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. 

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. 

We sell our own publications and souvenirs such as mugs, fridgemagnets and coasters. 

Jenny Chalmers presenting her new book on the history of Tairua, July 2025

Jenny's new book is a readable story of the history of Tairua, designed for young students. This book will soon be available from the Heritage Centre, 223 Main Road, Tairua.

Jean Clarke our heritage seamstress

Jean Clarke has created a vintage dress to reflect the style of Mrs Cory-Wright of Tairua in 1916

Open Hours

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

Entry is free. 

Tairua trolling lure

Auckland Museum has in the collection a unique tangible link between Maori and the East Polynesian homeland. A fishing lure made from tropical black-lipped pearl shell (Pinctada margaritifera) was found in a 1964 archaeological excavation at Tairua on the Coromandel Peninsula. The lure is highly significant because it was made in East Polynesia and brought here, on a waka, with the Polynesian settlers of Aotearoa.