa for $35 each.
Alternatively, orders can be placed by email with Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz. These purchases will incur an extra few dollars postage cost. When placing an order with Ken, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent. Payment can be made by direct credit into the society’s bank account: BNZ 02-0552-0033337-00.
The book is published by the Tawa Historical Society which is a non-profit organisation. It seeks to defray the cost of printing through the sales of the book.
Takapu Valley.
Takapu Valley, by Michael Steer, was published in 2019.
Takapu Valley relates the story of this special area from the times of Maori trails, the bush settlers and the settler families through to the campaigns fought by the residents of today against proposals for rubbish tips and major roading developments which, if implemented, would have totally destroyed the special character of the Valley. The stories of long-standing families are related, extracts from diaries add colour to the narrative, the five valley men who died in the world wars are honoured and the story of Takapu Aided School is recounted. The last section of the book recounts the efforts of the residents to preserve their lifestyle in what is one of the last rural remnants in the Wellington region, the last significant and undeveloped headwater of the Porirua Stream which has noted importance for its biodiversity.
The book is on sale at the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa, or from Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz and is available for purchase at $25.00 per copy (+p&p).
The Mexteds of Pluckley, Kent, and Tawa Flat, Wellington.
This book on the Mexted family by Bruce Murray was published in mid-2019.
In relating the story of the Mexted family’s arrival in New Zealand and settlement in Tawa Flat, Bruce Murray explains why settlers in New Zealand decided to undertake a 25,000km voyage from one of the world to the other and to forsake their families and friends and their traditional lifestyle. Bruce provides background information on the traditional English agricultural labourer and describes the social unrest in Kent, where the Mexteds had lived for generations, in the 1830s just prior to George and Eliza Mexted emigrated to New Zealand on the Lord William Bentinck. The book then relates the stories of three Mexted generations: George and Eliza, Stephen and Matilda, and Stephen and Eliza.
The book is on sale at the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa, or from Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz and is available for purchase at $20.00 per copy (+p&p).
When placing an order with The Secretary, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent, and the intended method of payment to be made to the society. There is likely to be a small charge for postage and packing.
Willowbank Reserve, Tawa, and its Environs, by Bruce Murray and David Parsons, was published in October 2018.
This book is essentially a series of stories about Tawa (Flat) figures of days gone by, such as Te Patukawenga; Thomas Robert McCoy; the Greer family; William and Elizabeth Earp, and their grandson William Edward Earp (killed at Gallipoli); the Tawa Flat ?Deckites?; and James and Rachel Taylor. The book also brings to notice the famous Tawa Bucket tree; Earp?s orchard; Boscobel Lane and its farmstead; the railway lines through Tawa (Flat) of 1885 and 1937; and Arohata. It is illustrated by numerous photographs, some of which are aerial, and some maps produced especially for this publication.
The book is on sale at the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa, or from Ken Woodgate, Secretary, Tawa Historical Society: ken.woodgate (at) xtra.co.nz and is available for purchase at $20.00 per copy (+p&p).
When placing an order with The Secretary, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent, and the intended method of payment to be made to the society. There is likely to be a small charge for postage and packing.
Tawa the tree, the community and its reserves was published in October 2017. It costs $35 (+p&p) and can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa, or from The Secretary.
Author Gil. Roper is a member of the Tawa Historical Society and Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves and the book launch was sponsored by both these groups.
This new, colour-illustrated, 180-page A4 size publication features:
• an in-depth description of the tawa tree, its discovery and distribution in NZ
• native vegetation associated with tawa
• the native bush in the Tawa area - before and at the time of human settlement, and today
• eyewitness accounts of flora observed by early settlers of the region
• the uses of tawa - it is related to the avocado, bay tree and cinnamon
• the origins of the names ‘Tawa Flat’ and ‘Tawa’
• the history and work of ‘Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves’ with details of pest control in the bush reserves and other community activities
• the WCC purchase of the Forest of Tane and its importance
• detailed coverage of eleven reserves in Tawa - source of names, history, vegetation, development, aerial images, maps, tracks and photos taken in each reserve
• history of bird species in Tawa and comparative data on bird populations recorded in 2008 and 2017 in Redwood Bush Reserve
• a detailed list of the plant species in the native bush reserves in Tawa common names, Maori names and botanical names.
Life and Soul – Tawa Hall 1933–1963 was released in October 2016. Copies are available for sale for $20 (+p&p) and can be purchased directly from the Tawa Library, Corner Main Road and Cambridge Street, Tawa, or from The Secretary.
This publication tells the story of life of the Tawa Town Hall during the period 1933 – 1963 when it was the social Life and Soul of Tawa. It relies heavily on extracts from local newspapers thanks to Papers Past as well as memories and stories edited by Michael Steer who has also researched the supporting background illustrations, photographs and contemporary newspaper reports.
The Ranui Golf Club of Tawa Flat 1923–1929 by Michael Steer was released in November 2015. Copies are available for sale for $20 (+p&p) at the Tawa Library or from The Secretary.
It’s hard to imagine an 18-hole golf course in central Tawa but from 1923 until 1929 you could tee off there. The golf clubhouse was located at Bartlett House, 26 Oxford Street and the course was about 4850 metres long with a par of 75. The seven hill holes in the Lyndhurst Road / Lincoln Avenue area were notoriously difficult in windy weather and the holes on the flat were often rather boggy. However, while the weather and water posed some problems for the club’s on-going success, it was the constant shadow of subdivision that hung over the club. In early 1929 the club closed and members transferred to Titahi Bay and houses slowly began to cover the golf course land. “The Ranui Golf Club of Tawa Flat 1923-1929” relates the story of what was envisaged as being the first stage of the development of a “sporting township” in Tawa Flat.
A History of Tawa was released in November 2014 at a function hosted by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown. Copies are available for sale for $45 (+p&p) at the Tawa Library or through The Secretary.
This new publication tells the story of Tawa over a period of more than five centuries. The opening chapter deals with the physical setting, and the first inhabitants of the area. The remainder of the book follows a chronological path, noting the significant developments within the district since 1840. In particular, it chronicles such matters as the removal of the bush cover and its replacement by grass; the importance of the road to Wellington; changes in agriculture; the arrival of the railway; attempts at suburbanisation; the critical effects on Tawa of the Tawa Flat railway deviation and the motorway; the post WW2 boom in population; and the impact on Tawa of Johnsonville’s and Porirua’s shopping malls.
A History of Tawa contains 256 pages, and is liberally illustrated. It includes 65 photographs, 17 maps, 15 tables, and 11 illustrations, and has, for example, population figures which include results from the 2013 census, and photos not only back to 1865, but also recent panoramas and pictures.
When placing an order with The Secretary, please indicate the details of the address to which the book is to be sent, and the intended method of payment to be made to the society. There is likely to be a small charge for postage and packing.
Best of Tawa Volume III was released in December 2012. It is available for sale for $20 (+p&p) per volume at the Tawa Library or through The Secretary. This publication continues the stories of Elsdon Best which were first serialised in the Canterbury Times in 1915. Volume III concludes the articles with miscellaneous jottings by Elsdon about the Wellington area including information about some place names, and also a reproduction of an obituary article that was written about the life of Elsdon Best. Volume III also contains a comprehensive cumulative index for all three volumes. Volume II covers the Maori troubles in the Wellington area culminating in the battle at Battle Hill, and the building of the Old Porirua Road. Volume I concentrates on the pre-European and early European settlement of the Porirua District.
Arthur Carman’s Suitcase – The Life and Times of Arthur Herbert Carman was released in 2011. It is now available for sale for $30 (+p&p) at the Tawa Library or through The Secretary. Amply illustrated with photographs this publication tells the story of life of AH Carman.
Arthur was a well-known Tawa identity from the early 1930s till his death in 1982. He played a huge role in community service for most of those years, and led a most interesting and at times controversial life. His book, ‘Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road’, is of inestimable value to anyone interested in Tawa’s history. ‘Suitcase’ relates the life of Arthur and his family, and aspects of his sometimes controversial life in Church, Politics and Sport.
26 Oxford Street and the Bartlett family was released in 2010. It is available for sale for $25 (+p&p) at the Tawa Library or through The Secretary.
This publication tells the story of the house at 26 Oxford Street, built in the 1860s, and the Bartlett family that occupied it. The Bartlett family came from East Chinnock, Somerset, England to New Zealand on the Clifton arriving in 1842. After farming for a time in Ngaio they purchased a Section 44 at Tawa Flat and built the house that stands at 26 Oxford Street.
Lest Tawa Forgets is a 100 page A4 format book and its publication coincided with ANZAC Day 2008 and the laying of a plaque at the foot of Memorial Oak Tree outside Tawa School. The tree was planted in 1943 in memory of those from Tawa that gave their lives in the service of New Zealand forces overseas. The book is available for sale for $20 (+p&p) at the Tawa Library or through The Secretary.
Society Projects
See projects for further information on the project areas that the Society has been working on.
Contact Tawa Historical Society at:
Secretary
Tawa Historical Society
C/- Tawa Community Centre
5 Cambridge Terrace
Tawa
Wellington 5028
Chairperson: David Parsons, Phone 232 6339
Secretary: email: secretary (at) tawahistory.org.nz