A Historical Review

Alister Matheson Articles

Bay of Plenty Journal of History

Alister Matheson was a noted Tauranga historian and the descendent of a Matua pioneer family (1926 – 2011), devoting his lifetime to to researching local history focusing on Otumoetai and Maketu. Educated at Otumoetai Primary School and King’s College, he received the Tauranga Heritage Award in 1999 for his contributions to preserve the area’s history.

An author of books on Motiti Island and the Wairere Track, the book on the old Maori and missionary track across the Kaimai Range helped raise funds for the Elms Trust. He also wrote 41 articles for the Tauranga Historical Society’s journal, including many on Maketu and the Maori history of the Western Bay of Plenty.

Date Article Title & Click to view Volume Journal # Period Page #'s
Nov 1987 Hunting in Tauranga with the Waikato Hounds Part 2 35 2 1897-1931 85 to 102
May 1989 Tapsell's Big Guns 37 1 1 to 12
May 1991 Captain Fred Norris and the Bay of Plenty Coastal Trade 39 1 1907-1924 1 to 20
Nov 1991 Fishing at Old Maketu 39 2 63 to 73
May 1992 Boy Scout Camps at Maketu 40 1a 1914-1940 34 to 37
May 1992 Maketu - The Wharf that wasn't built 40 1b 38 to 39
May 1993 "Ivy Isle" 41 1 24 to 33
Nov 1994 The Kaituna and Waihi river Fords and ferry Services - Maketu 42 2 78 to 95
May 1995 History of Waiorongomai Goldfield 43 1a 1 to 14
May 1995 The Maketu Hotels 43 1b 42 to 50
May 1995 Maketu Post Office 43 1c 51 to 63
Nov 1995 Law and Order at Maketu 43 2 106 to 122
May 1996 The Schools at Maketu 44 1 1849 - 1996 24 to 48
Nov 1996 Early Maketu Storekeepers 44 2 91 to 118
May 1998 Maketu Notes 46 1 15 to 32
Nov 1998 More Maketu Notes 46 2 99 to 100
Nov 1999 Bay of Plenty Shipwrecks 47 2 77 to 81
May 2000 The Storm that Wrecked the Falcon 48 1 1 March 1840 8 to 24
Nov 2000 The Peace Stone - Otumoetai Pa Site, Tauranga 48 2 103 to 109
May 2001 Wharekahu C.M.S. Mission Station, Maketu - The Chapmans 49 1 1845-1861 49 to 57
Nov 2001 Wharekahu C.M.S. Mission Station, Maketu - Ihaia Te Ahu 49 2 1861-1870 70 to 75
Nov 2002 Wharekahu C.M.S. Mission Station, Maketu - The Spencers 50 2 1870-1887 64 to 75
May 2005 The Carved Houses of Maketu 53 1 16 to 42
Nov 2005 Old Maketu: Further Notes - J.J. Piercy's History of Maketu 53 2a 48 to 51
Nov 2005 Fort Colvile: Pukemaire Redoubt - From emily Kirby's Letters 53 2b 1864-66 66 to 71
May 2008 Otumoetai Railway Station, Tauranga 56 1 11 to 19
May 2009 A Significant Contribution: An Acknowledgement of Alister Matheson's Contribution to the Historial Review Journal, by Stephanie Smith 57 1a 7
May 2009 World War II - "Maketu Boys Praised" 57 1b 8 to 12
May 2009 Catholic Missionaries at Maketu 57 1c 13 to 19
May 2009 The Beach 57 1d 20 to 22