Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 1

Pouwhenua weapon Tewhatewha weapon Taiaha weapon

Ham Hannah’s Breadbasket

The museum is offered many interesting items for the collection over the course of the year.  Often they are seemingly ordinary, everyday objects, but what makes each of them special and worthy of collecting is the wonderful stories they can tell us about our region’s history. This wicker basket is certainly one such object. This basket was used by William Hamilton (known as Ham) Hannah (b. 1920, d.1967) to deliver bread for Walter Findlay’s Bakery in the 1930s. Ham would have delivered bread around Gisborne by horse and cart.  A few people out there may remember having bread delivered by him, perhaps using this basket! Ham served as a Driver in the Army Service Corps in the Second World War and continued to work as a driver when he returned to Gisborne after the war. In the 1960s, he was the Custodian at Churchill Park. He was married to Sarah (Sadie) and they had four children. We would like to thank Julie Hannah for gifting her father-in-law’s breadbasket to the museum.

Ham and two of his four children, Kevin (left) and Gareth (right), posing in the basket in the garden of the family’s home.

Walter Findlay’s advert, The Gisborne Herald, 20 October 1941

Weight on the back of Te Kuri a Paoa by Peggy Ericson

The museum is offered many interesting items for the collection over the course of the year.  Often they are seemingly ordinary, everyday objects, but what makes each of them special and worthy of collecting is the wonderful stories they can tell us about our region’s history. This wicker basket is certainly one such object. This basket was used by William Hamilton (known as Ham) Hannah (b. 1920, d.1967) to deliver bread for Walter Findlay’s Bakery in the 1930s. Ham would have delivered bread around Gisborne by horse and cart.  A few people out there may remember having bread delivered by him, perhaps using this basket! Ham served as a Driver in the Army Service Corps in the Second World War and continued to work as a driver when he returned to Gisborne after the war. In the 1960s, he was the Custodian at Churchill Park. He was married to Sarah (Sadie) and they had four children. We would like to thank Julie Hannah for gifting her father-in-law’s breadbasket to the museum.

Ham and two of his four children, Kevin (left) and Gareth (right), posing in the basket in the garden of the family’s home.

Walter Findlay’s advert, The Gisborne Herald, 20 October 1941

Hamuera by Erena Koopu

Hamuera by Erena Koopu, 2018 Acrylic and graphite on canvas, 710mm diameter This work by Erena Koopu was part of the exhibition Hei ō Mō Apanui | Iwi Sustenance held at Tairāwhiti Museum in 2018 and purchased by the Friends of Tairāwhiti Museum for the collection. He waiata a ringa (an action song)  Performed by Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui at Te Matatini in the year 2005 in Palmerston North. Nō te tau 2004 ka whakaturehia e te kāwanatanga te pire takutai moana, e riro ai te taitara o te papa moana, tōna ritenga, he muru whenua.  I taua tau rā, ko Tāriana Tūria te wahine toa o Reipa kāore i tautokona taua pire, ā, ko ētahi atu o ana hoa mema Māori, i tautoko tonu.   He waiata-ā-ringa tēnei e kōrero ana ki aua mema rā, kia aro ki ngā tohutohu a ngā poropiti Māori, kei reira te māramatanga e noho ana. In 2004 the Government passed the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Bill, which transferred title to the crown, and in itself is a form of modern day confiscation.  In that same year, Tāriana Tūria, Māori MP of Labour crossed the floor, while the rest of her Māori colleagues remained seated.  This action song speaks to those seated members, and urges them to remember the lessons of past Māori prophets, as clarity must resides in their messages.

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 12

Te Pou o Hinematioro

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 5 and 7

Hoe paddles

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 4

Pākē rain cape

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 10

Tātua belt Heru Comb Rei-puta whale-tooth necklace Aurei cloak pin Poro-toroa Albatross toggle Kapeu ear pendant

Ambrotype, possibly of Lucy and her daughter Ida Tiffen

The museum is offered many interesting items for the collection over the course of the year.  Often they are seemingly ordinary, everyday objects, but what makes each of them special and worthy of collecting is the wonderful stories they can tell us about our region’s history. This wicker basket is certainly one such object. This basket was used by William Hamilton (known as Ham) Hannah (b. 1920, d.1967) to deliver bread for Walter Findlay’s Bakery in the 1930s. Ham would have delivered bread around Gisborne by horse and cart.  A few people out there may remember having bread delivered by him, perhaps using this basket! Ham served as a Driver in the Army Service Corps in the Second World War and continued to work as a driver when he returned to Gisborne after the war. In the 1960s, he was the Custodian at Churchill Park. He was married to Sarah (Sadie) and they had four children. We would like to thank Julie Hannah for gifting her father-in-law’s breadbasket to the museum.

Ham and two of his four children, Kevin (left) and Gareth (right), posing in the basket in the garden of the family’s home.

Walter Findlay’s advert, The Gisborne Herald, 20 October 1941

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 3

Tīheru/Tata bailer Matau fishhook

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 6

Kaitaka cloak

Tū te Whaihanga Showcase 8

Mētara Koroneihana a Hōri III  George III Coronation medalet