SummaryCaptain Joseph Denham Brain (1841–1924) was a shipbuilder and community leader in Tauranga. Originally from the Isle of Wight, he served as ship’s carpenter and mate on the “Rangiriri” and the “Pioneer” gunboats during the New Zealand Wars. He established a shipyard in Tauranga, building vessels such as the cutter Dream and several scows. Brain contributed to local infrastructure, constructing bridges, wharves, and the first concrete retaining wall along The Strand. Active in regattas and local governance, he served on the Tauranga Borough Council. He built the Brain Watkins House, now a museum, where he lived with his wife, Kate Ellen Brain, and their five daughters
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Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, Brain, Joseph Denham, 1841-1924 (Person). Pae Korokī, accessed 16/11/2025, https://paekoroki.tauranga.govt.nz/nodes/view/109808