Our First Flag – Te Kara – #143

Our First Flag – Te Kara – #143

On certain dates you will see this flag flying from the Russell Museum and Maiki Hill flag staffs. It is Te Wakaminenga o Ngā Hapū o Nu Tireni – the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand. In November 1830, with owners Patuone and Taonui on board, the...
An Endangered Habit – #144

An Endangered Habit – #144

You’ll never see these sights again. They are part of our history. Kororāreka has long been a favoured location for re-fitting vessels, from whaleships to launches to racing yachts, but those days are almost over. Only one slipway remains in Matauwhi Bay today...
Quiet and Unhurried – #145

Quiet and Unhurried – #145

Two men, two dogs and a sunny spot out of the wind on the Russell wharf. If he’d been there, my Dad might have said “I wouldn’t call the King my Uncle.” He used to come out with that whenever he was feeling especially content with his lot....
Livestock in the Streets – #146

Livestock in the Streets – #146

It’s Russell in the 1970s – Claude Conning’s goat rests on the road while sheep silently mow the church fence line. In the centre, cows wander along York Street in 1915. Images like these feature in Russell Museum’s upcoming exhibition –...
Invasion menace – Russell Saved – #147

Invasion menace – Russell Saved – #147

The ships were here as part of combined Australian – Dominion fleet manoeuvres. The Kiwi ships were HMS Diomede and HMS Dunedin and the visiting warships, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Australia. Our air force had a presence too – that’s the amphibian just...