A Meeting of Cultures was an exhibiton held in Tauranga in 2007. The exhibition focused on the exchange of ideas between Maori and Europeans, and some of the people associated with Te Papa Mission Station.
A 19th century woman

A 19th century woman's silk...

 A display of items, many from the early missionary period, including a medical field case and telescope brought out from England by Reverend Brown in 1829.

A display of items, many...

 The banner shows Wiremu Tarapipipi Tamihana as a young man, dressed in a korowai, a traditional Maori cloak with black thrums and fringing. An excerpt from the text panel reads: "On June 23rd 1839, Reverend Brown baptised Tarapipipi Te Waharoa, giving him the name Wiremu Tamihana (William Thompson). Throughout the turbulent times that were to follow, Wiremu Tamihana and Reverend Brown remained in contact either via letter or in person, with Tamihana often addressing Brown as his “loving father” and signing off “your loving son”. Brown described Tamihana as a “diligent student of the Scriptures and an indefatigable Teacher in the school .… a man of deeper thought and higher intellect than most”. That such a positive relationship could endure and transcend the trials of the mid 19th century in Aotearoa, is true testament to both men’s courage and wisdom."

The banner shows Wiremu Tarapipipi...
Kaitaka, a Maori cloak with a taniko border c.1850. The kaitaka features a plain base-kaupapa, woven in double pair twining called,

Kaitaka, a Maori cloak with...

 The exchange of ideas between Maori and European is illustrated here by these wonderful kete, or woven baskets. Originally used to carry food and often quite large, the kete of our time is smaller and more like a handbag for personal pocessions. Traditionally in Maori society it was women who were weavers. The two kete mounted in the white supports, are believed to be over one hundred years old and are very finely woven, by highly skilled craftswomen.

The exchange of ideas between...

 Life on the mission station was very different to life as we know it today, and this is illustrated by some of the objects in this display. The iron cooking pot is very different to the pots we use to cook in today. There is an iron pot at The Elms that is believed to have belonged to a young Maori girl called Tarore, of Ngati Haua. The text panel in this display reads: TARORE’ S IRON COOKING POT “The land will remain forever to produce food, and after the old trees have been cut down to build houses with, the saplings will continue to grow and, after years become large trees, while the payment for the land will come to an end. The blankets will wear out, the axes be broken after cutting down the trees, and the iron pots will be cracked by the fire.” So spoke Te Waharoa, the chief of the Ngati Haua people, on receiving payment from the Church Missionary Society for land for the mission. He did not keep the money, the blankets, the iron cooking pots, axes, hoes and spades for himself, apart from a couple of spades, but distributed the goods amongst his people. One recipient of a cooking pot was his great— niece, Tarore, daughter of his nephew, Ngakuku of Okauia.

Life on the mission station...


Joy Drayton and Dame Anne Salmond opening the exhibition.

Joy Drayton and Dame Anne...
Dame Anne Salmond, Joy Drayton and Lyndsay Bluck at the opening of the exhibition.

Dame Anne Salmond, Joy Drayton...