Russell Museum
Source: https://www.russellmuseum.org.nz
Archived: 2026-04-23 15:40
Russell Museum
Russell Museum Whare Taonga o Kororāreka
Sharing the culture and stories of Kororāreka
and Īpipiri Bay of Islands with the world
Māori History:
Pre-Colonisation
Īpipiri is the Māori name for the Eastern Bay of Islands. Take a look at our collection of Māori artefacts and explore our digital interactive mapping table which explains the history of the Bay and tells the stories of first contact between Māori and the crew of the HM Bark Endeavour.
Learn more
Endeavour and Early Explorers
Lt James Cook gave the
Bay of Islands its English name when he visited in 1769. He anchored off Motuarohia just around the Kororāreka headland with a crew of scientists, botanists and Tupaia a High Priest navigator from Polynesia. Impressed with what he found, he put the Bay of Islands on the map on his return to England.
Find out more
Latest happenings
Find out about the latest happenings and information from the Museum.
The Search for the Whangamumu Whaling Film
by
Russell Museum
|
Aug 29, 2022
|
Events
,
Heritage
Sunday 11 September Russell Boat Club Matauwhi Bay, Russell 4.00 pm Entrance by Koha for preservation of Russell Kororāreka's whaling history. On Sunday 11 September, Lindsay Alexander, a published whaling historian, will tell the story of the Whangamumu whaling...
School Holiday Discovery Fun Day
by
Russell Museum
|
Apr 8, 2022
|
Events
Join the Russell Museum Whare Taonga o Kororāreka for a family event. This Easter school holidays, we're having a Discovery Fun Day. Bring the kids come along to on the morning of Tuesday 19 April and join us for a fun day. There will be plenty of things to do,...
« Older Entries
Sea level rise and climate change
by
Russell Museum
|
Nov 21, 2022
|
Exhibitions
The Kororāreka - Russell Wharf Kaitiaki Trust and Resilient Russell Charitable Trust are encouraging a conversation in the community about climate change and the impact of sea level rises will have on our community. To kick this off, they are holding an event and have...
The Story of Managahāwea
by
Russell Museum
|
Mar 22, 2022
|
Exhibitions
Russell Museum’s new exhibition, The Story of Managahāwea is a fascinating look at an extremely early site of first arrivals from Polynesia. Beneath the soil of its beautiful beachfront, archaeological evidence from a series of excavations under the...
« Older Entries
More stories
What our visitors say
{
The museum provides good background on Russell, and the importance of it in the formation of New Zealand as a country. Information and interpretation is easy to understand and relevant.
- Erica H, TripAdvisor
Contact us
Enquiry from website
Address
2 York Street,
Russell Kororāreka
Bay of Islands
Aotearoa New Zealand
Call Us
(+64) 9 403 7701
info@russellmuseum.org.nz
Opening hours
10.00 - 4.00 daily
Last visitors admitted at 3.45 pm
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{title}
Sandy Myhre
Sandy was a long-time motoring and motorsport journalist. She is a founder of Women’s World Car of the Year, the only car awards in the world voted entirely by women. She was motorsport correspondent for Murray Deaker’s
Scoreboard
(Newstalk ZB) for 20 years and she has written seven books.
These days she is a reporter with The Advocate in Whangarei covering the Bay of Islands.
Tiaan Tyrrell
Tiaan is a local girl with three generations calling Russell Kororāreka home. She originally joined the Museum a few years back but headed over to Australia to be with family. Her family have returned to Russell so she is back on board at the Whare Taonga of Kororāreka, a welcome return to the team.
Tiaan is the welcoming face you see when you visit the Museum, and she also looks after the shop.
Marsha Davies
Marsha information goes here
Olivia Dudding
Olivia Dudding is a member of the Museum team taking on the role of Museum Administrator and Accounts, a pivotal role supporting the Curator as well as organising Accounts and day-to-day administration duties.
Olivia is originally from Auckland but moved to Russell with her Partner to settle down. She has a background working in Law as well as the Commercial Property industry and brings a friendly smile to the team at Te Whare Taonga.
Sue Western
Sue joined the Russell Museum board as a trustee in 2017 With a Bachelor of History & Anthropology and recent studies in Te Reo and Tikanga Maori, Sue brings a multi-cultural perspective on Russell’s past and future potential, and a passion for engaging and connecting people with their past. Sue’s career has been focused on customer facing industries, (Insurance and Tourism) and she has co-owned and operated a number of small NZ businesses and currently owns and operates a local bed & breakfast. Sue has also spent a number of years involved with volunteer groups teaching English as a second language to refugees and new migrants.
Sue contributes her strong operational skills and a deep understanding of the needs of tourists and visitors gained from her years in tourism to design and drive new fundraising initiatives for the redevelopment of the Museum and Community centre. In her spare time, Sue loves spending time with her grandkids, sailing, playing tennis and participating in the Russell Gardening Club.
Tracy Rewiri
Tracy presently works at Pompallier Mission as a tour host and a role that she loves. Her interest in history and the arts, has always been as a hobby/passion. Living and working in Tamaki Makaurau-Auckland for 28 years, where she raised her son, now in his 30’s, she was grateful for the opportunities, galleries, libraries, educational facilities and museum she found and had access to, by living in the city. Which included employment. She has worked across a varying sector of education, public health, family violence prevention and research; grateful that those roles have enabled her to travel across Aotearoa and sometimes overseas.
Her childhood was growing up in Kororareka-Russell across the 60’s – 70s, returning on many occasions. With whakapapa connecting her to this area/region through her Nana’s whakapapa. She also whakapapas to Ngati Awa, Te Whanau a Apanui and an Irish history which came through Australia.
She love’s history, especially, in its ability to reveal the multiple truths she never received in my education and formative years. It is ever evolving. She loves this town and wishes to see a sense of equity across community knowing the Museum is very much part of ‘YOU’.
Sian Royal
I have been in IT for approximately 30+ years. I started out working on data input and then took things further, becoming a Test Analyst then a Senior Test Analyst. After this I became a Test Manager working with on and offshore teams. I went back to my roots as a Senior Business Analyst and after contracting all over the world I now work for Waka Kotahi.
I contracted for roughly 25 years in places such as Belgium, Frankfurt, Munich, Milan, Rome, Switzerland, Helsinki, Denmark, London and various place in the UK. I have worked for most of the major banks and financial institutions such as JP Morgan. This has included various pension systems, trading systems and insurances. I contracted for BNZ and ASB when arriving in NZ. I have also implemented various financial systems for various businesses large and small.
I enjoy working for Waka Kotahi because there is new technology being introduced constantly.
Never a dull moment and I now work from home. I joined the Russell Centennial Trust Board in 2021 as I have a love of history, and Russell has plenty on offer.
I love Russell and have bought a small 2-acre section at Uruti Road and hope to move in before Christmas.
Tracey Cadogen
Information about Tracy goes here
Maria Moppett
Maria is Ngati Kuta, Ngati Manu, Ngapuhi and was born in Taitokerau Northland moving to Kororāreka when she was 3 years old. Maria initially worked at Auckland hospital in administration before travelling to England. There she met her future husband and got married before returning back to New Zealand and to the hospital. She then embarked on a long and rewarding career in education, working initially at Auckland Secondary School Training College. She joined Selwyn College as Executive Officer, where she took on the role of Buildings Project Manager and leading all support staff in the College. She returned home to Russell Kororāreka on her retirement in 2011.
Her grandfather, Hamiora Maioha was instrumental in the building of this Museum and a foundation Trustee so she feels privileged to continue on his legacy.
Jane Hindle
Jane has worked in the UK and Europe in the ICT sector before emigrating to New Zealand in 1990. After 10 years in Auckland in the telecommunications industry, she moved to Russell Kororareka. She was a business mentor for the tall ship R. Tucker Thompson resulting in a transfer of the ship into a Charitable Trust operating youth development programmes and tourism sailings. She is now the Executive Trustee for the
R. Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust
. Since moving North, she has learned Te Reo studying with Te Wanganga o Aotearea and then studying Te Tohu Huanga Maori PGDip Business at Auckland University.
Since then she has concentrated on her governance career serving on the boards of the Telecommunications Users Association; the Northland Economic Development Agency, the Regional Tourism Organisation, as well as Chair of Northtec. She was on the National Coordinating Committee of Tuia 250 is co-chair of Te Au Mārie Trust. She has served with several community organisations including 20 years with St John Ambulance. She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and is pleased to use these skills to serve the board of Russell Museum, Whare Taonga o Kororāreka.
Fiona Mohr
I have had a love of history and art ever since I can remember. As a result I have been working as an arts and heritage professional for the past 40 years. I have developed an affinity for community museums to assist in telling and connecting stories and taonga to people and place, and not just a repository for collections. History is what defines us as an individual, a society, and as a nation.
I initially did a couple of contracts for the Russell Museum before being offered the position of Manager Curator. Prior to here I was the Manager of the Waipu Museum for 4 years, where I successfully nominated the Nova Scotian documentary heritage collection for UNESCO Memory of the World listing. A consultancy I did in conducting a full audit and report of the Fiji Museum funded by relief aid from the Australia Government that brought me to New Zealand. I spent 5 years as a consultant working mostly in tandem with local government and community museums and galleries. I have worked for the Queensland Museum as regional Museum Development Officer for 13 years, Mary MacKillop Place Museum, the Art Gallery of NSW as Registrar of Exhibitions, and the Historic Houses Trust over the last 40 years. All of which I have enjoyed immensely.
Heather Lindauer
Formally Russell Museum’s curator for over twenty years, Heather took over the position from Marie King, our founding curator. Heather stepped down as curator in 2008 and was elected to the board in 2009. She served as Chair for the past 3 years stepping down in 2018. She is now the Library representative on the Board.
Recognized for her long time community service with the museum, as a teacher, a volunteer with the Order of St John, as an Anglican minister and a Justice of the Peace, Heather was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 2008.
Heather brings numerous skills to the Board, amongst them her vast knowledge of history of the Bay of Islands and Russell as well as her experience as a curator.
Heather acknowledges her interest in history and heritage, understanding how Museum’s operate and a willingness to share her knowledge of being a curator for over twenty years as motivating her work as a trustee.
Russell Museum Whare Taonga o Kororāreka
Sharing the culture and stories of Kororāreka
and Īpipiri Bay of Islands with the world
Māori History:
Pre-Colonisation
Īpipiri is the Māori name for the Eastern Bay of Islands. Take a look at our collection of Māori artefacts and explore our digital interactive mapping table which explains the history of the Bay and tells the stories of first contact between Māori and the crew of the HM Bark Endeavour.
Learn more
Endeavour and Early Explorers
Lt James Cook gave the
Bay of Islands its English name when he visited in 1769. He anchored off Motuarohia just around the Kororāreka headland with a crew of scientists, botanists and Tupaia a High Priest navigator from Polynesia. Impressed with what he found, he put the Bay of Islands on the map on his return to England.
Find out more
Latest happenings
Find out about the latest happenings and information from the Museum.
The Search for the Whangamumu Whaling Film
by
Russell Museum
|
Aug 29, 2022
|
Events
,
Heritage
Sunday 11 September Russell Boat Club Matauwhi Bay, Russell 4.00 pm Entrance by Koha for preservation of Russell Kororāreka's whaling history. On Sunday 11 September, Lindsay Alexander, a published whaling historian, will tell the story of the Whangamumu whaling...
School Holiday Discovery Fun Day
by
Russell Museum
|
Apr 8, 2022
|
Events
Join the Russell Museum Whare Taonga o Kororāreka for a family event. This Easter school holidays, we're having a Discovery Fun Day. Bring the kids come along to on the morning of Tuesday 19 April and join us for a fun day. There will be plenty of things to do,...
« Older Entries
Sea level rise and climate change
by
Russell Museum
|
Nov 21, 2022
|
Exhibitions
The Kororāreka - Russell Wharf Kaitiaki Trust and Resilient Russell Charitable Trust are encouraging a conversation in the community about climate change and the impact of sea level rises will have on our community. To kick this off, they are holding an event and have...
The Story of Managahāwea
by
Russell Museum
|
Mar 22, 2022
|
Exhibitions
Russell Museum’s new exhibition, The Story of Managahāwea is a fascinating look at an extremely early site of first arrivals from Polynesia. Beneath the soil of its beautiful beachfront, archaeological evidence from a series of excavations under the...
« Older Entries
More stories
What our visitors say
{
The museum provides good background on Russell, and the importance of it in the formation of New Zealand as a country. Information and interpretation is easy to understand and relevant.
- Erica H, TripAdvisor
Contact us
Enquiry from website
Address
2 York Street,
Russell Kororāreka
Bay of Islands
Aotearoa New Zealand
Call Us
(+64) 9 403 7701
info@russellmuseum.org.nz
Opening hours
10.00 - 4.00 daily
Last visitors admitted at 3.45 pm
Follow
Follow
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options
Manage services
Manage {vendor_count} vendors
Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title}
{title}
{title}
Sandy Myhre
Sandy was a long-time motoring and motorsport journalist. She is a founder of Women’s World Car of the Year, the only car awards in the world voted entirely by women. She was motorsport correspondent for Murray Deaker’s
Scoreboard
(Newstalk ZB) for 20 years and she has written seven books.
These days she is a reporter with The Advocate in Whangarei covering the Bay of Islands.
Tiaan Tyrrell
Tiaan is a local girl with three generations calling Russell Kororāreka home. She originally joined the Museum a few years back but headed over to Australia to be with family. Her family have returned to Russell so she is back on board at the Whare Taonga of Kororāreka, a welcome return to the team.
Tiaan is the welcoming face you see when you visit the Museum, and she also looks after the shop.
Marsha Davies
Marsha information goes here
Olivia Dudding
Olivia Dudding is a member of the Museum team taking on the role of Museum Administrator and Accounts, a pivotal role supporting the Curator as well as organising Accounts and day-to-day administration duties.
Olivia is originally from Auckland but moved to Russell with her Partner to settle down. She has a background working in Law as well as the Commercial Property industry and brings a friendly smile to the team at Te Whare Taonga.
Sue Western
Sue joined the Russell Museum board as a trustee in 2017 With a Bachelor of History & Anthropology and recent studies in Te Reo and Tikanga Maori, Sue brings a multi-cultural perspective on Russell’s past and future potential, and a passion for engaging and connecting people with their past. Sue’s career has been focused on customer facing industries, (Insurance and Tourism) and she has co-owned and operated a number of small NZ businesses and currently owns and operates a local bed & breakfast. Sue has also spent a number of years involved with volunteer groups teaching English as a second language to refugees and new migrants.
Sue contributes her strong operational skills and a deep understanding of the needs of tourists and visitors gained from her years in tourism to design and drive new fundraising initiatives for the redevelopment of the Museum and Community centre. In her spare time, Sue loves spending time with her grandkids, sailing, playing tennis and participating in the Russell Gardening Club.
Tracy Rewiri
Tracy presently works at Pompallier Mission as a tour host and a role that she loves. Her interest in history and the arts, has always been as a hobby/passion. Living and working in Tamaki Makaurau-Auckland for 28 years, where she raised her son, now in his 30’s, she was grateful for the opportunities, galleries, libraries, educational facilities and museum she found and had access to, by living in the city. Which included employment. She has worked across a varying sector of education, public health, family violence prevention and research; grateful that those roles have enabled her to travel across Aotearoa and sometimes overseas.
Her childhood was growing up in Kororareka-Russell across the 60’s – 70s, returning on many occasions. With whakapapa connecting her to this area/region through her Nana’s whakapapa. She also whakapapas to Ngati Awa, Te Whanau a Apanui and an Irish history which came through Australia.
She love’s history, especially, in its ability to reveal the multiple truths she never received in my education and formative years. It is ever evolving. She loves this town and wishes to see a sense of equity across community knowing the Museum is very much part of ‘YOU’.
Sian Royal
I have been in IT for approximately 30+ years. I started out working on data input and then took things further, becoming a Test Analyst then a Senior Test Analyst. After this I became a Test Manager working with on and offshore teams. I went back to my roots as a Senior Business Analyst and after contracting all over the world I now work for Waka Kotahi.
I contracted for roughly 25 years in places such as Belgium, Frankfurt, Munich, Milan, Rome, Switzerland, Helsinki, Denmark, London and various place in the UK. I have worked for most of the major banks and financial institutions such as JP Morgan. This has included various pension systems, trading systems and insurances. I contracted for BNZ and ASB when arriving in NZ. I have also implemented various financial systems for various businesses large and small.
I enjoy working for Waka Kotahi because there is new technology being introduced constantly.
Never a dull moment and I now work from home. I joined the Russell Centennial Trust Board in 2021 as I have a love of history, and Russell has plenty on offer.
I love Russell and have bought a small 2-acre section at Uruti Road and hope to move in before Christmas.
Tracey Cadogen
Information about Tracy goes here
Maria Moppett
Maria is Ngati Kuta, Ngati Manu, Ngapuhi and was born in Taitokerau Northland moving to Kororāreka when she was 3 years old. Maria initially worked at Auckland hospital in administration before travelling to England. There she met her future husband and got married before returning back to New Zealand and to the hospital. She then embarked on a long and rewarding career in education, working initially at Auckland Secondary School Training College. She joined Selwyn College as Executive Officer, where she took on the role of Buildings Project Manager and leading all support staff in the College. She returned home to Russell Kororāreka on her retirement in 2011.
Her grandfather, Hamiora Maioha was instrumental in the building of this Museum and a foundation Trustee so she feels privileged to continue on his legacy.
Jane Hindle
Jane has worked in the UK and Europe in the ICT sector before emigrating to New Zealand in 1990. After 10 years in Auckland in the telecommunications industry, she moved to Russell Kororareka. She was a business mentor for the tall ship R. Tucker Thompson resulting in a transfer of the ship into a Charitable Trust operating youth development programmes and tourism sailings. She is now the Executive Trustee for the
R. Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust
. Since moving North, she has learned Te Reo studying with Te Wanganga o Aotearea and then studying Te Tohu Huanga Maori PGDip Business at Auckland University.
Since then she has concentrated on her governance career serving on the boards of the Telecommunications Users Association; the Northland Economic Development Agency, the Regional Tourism Organisation, as well as Chair of Northtec. She was on the National Coordinating Committee of Tuia 250 is co-chair of Te Au Mārie Trust. She has served with several community organisations including 20 years with St John Ambulance. She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and is pleased to use these skills to serve the board of Russell Museum, Whare Taonga o Kororāreka.
Fiona Mohr
I have had a love of history and art ever since I can remember. As a result I have been working as an arts and heritage professional for the past 40 years. I have developed an affinity for community museums to assist in telling and connecting stories and taonga to people and place, and not just a repository for collections. History is what defines us as an individual, a society, and as a nation.
I initially did a couple of contracts for the Russell Museum before being offered the position of Manager Curator. Prior to here I was the Manager of the Waipu Museum for 4 years, where I successfully nominated the Nova Scotian documentary heritage collection for UNESCO Memory of the World listing. A consultancy I did in conducting a full audit and report of the Fiji Museum funded by relief aid from the Australia Government that brought me to New Zealand. I spent 5 years as a consultant working mostly in tandem with local government and community museums and galleries. I have worked for the Queensland Museum as regional Museum Development Officer for 13 years, Mary MacKillop Place Museum, the Art Gallery of NSW as Registrar of Exhibitions, and the Historic Houses Trust over the last 40 years. All of which I have enjoyed immensely.
Heather Lindauer
Formally Russell Museum’s curator for over twenty years, Heather took over the position from Marie King, our founding curator. Heather stepped down as curator in 2008 and was elected to the board in 2009. She served as Chair for the past 3 years stepping down in 2018. She is now the Library representative on the Board.
Recognized for her long time community service with the museum, as a teacher, a volunteer with the Order of St John, as an Anglican minister and a Justice of the Peace, Heather was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 2008.
Heather brings numerous skills to the Board, amongst them her vast knowledge of history of the Bay of Islands and Russell as well as her experience as a curator.
Heather acknowledges her interest in history and heritage, understanding how Museum’s operate and a willingness to share her knowledge of being a curator for over twenty years as motivating her work as a trustee.