The Devonport Museum and Historical Society was registered on 24th September 1977 with the prime objective “to find, acquire, restore, preserve, maintain and/or exhibit any object or matter having any historical or pertinent connection or interest”. However, there had been earlier attempts to form a museum for Devonport. The most noteworthy was James Dunning’s July 1921 bequest to the Devonport Borough Council of his hunting trophies.

In fact, Devonport Borough Council was not initially favourable to the largest museum project in Auckland in the 1920s and 1930s, the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It declined to contribute to the initial funding in December 1923 and again in July 1928. Nevertheless, the Auckland War Memorial Museum Maintenance Act of October 1928 required local bodies in the Auckland area to contribute financially, and the Museum successfully opened in 1929. On at least three occasions between 1929 and 1945, the Devonport Borough Council did attempt to have a representative on the governing Council of that Museum, but was unsuccessful. From 1945, there was provision for just a single North Shore representative across the four local boroughs.
The late 1960s and 1970s were times of greater reflection in Aotearoa New Zealand concerning its place in the world, and from this developed an increasing interest in local and family history. The New Zealand Society of Genealogists was established in 1967 and the New Zealand History Federation in 1971. The North Shore Historical Society dates from 1976 and the Birkenhead Historical Society from 1979.
The first public mention of the Devonport Historic Society (also known as the Devonport Historical Association) was on 19th February 1976, when its President Paul Titchener (later Mayor of North Shore City 1992-1995) was featured in the ‘North Shore Times’ concerning the discovery of a Crimean War grave marker. Articles by him on the history of the North Shore had first appeared in that local newspaper from 10th September 1974, with an article on the “Guns of Devonport”. He concluded his ‘Beginnings’ column in July 1983 and also published seven volumes of those columns.
In March 1976, three groups came together to form a museum for Devonport. Not before time, as the oldest suburb on the North Shore had been undergoing gentrification for some years, with more people deciding to renovate and upgrade older houses rather than build a new house further out in the suburbs. Many also wanted to stay in the suburb where they, and often their parents and even grandparents, had grown up.
The three groups were Titchener’s Historic Society, the Devonport Borough Council (now much more aware of heritage matters) and the Devonport Library Associates (formed in 1969). However, there was still discussion as to the level of Council involvement and the ultimate location of the museum. In March 1976, Devonport Mayor, Pat Sheehan, suggested a local poll as to whether the Council should purchase an historic cottage for the museum, start a public fund with a ‘nominal sum’ or only offer non-financial help.   
Titchener spoke to around 80 people at a late March 1976 meeting of the Devonport Library Associates and supported locating the museum in the vacant rear of the historic former Duder’s store, on the corner of King Edward Parade and Church Street. The advantages were proximity to both the waterfront and the local hotel and restaurant, as well as plenty of carparking for visitors. He also envisioned that souvenirs and local arts and crafts could be sold there, making it as self-supporting as possible. There were offers of donations from local service clubs, exhibits lent from the Navy (the Royal New Zealand Naval Museum had been established in 1974 in a single room at HMNZS Philomel), and the North Shore Vintage Car Club (formed in 1973) offered to display some vehicles there.
That late March 1976 meeting also unanimously voted in favour of supporting a museum at Duder’s. and a special Devonport Borough Council sub-committee was set up for the project: Councillors M H Pritchard, W D Titchener, J A Lovett and R H S Keely.
The story continues, but at another preferred site.

david.verran@xtra.co.nz