Thief flees with Kelly's treasure

By TONY GEE and TONY STICKLEY

An irreplaceable collection of maritime treasure salvaged by one of the country's most colourful divers has been stolen - and police fear it is headed overseas.

Northland police have issued airport alerts for a man they want to question about the disappearance of up to $500,000 of historic gold jewellery, coins and relics from Kelly Tarlton's shipwreck museum and restaurant at Waitangi.

The extensive collection of 18-carat gold jewellery and coins, described as priceless because of its historical value, dates back more than 100 years.

Staff on the permanently moored vessel Tui discovered the theft from the below-deck museum shortly before 8 pm on Saturday while tourists and visitors were still on board.

At the same time, a crew member who worked in the restaurant was found to have disappeared. He had not been seen by other staff and crew since 7.30 pm.

Police believe the 24-year-old, who lived locally, left the ship by a fire exit from the lower deck and that only one person was involved in removing the jewellery.

Missing items from the glass-covered vault include some of the famous Rothschild jewellery lost when the Tasmania sank in raging seas off the Mahia Peninsula near Gisborne on July 29, 1897.

Isodore Rothschild, the son of an English jewellery manufacturer who had brought some pieces for sale in New Zealand, was one of the lucky survivors. But he was told to leave his case of jewellery behind in his cabin because there was no room in the lifeboat.

Not prepared to give up on the fortune in gems, he later bought the wreck from the insurers and, according to one report, devised a scheme to raise it using 2000 balloons - to no avail.

Diver and treasure hunter Kelly Tarlton bought the rights from the Rothschilds for $3000 in the early 70s.

His widow, Rosemary, said yesterday at Waitangi that the collection was priceless - "It's part of New Zealand's history. Kelly spent decades risking life and limb to recover it."

The missing items include miniature gold bicycles, gold rings, charms, brooches, studs, fob watches, sovereigns, lockets and ruby and diamond bracelets.

Mrs Tarlton said a considerable collection of greenstone had also gone, along with a number of gold coins recovered by her husband from the wreck of the steamer Elingamite, which ran into the Three Kings Islands in dense fog on November 9, 1902.

The passenger steamer plying between Sydney and Auckland was carrying a consignment of gold and silver coin for banks in Christchurch and Dunedin.

Paihia Constable Brian Swann said police had found no trace of the man they want to question at his address on Saturday night. They have alerted airport authorities in case he tries to leave the country.

Constable Swann said police were looking at the possibility that others might assist the fugitive, but they were sure only one person was responsible for the collection's disappearance from the Tui's museum.

He said police understood the missing items were valued at $250,000 to $500,000.

Police have spoken to a number of people who were on the Tui but want to contact anyone they have not approached who was in the ship's restaurant or museum on Saturday night.