Our team

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

Our Kaumatua

Dr Hauata Palmer - KAUMATUA is a kaumatua of Ngai Tuwhiwhia, Ngai Tauaiti and Ngati Tapu hapu of Ngai Te Rangi.

Our Patron

Dean Waddell - PATRON: Dean Waddell is a third-generation grocer who began working in the family supermarket in Tauranga at the age of thirteen. He graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Business Studies before purchasing the family supermarket New World Brookfield in 1992.
Dean owned and successfully operated this store for 22 years, creating a leading supermarket experience for shoppers, before purchasing PAK'nSAVE Tauranga in 2013. Dean is currently the Chairman of Foodstuffs North Island a role he commenced in August 2017 and Foodstuffs New Zealand. Dean is also a Trustee of JWL Investment Trust (a trust he established in 2004). Dean is married to Julie and has three children. Outside of work he is an avid fan of motorsport, mountain biking and fishing.

Meet our Trustees | Advisors

Bruce Farthing - CHAIR: Bruce R Farthing - Deputy Principal of Otumoetai College for over 20 years - now retired - has taught secondary school History for many years and has much experience at the national level in establishing curriculum as well as examining, assessing to standards, writing and speaking to the topic. A member of the Tauranga City Council Museum Committee 1999-2007 he and Jinty Rorke (now deceased) invested much time in writing the 'themes' for presentation by the then proposed museum. He passionately believes that the city of Tauranga needs a museum to tell 'our stories'.

Stan Gregec: Treasurer: Stan has lived in Tauranga since 1995 and has been a strong supporter of community initiatives to recognise and celebrate Tauranga’s rich cultural heritage. He has been a leading figure in the business community, and has recently stepped down as Chief Executive of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce. Stan has a long-standing interest in history, including a Masters degree in History, and contributes a strategic and community engagement perspective to the group..

Binnie Brown - Secretary: Binnie is passionate about heritage and particularly the stories of Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty where her family was born and brought up. She believes that as a region we need to learn our stories to enjoy a strong sense of connectedness, belonging and identity with the region we live in.
She believes Tauranga urgently needs a Heritage Centre and an integrated regional heritage strategy. Binnie brings an international marketing background to the committee, specialising in project development, group development and facilitation, research, marketing plans, social media communication and developing relationships within the community.

Puhirake Ihaka - HAPŪ, IWI ADVISOR.
Puhirake is Chair of Otamataha Trust and on a number of hāpu \ and community boards across Tauranga Moana. Puhirake works with local councils as an iwi advisor and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer our Tauranga City community and the wider region.

Buddy Mikaere - HAPŪ, IWI ADVISOR. Buddy is a renowned historian. He specialises in Maori consultation and associated activities and in Tauranga represents Ngāi Tamarawaho and Ngāti Pūkenga through their respective hāpu \ iwi organisations. For the past twenty years he has facilitated Māori consultation for many development projects working closely with government departments, local government, large corporate companies and other clients.

Kathryn Bluett-Atvars - CULTURAL EDUCATION ADVISOR
KATHRYN Bluett-Atvars. Kathryn is a highly experienced teacher, researcher, advisor of special education with a comprehensive history of working with both mainstream and Māori medium schools in the North Island. In 2017 I Kathryn gained accreditation as a PLD facilitator with the Ministry of Education whilst contracting to Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore Trust in Pāpāmoa. Kathryn's ability, knowledge, experience and whānaungatanga relationships to collaborate between schools, whānau, hapū and Iwi ensuring that powerful relational connections make a significant difference to learning
outcomes for all, makes her an ideal educational advisor as we move into supporting
the new history curriculum for schools.

Debbie McCauley (Ngāti Kirimā) - HERITAGE ADVISOR is an award-winning author, historian, indie publisher, researcher, and heritage consultant with a passion for telling our stories. She publishes her books bilingually in Te Reo Māori and English through her own independent publishing company, Mauao Publishing, and believes in telling children stories from Aotearoa that will enrich their lives through a sense of place and belonging. Debbie has contributed to many local history projects, such historical signage for the Cameron Road, Elizabeth Street and Wharf Street upgrades. She has
also been part of planning major Tauranga events such as Matariki Tauranga Moana
(2015-2021), Suffrage 125 Tauranga (2018), WW100 Tauranga First World War
Centenary (2014-2019), and the 150th Battle of Gate Pā | Pukehinahina and Battle of
Te Ranga commemorations in 2014. We are delighted to have Debbie on board as an
Advisor.

Header image: Tauranga city Library. Wharf Street, Tauranga - looking over to Mataphihi