Tairua Heritage Centre

The Tairua Heritage Centre is located at 223 Main Road, Tairua. The Centre is operated by the Tairua Heritage Society for the purpose of recording, protecting and remembrance of accessible local history for the communities of Tairua, Hikuai and Pauanui on the East Coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. 

The Centre has a variety of historic maps, old photographs, papers and memorabilia in particular the Taparahi Forestry and the Father Bennett papers. We are a repository for the collected records made by Father Bennett over many decades that feature fishing, mining, dairy farming, forestry, stories of the pioneering families of the district and their daily lives and heritage. 

March to November
We are open for visitors every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am until 2pm. 

December to February
We are open for visitors every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10am to 3pm

Entry is free. 

Friends of Heritage

We offer a series of meetings for ‘Friends of Heritage’ to explore stories of our past, with presenters coming from the destination and from the wider Waikato region. We provide opportunities for various groups. Including schools, to learn about our heritage. 

You can support the Tairua Heritage Society by joining for a family membership of $20.  

Complete the Membership Form to join

Merchandise for Sale

Our books are available for sale as well as our selections of merchandise. Please email tairuaheritage@gmail.com to arrange purchase. 

Books $20-$55
Tairua Father Bennett $55
Baches of Tairua $30
Tairua Past Days $30
Tales of Tairua $25
Buried but Not Forgotten $25
TA Ship a Bay a Drowning $20
Tairua in the News $30
Street Names $5
Mugs $20
Aprons $20
Tote Bags $15
Magnets  $6
A4 Prints (unframed)  $15

Vision, Mission and Purposes

The vision of the Society is to promote an environment where people’s lives are enriched by a strong connection with, and appreciation of, our area’s cultural and historic assets.

The mission of our Society is to achieve its vision through the following purposes:-

(a) ensuring that our local history is recorded, protected, promoted, remembered and accessible;

(b)providing points of contact with our heritage through historical panels, media communications, published work and special events; 

(c) maintaining a Heritage Centre so that both residents and visitors to Tairua can familiarise themselves with our unique 800 years of history;

(d)providing opportunities for people of all ages to learn about our heritage;

(e) applying for funding as required.

Pecuniary gain is not a purpose of the Society nor its Members