Paul Tapsell

Captain Gilbert Mair (1843–1923). Born at Wanganui. Although not present at Gate Pa he compiled The Story of Gate Pa, April 29th, 1864 (1926) from various records and first hand accounts. Mair took a leading role in campaigns against Te Kooti. He was presented with many taonga (ancestral treasures) by Maori communities throughout the North Island which were passed to the Auckland Museum in 1890. These were sometimes obtained under dubious means. The Museum’s Ko Tawa: Maori ancestors of New Zealand exhibition is a selection of 28 taonga from Mair’s collection of 247 that showed at the Tauranga Art Gallery from 15 March to 11 May 2008. Mair retired to Tauranga where he died aged 80. He is buried in the cemetery of Te Arawa at Ohinemutu, Rotorua. Tauranga taonga include a pounamu mere (Te Raukaraka) from Otamataha Pa presented to Mair in 1866 and a Tewhatewha (two handed whale bone fighting weapon) dug up from Pukehinahina (Gate Pa) in 1875.… (plus d'informations)