Account of the Tarawera eruption by Elizabeth Sinclair, Jun 1886

Core Details

Date9 Jun 1886-21 Aug 1886Reference NumberMs 189DescriptionA personal account of the night of the Tarawera Eruption, 10 June 1886, and the days immediately following, as experienced by Elizabeth Sinclair who was located at Maketū, Bay of Plenty.

Please note, descriptions in this diary reflect the views of the time. It includes references to death and dying, including names of the deceased.

Miss Sinclair was staying at Ivy Isle, the home of the Spencer family in Maketū. The Reverend Seymour Mills Spencer had retired from the Wharekahu Church Missionary Society station, at Maketū, in 1883; however, the family continued to reside in the private home after the Reverend’s retirement and remained prominent members of the Maketū community.

Also present in the home that night, was the Way family. Mrs Emily Way was the daughter of Reverend Seymour Mills Spencer. She and her husband occupied the property Te Mu, at Te Wairoa, but spent considerable amounts of time with Mrs Way’s family at Ivy Isle.

Te Mu had been the Church Missionary Society station at Te Wairoa until 1870, when Reverand Spencer moved to Maketū, and the Way family took up residence later in the 1870s. Spencer had continued to use the property as a base when conducting his work in the Tarawera area. Te Mu was almost completely destroyed by the eruption. The family’s faithful companion, Mere Hamiora, known as Mary, was alone at Te Mu on the night of the eruption, but survived.

Elizabeth Sinclair was the Auckland Education Board teacher at Maketū School at the time of the eruption. She appears to have lived with the Spencer family at Ivy Isle and is referred to as the "Governess" by Emily Way in her journal.

The excerpt offers a valuable insight into the night of the eruption and the following days, as seen from Maketū, and also into the life of the Spencer family at that time.CreatorSinclair, ElizabethLevelItemFormatManuscriptExtent32 pagesPhysical DescriptionFoolscapLanguageEnglish

Access and Rights

Kaitiakitanga StatementPlease use taonga Māori materials provided by Rotorua Library, Te Aka Mauri, appropriately. Respect and be mindful of the creator/s, and the mana and dignity of individuals, iwi group/s, and environmental subjects within the material.
Cultural/Ethical StatusTapuRestrictionsCultural/ethical restrictions apply. Given the enduring impact of the Tarawera eruption, and this diary's descriptions of those affected, we ask that you carefully consider the re-use of this material.CopyrightNo known copyright

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Production NotesFit for production

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Account of the Tarawera eruption by Elizabeth Sinclair, Jun 1886

Account of the Tarawera eruption by Elizabeth Sinclair, Jun 1886

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