Completed in 1881 by shipwright Capt. Joseph Brain for his family, it was registered by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga as a Historic Place Category 2 on 4 April 1983. The Victorian square villa was occupied by the Brain family for 98 years, and when the youngest of the five Brain sisters died in 1979, the house and contents were gifted to the Tauranga Historical Society. Committee
■ President
: Debbie McCauley
■ Vice-President: Meg Jones
■ Secretary: Erin Nicholson
■ Treasurer: Diane Bain
■ Iwi Representative: Buddy Mikaere (Ngāi Tamarāwaho)y
■ Committee: Bruce Brown
■ Committee: Loretta Crawford
■ Committee: Joseph McAuley
■ Committee: Sophie McCauley
■ Past-President: Beth Bowden
The story of the house is predominantly one of women. Kate Ellen Brain (née Bishop) had five daughters: Ada, Alice, Eleanor, Edith (Bessy) and Elva. Bessie worked as a milliner in Tauranga and many of her hats are on display in Brain-Watkins House as are her charcoal drawings. In 1957 she and her friend Alfred Byron were struck by a car doing a U-turn outside the front gate of the house, both later dying in Tauranga Hospital. Younger sister Elva's embroidery can be seen throughout the house. Elva was 72 years old when she married William George Watkins at nearby St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church on 17 August 1964 - hence the name Brain-Watkins House. Mature oak trees line the driveway alongside the house and other mature trees include two pear trees (remnants of the original orchard), a Chilean guava, a rimu and a pōhutukawa. The heritage garden also boasts clipped twin camellias (est. c.1906), lily-of-the-valley, Norfolk Island hibiscus, a bougainvillea, Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’, karaka, kōwhai, nīkau, ponga, pūriri, tī kōuka (cabbage tree) and tōtara. Brain-Watkins House Museum is open it to the public for guided tours each Sunday from 2-4pm. We welcome picnics in the grounds, but no food or drink in the heritage building. Please do not touch or handle any items on display. Prices
■ $5 Adult
■ Children free (up to 16 years of age)
Group Bookings
■ Tours are available to groups, clubs, societies and school groups.
■ Prices by arrangement
■ To pre-book a tour please email [email protected]
Brain-Watkins Hall for Hire
■ Meeting hall with kitchen and toilet facilities
■ Suitable for up to 25 people
■ $30 per half day | $50 full day.
■ Email bookings: [email protected]
Tauranga Historical Society Membership
■ Household $40 (annual subscription, donations welcome)
■ Bank account: SBS 03 1355 0660053 00 (please email us your name and contact details)
THS Talks: Lecture Series
■ Held in the Brain-Watkins Hall on the first Sunday each month from 2-3pm. Entry by koha. The opinions of contributors to this page are not necessarily those of the Tauranga Historical Society.
