A. A. Brown, carpenter and builder, was born in London and came to New Zealand in 1885. After a period of moving around the lower North Island he settled in Waikanae and commenced farming on 400 acres just north of Waikanae at Paetawa. He built the famous tourist and visitor accommodation called Mahara House for Hēmi Mātenga. To complement the farming activities, Brown moved the old Stansell flax mill to Paetawa which the Brown family operated until 1930.
Brown Family Photo
Date: circa 1901 Title: Family photo in the early years at Paetawa Description: A family photo taken on the farm at Paetawa. The background gives an impression of land that was still being cleared and broken in. Records show that all the family and especially the sons were involved in the development and operation of the farm.
In the Photo are (left to right):
Back row HENRY (Harry), GEORGE, CAROLYN (Carolyn), THOMAS (Tom), HELEN (Nell)
Middle row ARCHIBALD ARTHUR (A A), ELIZABETH (Lizzie), REBECCA (A A’s wife)
Front row LAWRENCE (Lawrie), EMMA
Ring Binders for Receipts
Date: circa 1956 Title: Old Wooden Ring Binder Description: Despite all the work required on the Brown farm and in the flax mill someone had to keep track of all the accounts. This wooden backed ring binder with metal rings and hinged bottom clasp kept all the business invoices and receipts safely in one place. This ring binder was likely used by eldest son, Tom, who managed operations on behalf of the family.
Celebrating 100 Years at “Paetawa”
Date: March 2001
Title: Newspaper record of the celebration of the Brown Family centennial at the farm “Paetawa” north of Waikanae.
Description: Around 65 descendants and relatives of the Brown family gathered on March 11, 2001 to celebrate 100 years since their forebears arrived in Waikanae. March 11, 1901 was the day Archibald Arthur Brown and his wife Rebecca Emma and their eight children arrived in Waikanae from Palmerston North where Archibald had built houses and Rebecca and the eldest children had kept and milked cows for a living. The two oldest sons walked the cows from Palmerston North to Waikanae, milking them morning and night along the way. The rest of the family and all their belongings, including pigs, travelled by train and disembarked at Hadfield Railway Station where Peka Peka is now. The pigs were enticed from the station to their new surroundings by a trail of small potatoes dropped on the road ahead of them. Archibald, Rebecca and the family made their home at "Paetawa" north of Waikanae on land they leased, and later purchased from the Parata family. "Paetawa" is still farmed by Brown descendants. In the early part of the century the Browns were involved in flax milling.
Mess Tin Tongs
Date: circa 1941
Title: Jim Brown’s mess tin tongs.
Description: Metal hinge action tongs which easily grip the side of the soldier’s hot mess tin after it has been used to cook or re-heat army rations. This item together with accompanying knife and rectangular mess tin belonged to A A Brown’s grandson Jim Brown during his World War 2 overseas service in the NZ Army.