Holden’s cloak - in gratitude

A Māori chief from Waikato, New Zealand, gave this kahu kiwi (kiwi-feather cloak) to early European settler Thomas Holden, an accountant who spoke Māori. The gift honoured Holden's generosity. His great-granddaughter tells the story. 

A history of generosity

Helen Kedgley, a curator at Pātaka Museum in Porirua, New Zealand, is a great-granddaughter of Thomas Holden (1849–1920). She recalls the family history of the cloak:

‘According to my mother, the chief of the iwi [tribe] that lived near Te Aroha, beside the Waihau River, was forced to pay taxes on his land. Instead my great-grandfather Thomas Holden, a fluent Māori speaker, paid the taxes and did the necessary paperwork and accountancy for the chief for a period of around 10 years.

‘In gratitude, the chief eventually presented him with the kiwi-feather cloak, which was treasured by my family.’

Unique kākāpō-feather cloak

This is the only cloak in Te Papa's collection that includes feathers from the now-endangered kākāpō – a flightless, nocturnal parrot.