Founding member of Steampunk Tauranga, Ann Dugmore has spent the past decade immersed in the imaginative retro-futuristic world of goggles, gowns, and Victorian fantasy.

Her friend Lindsey Morgan recently captured that spirit in a striking photograph now on display along The Strand as part of the ‘Old is the New Black’ exhibition. The photo won the ‘Outrageous Flamboyance’ category of the 2025 competition which was part of a week-long ‘Young at Heart’ festival celebrating the community’s older members.

“That photo was taken when our steampunk group went to the circus,” Dugmore said. “I wore clown makeup – no one else did, not even the real clowns! But the children loved it and wanted photos with me. Lindsey’s such a good photographer; I like that photo very much.”

Dugmore’s steampunk alter ego, The Honourable Mrs Minerva Cholmonderley-Smythe, has many guises – from interstellar admiral to Victorian war correspondent. Steampunk fashion draws from Victorian sensibilities, with an attitude of mind and social behaviour that involves being ‘splendid’ in everything one does.

More than 80

With more than 80 costumes in her collection, Dugmore has plenty of characters to choose from.

Originally from England, her creative background as head of art at Kamo High School in Whangārei has carried through to her passion for medieval and Victorian costume design.

She’s currently working on three new costumes, adding panniers to a Victorian dress featuring bumblebees; “making more” of a Gustav Klimt-inspired design; and a third one which she said is “hush hush”.

“I will be joining the Whangarei Kraken’s Lair in the Thames Steampunk Festival parade in November. They buy material that we all get a piece of to incorporate into our costumes, but it must be a secret.”

Tauranga’s Ann Dugmore next to the photo her friend Lindsey Morgan took of her for the Old is the New Black exhibition, on show on The Strand. Photo / Brydie Thompson.

She said most steampunk enthusiasts make their own outfits or start with op-shop finds.

“Once you’ve made one, you get an idea for the next – it just keeps growing.”

Her love of dressing up steampunk began with medieval re-enactments and several visits to Napier’s Art Deco festival, before a friend invited her to NZ’s steampunk capital, Oamaru.

“I said ‘Yes’ before I even knew what steampunk was. After that I thought I really should get a group going in Tauranga.”

2017

After moving from Whangarei to Paeroa and then to Tauranga with teaching jobs, Dugmore founded Steampunk Tauranga in 2017. Four enthusiasts attended that first meeting at a café at the Historic Village – and the growing group has been adding a splash of colour to community events ever since, from teapot races to charity duck races.

Now 75, Dugmore is busy sharing her creativity. This week she headed to Auckland overnight to dress up as steampunk for a catwalk and a “talk to some old people in an old folks’ home” taking her booklet of 70-80 costume images, a couple of costumes and some hats.

She said Tauranga has a lot more going for it than Whangarei.

“I’m getting older, I’ve got a lovely little cottage here, and I love my garden. I must think about the future and my daughter suggested that I build a house on her land up in Whangarei.

Realistic

“So eventually I shall probably move up there, although I don’t really want to. I love where I am at the moment, but I’m realistic about what it’s like getting older.”

For Dugmore, creativity – like steampunk itself – never goes out of style.