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Overview
This is a glass, metal, and plaster brooch. In its centre is a glass oval. Indented into this is a pattern made up of a star surrounded by circles. Around the edge of the brooch is a twisted metal border, which is broken on one side. The clasp on the back is also broken.
Discovery
The brooch is part of a collection of objects found underneath the Randell family cottage when it was renovated in the 1990s. It was discovered in a small hole behind the chimney with other bits of jewellery and trinkets. These objects are thought to have been hidden by the three younger Randell daughters - Emily, Helen, and Constance - and may have been part of their elder sisters' broken jewellery.
The Randell Cottage
The Randell Cottage is at 14 St Mary Street in the suburb of Thorndon in Wellington. It was built by William Randell in 1867 for his family, who moved into the four-room cottage that year with seven children. By 1877 there were 10 children! William added two more rooms in 1874. He died in 1880 leaving his wife, Sarah, with five children aged 15 and under. Sarah and the family were supported by three of the elder children until she moved in with her daughter Emily in the suburb of Karori.
Acquisition
In 1994, Beverley Randell, great granddaughter of William and Sarah, purchased the cottage with the help of her own family. They refurbished it, keeping much to the original floor plan and furnishings. New foundations had to be laid and, during the digging, many objects were unearthed. As there was no formal rubbish collection in the 1870s, many hard, sharp, and unwanted objects were tossed beneath the house. Others most likely found their way down through cracks in the floorboards.
Beverley Randell donated the collection of finds to Te Papa in 2006. The objects provide a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of New Zealand's early European settler families.