Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamura' 
'When you understand the past, you know your future'

CONNECTING OUR HERITAGE 

HAVE YOUR SAY - TAKE OUR SURVEY

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
(With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive).

From the 13th century countless footprints from Tangata Whenua, through European, Asian and Pacifica settlement have trod throughout our region; each telling diverse and often harrowing stories which reverberate today. Alongside, inspiring and uplifting stories also resound. Sadly, few know these stories or how they became interwoven over time in dramatic, strange and often wonderful ways that will inspire our future generations.

Since 1873 all attempts by local government to establish a regional museum or heritage centre that represents all has been fraught with highly documented political, social, and financial controversy.

To avoid history repeating itself yet again, the impetus must now come from our now diverse community in which approximately 32 ethnicities call home.  To have any real chance of success, and to encompass our diversity while working to Te Tiriti values and principles, our regional heritage centre and museum initiatives need to be independent in nature and structure. They need to be of the people, for the people and by all the people of Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Moana.   

Let YOUR voice be heard - have YOUR say - please take our survey and help our region get this right. Your contact details are optional, but please get in touch if you would like to learn more, or become involved.   Contact, strategic communications agency, The Shine Collective who are undertaking this survey as part of a community led Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Heritage Strategy. 

​HERITAGE NEW ZEALAND | POUHERE TAONGA | LOVELY ARTICLE HERE RE TAURANGA HERITAGE

HERITAGE TOGETHER - KOTAHITANGA | OROKOHANGA POUTAMA 
Weaving a stairway from creation towards heritage unity, recognition and excellence
​Western Bay of Plenty | Tauranga | Regionally

Western Bay of Plenty | Tauranga is one of the few regions in Aotearoa | New Zealand without a connected Heritage Strategy. 

Taonga Tū | Heritage Bay of Plenty (TTHBoP) is an independent registered charitable trust partnering with Western Bay of Plenty Tangata whenua, heritage organisations, BoP Heritage New Zealand | Pouhere Taonga, local councils and interested local businesses.  The Trust came together in 2017 to advocate for an independent Regional Heritage Centre located somewhere in Tauranga City.  The idea being that it become the gathering place for heritage across Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.  Reason: All local government attempts to build a museum have been fraught with political, social and financial controversy.

Today, as partners we are embarking on two key heritage journeys:
1. Working on a subregional Heritage Strategy  under the name: Heritage Together - Kotahitanga | Orokohanga Poutama which means: weaving a stairway from creation towards heritage unity,  recognition and excellence. 
2. Working to establish an independent community driven and led Heritage Centre that represents the subregion - not just Tauranga City. 

Community Support:  There is strong levels of community support and goodwill locally, regionally and nationally towards
a) a community led and driven independent Heritage Centre in downtown Tauranga, and
b) developing a subregional Heritage Strategy for the purpose of connecting our heritage so that an entirely new and modern approach to heritage for our region around heritage can be born. 

Both the Heritage Centre and the strategy will have significant social  economic and influential advantages for hapū, local tangata whenua, the community as a whole, individual heritage organisations, the education of heritage across our rohe, the business community and the region. 

​These two goals are huge steps forward for connecting heritage together in Western Bay of Plenty | Tauranga, the wider region and beyond.

CLICK ON AN IMAGE BELOW TO DISCOVER SOME OF OUR RICH HERITAGE 

Acknowledgement: Photographs: Chris Taylor; Tauranga City Libraries, Tauranga Heritage Collection, CR Brown,