‘Do the right thing’: Family’s plea after ancestor’s portrait stolen from Hamilton home
Sunday, 22 February 2026
For 45 years, Harata Rewiri Tarapata watched over the Allen family from her place on the wall at the top of the staircase.
To them, she was more than just paint on canvas. She was a steady presence who they would wish goodnight to as they headed up to bed each night.
She was Kuia Harata, an ancestor.
But on February 4, the Vera Cummings portrait of Harata was reportedly stolen from the Allen whānau’s home.
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Jane Allen’s 91-year-old father, Donald Allen, died last August, after suffering serious injuries when a 650kg steer stormed through central Hamilton and into his home.
The bizarre incident involved a frantic cattle chase through the house, and gun-toting police turned cowboys herding the angry steer with a ute before shooting it dead.
“It was incredible Dad wasn’t killed straight away,” Allen told the Sunday Star-Times.
Donald suffered seven broken ribs that damaged his heart, a compound fracture with bone protruding from his leg, and a significant head injury. He survived – just – but never fully recovered.
“He was terribly hurt. I thought he was dead,” Allen recalls. “But he didn’t want vengeance. He didn’t want to make a fuss. That was Dad. A brave Scottish man who’d give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it.”
Throughout his recovery, Donald remained in the family home of nearly 60 years when he could – the place filled with his grandchildren’s laughter, small treasures collected over decades, and his beloved portrait of Harata.
Ultimately, Donald died about six months after the attack from complications related to his injuries, and the family home was listed for sale at his request.
That’s when, Allen believes, the problems began.
One real estate agent remarked on “valuable art” in the home and told Allen she should remove the painting. Another agent was shown through the house without the family’s prior knowledge.
According to Allen, one even suggested the portrait might be worth a fortune – possibly mistaking it for the work of either Charles Goldie or Gottfried Lindauer.
“One of them said they’d been told it could be worth $1 million, and I just remember thinking, ‘What an odd thing to say’.”
Cummings was in fact a student of Goldie, best known for his portrayal of Māori elders. The most expensive of his works sold at auction in 2024 for more than $3.7m.
While precious to the family, the likely market value of their Cummings is closer to $5000, Allen says.
But after the comments, she and her sister decided to package up the painting and hide it while they sorted their father’s affairs.
Still, small items began disappearing from the house. At first, it was things like trinkets Donald had been gifted over the years, easily overlooked at first.
“We thought we were going mad, things were just disappearing.”
Then, on February 4, the family realised Harata was gone.
“I think someone thought they’d struck gold,” Allen says. “But they haven’t. She’s not even worth that much monetarily, but she is to us.”
According to Allen, whoever took the painting must have known exactly where to look. The alarm system had been disabled and security cameras overridden.
Adding to the “insanity” of the past year, a gang-related homicide occurred on Allen’s late father’s driveway in December of last year.
“It’s like a movie. In 58 years nothing happened here. Then in the past year – a steer through the house, Dad’s death, a homicide on the driveway, and now this.”
Allen has contacted art houses nationwide and alerted experts to ensure the painting can’t easily be sold.
“It’s like having a member of your family stolen. It’s about the disrespect. Her mana is being trampled on.
“Some people might call it karma. We call it tapu. Harata is an important member of our family. To take her like that – from a 91-year-old man’s home – is just wrong.”
Allen hopes anyone who may know something about the theft will come forward.
“I just think there must be a Kiwi out there who doesn’t feel comfortable about this. Someone who knows something, who doesn’t feel comfortable with things being pilfered from a frail 91-year-old man's house.”
No questions asked, the painting can be left anonymously at any art house or dropped at any Stuff office around the country (including The Waikato Times office in central Hamilton), Allen says.
“Just do the right thing. These aren’t priceless jewels we’re talking about here. This is me appealing to their Kiwi goodwill.”
The house remains monitored, with family members in the home and additional police-provided security in place.
Detective Senior Sergeant Scott McKenzie confirmed police received a report of the burglary on February 4.
He asked that anyone with information about the burglary contact police via 105, referencing file number 260204/5158 or ‘Operation Vigo’.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.