Opening Day

Kia ora katoa.

Humblest apologies for neglecting you all in April - getting the museum open took every minute of the days and most of the nights but, we did it. Saturday 30April saw us gather in brilliant sunshine for the ceremonies.

With much anticipation Aotea Utanganui – Museum of South Taranaki opened on Saturday 30 April. The official celebration comprised a powhiri and speeches by kaumatua representing local iwi and our manuhiri (guests). David Crompton, the Chairperson of the South Taranaki District Museum Trust and the Mayor of South Taranaki, Ross Dunlop also spoke.


After a karakia from Syd Kershaw, the ribbon was cut by Ross Dunlop and puhi, Hinetawhirangi Kershaw. Jenny Kershaw, the mother of our puhi, had performed a similar function when the original museum opened in 1974.


Visitor reaction was very positive with ‘awesome’, ‘amazing’ and ‘much better than we expected’, being the common theme of many comments.

Syd Kershaw delivering the karakia.

Stepping up with the scissors, the Mayor Ross Dunlop and Hinetawhirangi Kershaw, with Syd Kershaw in the background.

Inside – the long-term gallery displays.

I will add more photos and more detail soon - many thanks for your patience with our silence.

Come and visit us soon. We are open from 10am - 4pm every day except Xmas Day and Good Friday.

Ka kite ano!. 

Remembering Romance

On February 14 – a day for lovers, romantics and the young at heart, Patea Library Plus celebrated by inviting everyone to a Remembering Romance morning tea. Aotea Utanganui – Museum of South Taranaki contributed to the occasion by taking along a wedding dress from the collection.

Ruth Merrigan who wore the dress to her wedding in 1943 started the reminiscences off by recalling her special day. Her husband was working as a seaman on the Royal New Zealand Navy hospital ship Maunganui and had only three days leave. The wedding took place in St Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Oxford St, Patea. There are no photographs because film was rationed and they could not get any.

About thirty years later Ruth McKay was looking for costumes for the Hawera Players and Ruth Merrigan offered her wedding dress, which was gratefully accepted. It graced the stage in many productions and was even worn by Ruth McKay in a fashion parade. Eventually she donated the gown to the museum in 1997.

The gown is made from cream satin. The slim fit and simple styling would have suited the austerity of the times. The principal adornment is a series of self-covered buttons along the forearms and down the back. There is a delicate gesture to a train in a slight flare at the foot of the gown.

This elegant yet modest dress would have been fitting attire for a bride at that time. What makes it special to our collection is the story that belongs to it, of a young woman, still resident in Patea by the way, whose hopes and dreams of romance and married happiness were embodied in this wedding dress.



See you all on April 30 at 11.00am for the Grand Opening of the new museum!

Ka kite ano.

15th Century Artefacts Return Home

Monday March 7 was a significant day for South Taranaki as the Waitore Artefacts, 15th century relics of human habitation in the district were returned to Aotea Utanganui – Museum of South Taranaki.

The taonga were first discovered by the late Livinsgston Baker in the 1960s. He found pieces of wood protruding from the mud on his farm after a creek had been in flood. Over the next eight years more taonga were found. He eventually managed to organise a dig with a team of archaeologists from Auckland University. Carbon-dated to the 15th century, these artefacts are among the earliest evidence of humans living in New Zealand.

At that time the museum in Patea did not have a suitable environment for storing or displaying these precious treasures, so they were cared for by Puke Ariki in New Plymouth. With the new museum building having appropriate temperature and humidity controls, it was time for these taonga to return home. They were accompanied on their journey by Puke Ariki staff and members of their Kaumatua Kaunihera.

A rapturous welcome awaited them – kaumatua and representatives of four local iwi, children from the Wai-o-Turi Kohanga Reo and students from Patea Area School, along with museum staff were waiting in brilliant sunshine to receive these taonga. After an emotional powhiri, the taonga were passed into the care of the museum. They will play an important role in the exhibitions that are currently being readied for display.

The new museum opens to the public on April 30 at 11am. All welcome!

What a Triumph!

The Edison Triumph Phonograph is a thing of beauty. The case is of fine golden oak and the lettering on the decal swirls and flows across the front. The Triumph was the mid-range machine - sturdy, well built, with a Triple-Spring motor that can run for half an hour. This was unprecedented at the time and ensured good sales. It was first marketed in 1900 and the Triumph range was in production until 1913. The one in our collection is from around 1904.

Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, developed the first phonograph in 1877. He was a prolific inventor who put the profits from the sale of his telegraphy machine into an industrial complex dedicated to the production of his inventions. He is said to have pioneered the assembly-line approach with his business and thus was able to utilise the time and energy of his workers most efficiently.

Whilst it may not fit into your pocket,  it is portable. The wax cylinders it plays ran for two or four minutes, approximately the length of a song. It could be said to be the 1904 equivalent of a boom box. The Edison Triumph is a spectacular example of the sound engineering of its day.


It will be on display when we open to the public on April 30 so make a date to visit us to see this lovely piece.

Opening Day

Kia ora katoa.

We have an Opening Day - it is Saturday April 30 at 11am. All invited!

Dust off your glad-rags and we will look forward to seeing you.

The local community are organising all day celebrations with food stalls and a craft market so there will be heaps to do once the speeches and formal ceremonies are over.

It will be a great day for Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki and the community.

The central focus of our exhibitions are the stories of South Taranaki and the people who live here, so come and celebrate with us on our special day.

Ka kite ano!

What's in a label?

Kia ora.

One of the most important aspects of an exhibition is the labels - these have to be concise, accurate and legible. The choice of font and of font size is as critical as the information that the label displays. Every object in an exhibition will have a label, so what is that label meant to do? The basic facts are a given, such as the title of a work or the object name, the media from which it is made, the name of the maker, the date it was made and who owns it. The last is only relevant if the piece is on loan to your institution. This sort of factual information is contained in what we call an Object Label.

If we want to include a little more about a particular piece - maybe the story behind it's making, or an explanation, then we develop an Extended Object Label, where a sentence or two of description or story allows the museum visitor to understand the relevance of the item to the broader exhibition themes. These are more fun to write, but also immensely more challenging as the sentence or two has to be precise, easy to read and convey the pertinent information in no more than  fifty words, or thereabouts.

There are also Thematic Labels, Segmental Labels and Introductory Labels - more on those next post; time is pressing and  we have hundreds of labels to write.............

ka kite ano!

Happy Reading

Label writing is the type of activity that does not immediately strike a chord with many people but museum folk are different - a label that concisely explains to the visitor what a particular item on display is, and why it is worthy of their attention, is a joy to all who labour over these.

The next few weeks will see the team at Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki writing for all we are worth. Each object on display has to have a label. These are a key interpretive tool and central to how the visitor "reads" the exhibition. In addition there is introductory text that welcomes and offers a brief guide as to what a visitor might expect to see, and thematic labels that sum up the main themes of the exhibition.

Every word is scrutinised to ensure that it is precise and accurate and that the meaning and intent is clear. An editor will check for continuity of style, grammar and spelling, and a fact-checker will make sure that the information is correct. Once the label has passed these gruelling tests the graphic artist lays the text out.

The typeface, the font size, spacing - every aspect is considered, as a label that is difficult to read is almost worse than none at all. A proof copy  allows a final check and then it is off to the printer.

The last stage is installation - labels have to be placed in proximity to the object they describe, and also in the optimal position so that the text is clear to the visitor. Lighting has to be angled so that both the object and the label are clearly visible.

All this so that you, the museum visitor can skim across the label and, at a glance, take in all the pertinent information and move on....... happy reading everyone!

Claiming the past

Kia ora katoa. Happy New Year!

2011 holds so much for Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki - the most exciting event will be our re-opening. The date is not yet confirmed but as soon as it is, you will be informed. We have a huge amount of work to get done before then so no holidays for us!

It has not all been slaving over the computer - we have been out and about photographing the old dairy factories for a "then and now" comparison. Some of the buildings have found new uses as homes, workshops, businesses - panel beating and spray painting seem very popular - but many are empty and crumbling into ruins. There is something rather poignant about a building being taken over by  nature, a force that destroys as it beautifies, the inherent sadness of the picturesque.

This was the Kapuni Branch of the Kaupokonui Co-op Dairy Factory Co. Kaupokonui merged with the T.L. Joll company in 1963 to form Kiwi Co-operative Dairies Ltd.



Meri Kirihimete - back online at last!

Kia ora katoa

Apologies for the long silence - there was definitely a gremlin in the works somewhere as I could not sign in to the blog, hence it was impossible to post.......not the greatest but, the whizzkids in IT have done their thing and here we are back online! Hoorah!

So much has been happening Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki....the funding for the exhibition was secured in October thanks to a generous grant from the South Taranaki District Council so the exhibition development has proceeding apace. Object lists, communication goals, interpretive media - all the jargon is in full use and the museum team is working to capacity and beyond to get the doors open.

We have been fortunate to get all sorts of help from our friends and volunteers - the Machinery Restoration Group has been busy with wire brushes and borer treatment, cleaning off rust and zapping those pesky borer beetles before they can get out and about. A lot of the collection needs restorative work before it can go on display so we have a lot to do.........

This gorgeous little jigger is looking much better now that it has been cleaned. I really like the bright red paint. Imagine the excitement you would have felt if you were five and found this under your Christmas Tree in 1920! Oh happy day!

Meri Kirihimete to you all and best wishes for health and happiness in 2011.

Crossing the Road

Kia ora katoa.

We have had a most exciting time in the last few days because the men from MWH have been completing the traffic calming and crossing place between the museum and the library. While this may not seem terribly exciting to you, it is exciting to us because the project has been stalled for months by bad weather, and we have had partially completed traffic islands overflowing with water and collecting assorted rubbish. but this week the sun has been shining, and the men have been out with their machines......................



and with their hammers and cool Braille bumps so that people with a sight disability can find their way…………………
And after much drilling and gluing, sweeping and sticking, the crossing is complete. I really like this as it will it will slow down the traffic and make it much easier for people to get from the library to the museum safely. Hoorah! Thanks to Kat and her team at MWH – good work!

I have been having problems uploading images; the format has changed and I am struggling to get beyond a grey square with a circular series of dots in the centre..........so until I can figure this out there will be no illustrations on this blog. I do apologise for this.

If you know how to resolve this please let me know via comments, or
email me at: kristelle.plimmer@stdc.govt.nz or  phone the museum on 0064 6 273 8354.

I will keep trying

ka kite ano

Butter Marking

Kia ora katoa

a couple of posts ago I published some photos of a large wooden screw-type thing; we now know that it is a butter auger. Curious indeed - what does it do? Well, a butter auger came  into it's own towards the end of the process - once the cream had been churned and the butter formed, the whey was drained off and the butter fell into a large funnel where the auger was situated. As the auger turned, the butter was pushed along and out into a mould. It was then marked with a textured rolling pin-type device like this:

Thus labelled as being an example of New Zealand's finest, the butter was boxed up and packaged for export.

The rolling-pin butter labeller we have in our collection is very worn in places, attesting to a long and useful life and, no doubt, much scrubbing at the end of every shift so it was clean and ready for the next day's work. 

I have to say that I am very impressed with all these wooden tools that were used in the dairy industry; it must have taken a lot  of work to create them and  to keep them clean and hygenic. My hat goes off to the man who carved this particular beauty; it is so detailed and evenly cut, yet retains a  freshness of design. Tools that suit their purpose and that work well are a joy to the user, and this is one of them - enjoy!

Pests and Predators

Kia ora katoa

Rob Groat, our museum educator is very busy today as it is Conservation Week and he has a full schedule of bookings for his Pests and Predators programme. The class, which has a range of options to suit the different needs of younger and older students, looks at the range of pests and predators that live in Taranaki and the effects that have upon the environment. As we have only one example of the taxidermists art in the collection, this fine Harrier Hawk:

Rob has managed to borrow some very cool stuffed critters to enable the children to study these creatures close-up. No touching of course, but it is important that they can see the details of tooth and claw that make the opossum, the ferret and the stoat, amongst others, such successful predators.

He will be asking the students to look at such questions as: is a predator always a pest? What makes a successful predator? Are all introduced species pests? How do we define a pest? The students will then be challenged to design the ultimate predator.

Rob will be offering the Pests and Predators programme until the end of 2010. All our education programmes are free and any school or group of home-schoolers within South Taranaki is welcome to take advantage of this educational opportunity. Contact the museum for more details or to make a booking.

Ph: 06 273 8354  or email: rob.groat@stdc.govt.nz

ka kite ano

Kristelle

Curiousities from the Collection

Kia ora katoa.

When you have a collection that has been packed up in boxes and wrapped up in bubble wrap the process of unwrapping is one of discovery - what is this? What does it do? How does it work? Those items that have accession numbers can be looked up in the old registers, but sometimes they are not much help........for example, today we unwrapped two wooden screws or augers, about 600mm long and 220 in diameter that were, apparently, used in the butter churning process. We haven't worked out the how yet - but we will. Here is a photo of one - if you have any clues  - don't keep us in the dark; share your knowledge please!

The best bit is - we have two of them!

One is slightly longer than the other and has a metal bit that looks as if it could attach to something, but I don't know what...........we shall keep on looking...............

and keep on unwrapping the curiousities in the collection.........

Ka kite ano.

moving on.........

Kia ora katoa

We have been very busy these last two days making the MOST of the fine weather to get the rest of the Archives shifted into the museum. We must have been back and forward across the street a hundred times or more with loads of boxes, drawers, trays, more boxes, plan cabinets and shelving. The Patea Library Plus staff have been absolute angels as we traipse through the library and back again. Jay, Christina and Moana from Patea BP have been extremely generous in letting us borrow their sack barrow for the heavier items and, huge thanks to MWH for the new traffic islands that have occasionally stopped the traffic. You all rock!

Whilst there is still quite a lot of sorting and shelving to do, the Archives are in the museum - and we can get on with the real work of exhibition development and working towards re-opening. We still need funding for exhibition design and installation so all donations gratefully received!

This photo allows you to see the traffic islands (don't you love traffic calming?) with Terry and Rob as they carry the last of the plan cabinets, sans drawers, into the museum. Happy days indeed.

Ka kite ano.

busy week

kia ora katoa;  it has been a very busy week at the museum. We have had  two exhibition development meeetings and we are moving forward, slowly, at times it can seem agonisingly slowly but - we will get there. We have been shifting the archives from off-site storage  to the museum and this takes ages. So many boxes to move, so many heavy cabinets and drawers.......so many papers and photos. Each box has treasures that we have to look and consider for inclusion - it is a huge task!

In addition to all that work we have been out in the community, reading to the children at Patea Library Plus as part of Library Week. Mr Muggs, the Library Cat bears a remarkable resemblance to Sassy, the Patea Library cat. They could be related, except that Sassy tends to catch small birds rather than rats - so many feathers!

We have had to accept that we willnot ghet the museum open before Xmas - the funding has not been forthcoming and it is nonsenical to set a date until we have the funds.

So, we soldier on. One more busy week in the life of a small museum that desperately wants to get the doors open to the public...........calling all benefactors..............

ka kite ano.

and the winner is..........

kia ora katoa

the winner of the raffle Prize Draw 1:  Milly Mitchell-Anyon; Prize Draw 2: Judith Jones.
They are both delighted as I am sure you would have been had you won, but the real winner here is the museum and I want to say a huge Thank You to all the ticket buyers for their support. You can bask in the warm glow of knowing that you have done a good thing! You are all wonderful people!

Now that the shelving donated by Puke Ariki has been installed in the Archives Storeroom we are busy moving all the books and boxes of archival material from off-site storage to the museum. This is quite a big task, made all the harder by the distractions each box offers. Today we came across an apple crate full of advertising slides from the cinema. These are lovely - the colours are fresh and vibrant and the advertisements are a microcosm of twentieth century commerce in South Taranaki.

"Pop into Mike's Milk Bar for a shake and listen to the juke box - that will while away a relaxing Friday evening before you take your best girl to the late show."

Fortunately the slides are printed on glass so we can scan them relatively easily; once we  have had a chance to do this I can post some pictures for you to enjoy.

It is all to easy to forget what treasures we have when they are stashed away in a distant location; and it is exciting to open the boxes and see what gems we have. Now to fit them into the exhibition..........

ka kite ano

Term 3 Schools Education Programmes

Education programmes are an integral part of contemporary museum practice and Aotea Utanganui is no exception. Rob Groat, our Educator is offering two programmes in Term 3 Pests and Predators and Secret Suitcase.


Pests and Predators examines the relationships between native and introduced animal species. Students will research the attributes of predators and some of the ways to control the impact of these animal pests on South Taranaki’s unique ecosystems.
Rob will lead this free programme at venues around the district for participating schools and he also hopes to run the programme in some of the district libraries during Conservation Week in September.
Secret Suitcase has a collection focus – it features a suitcase full of unusual and mysterious objects from the collection and asks the students to consider what they might be and how these objects could be used. The original intent of the object is as much a question as the possible uses it could have today. This programme is designed to tap into the imagination whilst exploring design and the use of materials.
The development and delivery of these programmes is a result of a partnership agreement between Aotea Utanganui and Puke Ariki. They are intended to connect to the curriculum and will be appropriately adapted for different age groups and learning levels. There are pre- and post- visit teacher resources available to enable maximum use of time and enhanced learning outcomes. Participation is free.

Kia ora katoa

its Te Wiki O Te Reo Maori and there are no macrons on blogspot! We should start a campaign!

What a huge day we have had; we had planned to move the framed works from their off-site storage to the museum in a controlled fashion that allowed us to check, sort, collate and condition report each object, but when we set off to do this we found half of the glass in the door had been kicked in so we had to move everything in that storage facility out today. Now all the framed works are propped up and lining the walls of the gallery, waiting to be sorted, cleaned, checked, collated and condition reported - suddenly the task seems huge! But, it is like eating an elephant - so one bite at a time...............

We do have some gems in the collection and I am looking forward to seeing them free of dust, bubble wrap and tyvek - there are some real curiousities such as World War II cartoons drawn on old cardboard boxes and nailed to rough wooden frames. I have to figure out how to conserve these whilst retaining their innate character and special qualities - collection management is replete with such conundrums.

Bookworms and art lovers, fans of Taranaki and museum friends - this is the last opportunity to buy a raffle ticket. If you would like two chances to win luscious books on Taranaki; get back to me asap at kristelle.plimmer@stdc.govt.nz or phone the museum on 06 273 8354.
Raffle is drawn on Friday morning under police supervision. Proceeds go to support the exhibition design development so be in to win!

Here's what the books look like:

I shall look forward to hearing from you by close of play Thursday

ka kite

Kristelle, museum curator.

book book book!!!

Kia ora


last post I mentioned that we are short of funds - well we are having a raffle, not that one raffle will cover the costs of designing and installing the exhibitions, but every penny counts! First prize is six luscious books about Taranaki and second prize is five luscious books about Taranaki.

The complete list of titles for the first prize is: Te Ara Tapu - Sacred Journeys: Whanganui Regional Museum Taonga Maori Collection, Taranaki Fortunes: Lost and Won, Te Maunga Taranaki - Views of a Mountain, Taranaki Stories, Len Lye, The Sacred Hart - Terry Urbahn.
Second Prize is: Taranaki Whenua - Life Blood Legacy,  Taranaki Fortunes: Lost and Won, Taranaki Culture - Fresh Out of the Box, With Spirit - Don Driver, a Retrospective, Ann Shelton - A Kind of Sleep.

Tickets cost $5.00 and there are 400 tickets in total.
The raffle will be drawn under police supervision on Friday July 30.
Let me know how many tickets you wish to buy - kristelle.plimmer@stdc.govt.nz or phone 06 273 8354

Happy Thursday
Kristelle

P.S. There is a mystery prize for whoever sells the most tickets, so I am counting on all of you to buy a ticket from me!

Kia ora katoa

it has been a fabulous week weatherwise - calm, clear and cold with heavy frosts since Sunday......the most delicious aspect of winter. Te maunga, Taranaki has been looking absolutely majestic and the frost has frozen the plants around the Aotea Memorial in Patea. These pictures were taken on Tuesday, July 13, about 7.45am - brrrr!

What's happening at the museum this week? Well, today is judging for the Building of the Year Awards so we have been cleaning and polishing in order for the building to look its shining and beautiful best. Right now there is a faint scent of furniture polish and glass cleaner pervading the otherwise empty galleries. Exhibition development is proceeding and, although it can seem agonisingly slow, it takes time to create stunning exhibitions, particularly when your collection is a range of the gloriously random and the outright eclectic!

The other component of exhibition development that we are sorely missing is funds. Marie, the secretary of the Museum Trust Board is a whizz at writing funding applications but so far we have come up with - nothing. There are more applications out there that we have not had a response on yet, but we are in dire need of money if we are to get the exhibitions on the floor by the end of November. All donations gratefully received!

If you have any suggestions  on how we might solve this dilemma, or if you have recently won Lotto and are feeling generous, please get in touch - 06 273 8354 or email: kristelle.plimmer@stdc.govt.nz

ka kite
Kristelle