1961 | April 7th. Foundation of the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club at a meeting arranged by Pat Devlin for interested parents and children |
1961 | June. Display put up at a show for the NZ Royal Society – put the Club in the public eye for the first time |
1962 | Club’s first camp held at Port Waikato |
1962 | Land on which Te Kauri Lodge now stands is donated by Doug and Ngaire Anderson |
1962 | 41 acres of the donated Anderson land handed over to the Department of Lands and Survey to become Te Kauri Scenic Reserve. |
1962 | Special Inaugural Meeting – Club became an incorporated society |
1962 | First building constructed – the Ablution Block/Laundry |
1963 | irst camp at Te Kauri – under canvas |
1963 | Donation from the Hamilton Rotary Club provided for the construction of the Dining/Kitchen block |
1963 | Golden Kawaka found in Te Kauri Park giving the ridge on which it was found its name (Kawaka Ridge) |
1964 | Two spotless crakes from and endangered population near Pirongia captured in a joint effort by Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club and NZ Wildlife Service and released in Te Kauri Park |
196? | New species of hebe found on Hauturukanakeneke |
1965 | Dormitory block with basement constructed. |
1966 | First trip to Mayor Island |
196? | Construction of first goat exclosure on Kawaka Ridge |
1966 | Kokako rediscovered in Te kauri Park/Oparau area – 50 years since previous sighting |
1966 | Junats first to record nesting of North Island kokako from eggs to hatching and feeding of chicks. |
1968 | Coral Cave and Tahuraiti Cave explored |
1970 | First publication of “Te Kauri”, the HJNC Journal |
1970 | Second study of native land snails in Te Kaur and surrounding regions – 4 further species recorded |
1970 | August. Te kauri pengion discosvered by ex-Junats leading a club trip |
1973 | Junat Sue Pullon wins ‘Young Conservator of the Year’ |
1980 | Completion of the study of Maori middens with recordings made at 36 sites around the Kawhia Harbour |
1982 | Junat Peter de Lange wins ‘Young Conservator of the Year’ |
198? | Discovery of Mata Atua on the shore of Kawhia Harbour – lost taonga of Tainui |
198? | Discovery of the ‘Erebor’ cave system – believed to be the largest cave system in the region. |
1986 | Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club 25th Jubilee Reunion |
1987 | Excavate NZ’s fourth most complete moa skeleton |
1990 | In-depth study of Kawhia shellfish species distribution by ?????? with the assistance of parents and other club members |
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2001 | 40th Anniversary Reunion |
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2002 | Renowned Enlish botanist Dr David Ballamy visits Te Kauri to launch the Te Kauri Park Scenic Reserve ecological restoration project |
2004 | Te Kauri Waikuku Trust set up by Junats to manage the forest restoration project and the schools environmental education programme at Te Kauri Lodge. The Trust is a partnership between Junats, Department of Conservation, Ngati Hikairo Enviroschools Foundation, |
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200? | Kanukanui cave discovered in Muturangi Valley |
2006 | Fossil giant penguin found by Junats in a field trip at Te Waitere – now on display at Waikato museum. |
2006 | Junats win Harold Wellman Prize for the most outstanding fossil find of the year |
2008/10 | Club Museum completely rebuilt in basement. |