The History of Te Amorangi
Ko Te Amorangi ki Mua Ko te Hapai O ki Muri
(A very old Maori proverb loosely meaning "Spiritual things first, Secular things second")
AMORANGI: An emblem or symbol carried at the head of a religious procession by the chief priest
The house was built about 1924 by Horace Balfour Douslin, said to have been a friend of Sir Cecil Rhodes, a former Minister in his Government and a retired Inspector of Police in South Africa. It was the original farm house from which he controlled his farm which covered several hundred acres of surrounding country
The house is built in the Dutch Colonial style of architecture. The ground floor is constructed of concrete on steel mesh. The in-between floor is of 2" tongue and groove matai. Most of the interior fittings, windows etc were imported from Europe and the UK. The doors and door latches and some of the electrical fittings are still the originals. The original Canadian cedar shingles are still in place under the tiles on the present roof. Many of the larger trees were planted during Mr Douslin's occupancy and the servants' quarters and stables are still standing on another property in Robinson Avenue. The property was then known as the "Redwood Estate"
At a later date (unknown), the property passed to a Major Hannah but no further details of his residency are known
Sometime later, the property was bought by the Holden family, who carried out further development work; the property became known then as "The Gables"
It was the first house in the area to be connected to the electricity supply and as other houses were built in the street, their power was drawn from this house. Similarly, the water supply was also drawn from here, the supply point being a water run in a spring situated in the paddocks behind the present house on the other side of Robinson Avenue. As the subdivision developed, the water was supplied from a bore which was put down on the main property. This was still the case as late as the early 1960's. The street was then known as Bridgman Road - a mere pumice track and entry to it was gained by way of a Taranaki Gate near where the Holdens Bay Store is today at the junction of Te Ngae Road
In 1953, the property was brought by Arthur Sheward from the Holden family. On the death of his mother, Mrs May Sheward in 1957, Arthur donated more than half of the property to the Diocese of Waiapu for use as a Religious Education and Recreational Centre for the youth of the Diocese as a memorial to his mother
The name "Te Amorangi" was suggested by the Rev. Sam Rangihu of the Diocese who served with Mr Sheward in the 29th Maori Battalion. Of the original 6 acres bought by Mr Sheward, only about 1½ acres remain in private ownership and it is on this land that the Museum stands today. The Museum was established by Mr Sheward in 1952 as a private venture but by 1968 it had so outgrown this state that a Trust Board was established to service its operation
The main house is still in its original condition, apart from the addition of one room in 1960, but various other buildings have been moved to the 1½ acre site on the banks of the Waingaehe Stream. These buildings include the old Whakarewarewa Post Office, the Reporoa Cash Store and the old Rotorua jail and have been furnished with authentic memorabilia of the day. Te Amorangi Museum is also the base for the Rotorua Model Engineers who hold regular displays for the public
Buildings immediately to the east of the Museum form the Te Amorangi Anglican Centre on land gifted by Arthur Sheward's mother to the Waiapu Diocese