Pam and Pat McGrath celebrate thirty years of management

A great celebration

April 1st, 2011 was a great reason to celebrate for Pam and Pat McGrath, owner operators of Rotorua’s Buried Village as this date marked thirty years since they began managing the award winning heritage site.

The Buried Village was originally established by Pam’s grandparents Reginald and Violet Smith in 1931, forty five years after the devastating eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886.

After Reginald and Vi retired, Pam’s parents Dudley and Nora Smith managed the business for forty years and it was during their management that much of the excavated work was carried out.

Today, it is Pam and Pat that carry on the tradition of developing this very special heritage site, honouring the family legacy by restoring, preserving and showcasing Te Wairoa Buried Village for future generations.

Some of the major developments in the last thirty years include the interactive, educational world-class Museum of Te Wairoa in 1999, extending the walkways within the park, maintaining the integrity of the archaeological sites and putting in place the guided tour programme.

Next year will also be filled with exciting development, with the first stages of the 2020 plan being put in place.