This Hanukkah season Purewa remembers photographer Frank Hofmann. Frank made New Zealand his home from 1940 after fleeing Nazi persecution in his native Prague. An influential proponent of the New Photography, Frank’s genius continues to inspire us today, his...
Mary Annabella Geddes was a pioneer of service to women. As a daughter of Ngāti Toro (Ngāpuhi) she remained proud of her Māori heritage, passing her values and identity to the following generations. Mary and her twin brother, Alexander, were born in 1864 at the...
Purewa Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 500 men and women who fought in wars spanning the sweep of Auckland’s history. These include the New Zealand Wars 1843-1872, the South African War (formerly known as the Boer War) 1899-1902, WWI 1914-1918,...
A Happy Lunar New Year from All of Us at Purewa 四季平安過旺年 Wishing You Four Seasons Peace and a Flourishing Year On this occasion we wish to remember and honour Thomas Henry Ah Chee (4 January 1928 – 18 March 2000) whose contribution to New Zealand enriched the lives of...
Sir Edward Elgar’s most popular works evoke emotions of melancholy and nostalgia. What is surprising is that he likely drew his inspiration from a Kiwi source, his long-ago fiancé Helen Weaver and her son Kenneth. Here’s the story of Sir Edward...
Doctor, inventor, linguist, musician, clergyman, publisher, architect and legendary surgeon, Arthur Guyon Purchas was New Zealand’s Renaissance Man. This year, some 200 family descendants celebrated his life at a reunion in Auckland. Introducing AGP Purchas...
