E mihi ana ki ngā tohu ō nehe, ō Hauraki
E mihi ana ki ngā tāngata whenua ō te rohe nei
We recognise the ancestral and spiritual landmarks of Hauraki.
We acknowledge the indigenous people of this area.
Do you or your family have historic connections to the Coromandel-Hauraki area? Are you interested in knowing more about this region's rich and significant past? If so, you have found your way to the right place. There is every chance Te Whare Pātaka | The Treasury can help you bring to life the stories of bygone days that you are seeking.
Te Whare Pātaka | The Treasury, a heritage research centre and archive, has its home in Te Kauaeranga | Thames on the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula. Having evolved into specialists in family records, we collect, house, preserve and make accessible paper-based records of the history of the people, organisations and businesses from our rohe/area which includes the entire Coromandel Peninsula and the Hauraki area including Paeroa, Waikino, Waihi, the Hauraki Plains, Ohinemuri and Te Aroha.
Our centre is housed within two extraordinary buildings side by side at 705 Queen Street, Thames, each quite imposing in their own way and completely juxtaposed architecturally. The Thames Carnegie Library, built in 1905, was refurbished by Thames-Coromandel District Council in 2007 and reopened as The Treasury in 2009. Today the Carnegie Library is recognised as a Category 2 Building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Alongside it, our Archive is a bespoke designed, award-winning state of the art facility, stark in its architecture, which respectfully and artistically interprets aspects of the Carnegie Library design. Read more about the buildings.
At Te Whare Pātaka | The Treasury, the past is not lost. It is tended carefully and respectfully. The stories are honoured and told. Currently holding largely post-colonisation records, an active move toward broader cultural inclusion in our collections is underway.
Led by heritage sector professionals, our team of history-passionate volunteers are here to help you explore detail of the lives of those who came before you and us.
An important update on our operations
We’re thrilled to announce that Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga - Thames School of Mines (TSoM) has officially joined Te Whare Pātaka | The Treasury in the historic Carnegie Library! Our shared facility in Grahamstown, Thames, creates a space where the community can explore, learn, and connect with taonga, stories, and archives.
Catalogue now online
Our archive catalogue is now available online! It opens the doors to a trove of historical records, including digitised images of the Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki District. Approximately 40% of our collection has been catalogued with more being added every day. Click here to start searching.
We wouldn’t be able to safeguard our treasures or share them with you without vital funding and partnerships. There are a number of ways you can support what we do:
Volunteer with us
Donate
Become a member
Follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages
Subscribe to our e-newsletters.
The Treasury’s doors are open to both physical and remote visitors. You can explore our abundant collections in person; or you can engage our skilled research team to assist you or even to do all the research yourself; and as more and more of our collection is catalogued and digitised, in the future our whole Archive and Reading Room resources will be accessible and you will be able to research virtually.
Collecting and telling the stories of our rohe/district is The Treasury's core purpose. Learn more about the events that moulded our region, help us preserve our history for future generations, and support The Coromandel Heritage Trust by purchasing from our bookshop today.
This quote was the opening statement of The Coromandel Heritage Trust’s successful 2013 application to Lottery Environment & Heritage which was the final enabler of the Archive build. Daring to dream is what has created the Archive we see today at The Treasury.
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