HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

Your 2023 Tauranga Historical Society Committee have been kept extremely busy since the AGM on Sunday 5th February! We thank you for your kind words and support moving forwards Here are some notes from our meetings to keep you informed:

We agreed that a koha be asked for instead of the usual $2 for our THS Talks. We are going to partner with Heritage New Zealand and other organisations for Archaeology Week (22 to 30 April) and for Tauranga Heritage Week in October. We haven't the time or energy to put towards a Garden Party in March with such short notice Therefore, we have deferred the 43rd Brain Watkins Garden Party until Sunday 5th November 2023.

Meg and Loretta will be sending out a survey of members to ask, amongst other things, what the benefits are of membership to the Society and how we can make things better? Members who do not have email will be invited to a morning tea so that we can hear their thoughts and feelings.

We are talking to Tauranga City Council about the possibility of a bus park so that school buses and tourist buses have somewhere safe to park.

John and Julie Green have removed the downed kōwhai tree from the Brain Watkins garden Thank you John and Julie!

Mark Francis from Tremains Real Estate Ltd contacted Debbie to advise that he has a cheque for the THS for $500 from the sale of 71A Matua Road Thank you Mark, this will be put to very good use!

John Coster has offered to keep dealing with the Rising Damp and Drainage issues for the house and report back to the committee in writing Thank you John!

A funding application has been submitted to cover the cost of developing a Strategic Plan so the committee can develop a roadmap for moving forward. It also includes an application for essential maintenance on the house and garden

Meg and Loretta have been added as co-managers of our Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/taurangahistoricalsociety https://www facebook com/brainwatkinshouse

Preservation - Interpretation - Promotion

150 Years Ago

"Amongst the water carriers, and their name was legion but scarcely discernible to us in the darkness, was the Right Rev. the Bishop of Waiapu and the Ven. Archdeacon Brown, and those who did not witness their exertions can scarcely imagine the zeal with which they worked. "