Samuel Middlebrook Collection

This collection was donated by Samuel's descendants in 2013, when the Katikati Heritage Museum was morphing into the Western Bay Museum. The collection had been residing at Auckland Museum and Thames Museum before being returned to the family, who donated it here. There are 193 objects, mostly taonga Māori, but also some of Samuel’s personal possessions and some natural history specimens. Samuel was given a lot of the taonga Māori as he travelled around the district translating for the Māori Land Court and doing dentistry! His dental kit is in the collection too.

Samuel lived in Waihi for the final years of his life and had a small private museum next to his home on Adams Street. In 2022, our Collections Curator interviewed a man who remembered going to the museum as a child and remembered Samuel in his later years. That man sadly passed away shortly thereafter. Below are a few examples from Samuel’s collection and you can see many more in our museum.

You can also view objects belonging to the Samuel Middlebrook Collection on eby clicking here.