Contest - Guess What It Is?

Well, the Ford Day is over. Thank goodness we had an indoor table, because it was quite drizzly most of the day. The crowds weren't great in number, but we met some very nice folks. We had jams, books, truffles and free range eggs for sale. We showed some of our collection via a little digital photo frame and that attracted some attention. But our other item of interest was this object, and we asked people to spend a dollar and guess what it was:

Not only did they have to guess what it was used for but also how many jellybeans were in the green bucket hanging from it.
Seventeen people tried their luck. Many of them guessed that it was a scale to measure gold. One person guessed spices and another guessed coffee. Four people guessed that it was something to measure grains. This was the correct answer. It's a Weight per Bushel Tester. In effect, by using the little bucket which is a quarter of a pint, you can measure the weight of the grain per bushel.

So with four people correct, it came down to who had guessed the right number of jellybeans, and only one person was even close. There were 63 jellybeans, and the winner guessed 57. We notified her at the end of the day, and she was delighted. She won a box of chocolates and a box of biscuits.

Thanks to everyone for participating and having a chat. It was great fun.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Otautau's Music and Theatre Days

At the moment, we are cataloguing old photographs which were transferred to the Otautau Museum Trust back in 2002 when the trust formed. These collections came from our predecessors - the Otautau Historical Society and the Otautau Local History Museum.

The first group of photographs that we've catalogued relate to music and theatre. We have pictures of the Otautau & District Pipe Band from 1940 to the 1960s; the Otautau Brass Band with one photo as early as 1906; a string ensemble of unknown name and origin; and two photos of the cast of The Magic Ruby, a 3-act operetta with children and adults. The play featured Hunter's Orchestra from Riverton. There were a few orchestras in Otautau's past but we have no photos of them. If you know anything about the Otautau Orchestra (a 6-member group), Jellyman's Orchestra and the Green Valley Orchestra, please let us know.

As for The Magic Ruby, a search on PapersPast reveals that it was performed in May 1922 in Otautau as well as Nightcaps. Words and music were written by C. K. Proctor who was probably a British playwright, and it is the story of how a magic ruby was stolen and found again. The setting is possibly India which was under British rule at the time. Here is an excerpt from an article in the Otautau Standard, 30 May 1922:

As Nelly O'Neill Miss Annie McDougall quite won the hearts of the audience as she acted her important part with a naturalness which carried its own charm, and her solos and duets were rendered with correctness and artistic expression. Harry Lisle, as portrayed by Roy McIvor, was probably the most exacting part in the play; he did not have the camouflage in make-up that assisted some of the others to get through difficult parts. The character was well sustained, and the part played with considerable merit. Seddon Harrington made a capital Major-General Bangs, and both singing and acting, fairly took the wind out of his friends of private life. The fascinating part of "Electra" [goddess of light] was well demonstrated by Miss Moira Renowden, whose costume and crown formed a dream. This actress was a little self-conscious at times, which rather detracted from the rhythm of the part, otherwise it was letter perfect and well sustained. Bob Liddell and Garnet McAnergney, as Patrick McGee and Ah Sin respectively, behind their "make-ups" had a good tie, and so had the audience enjoying their antics. Both carried out their duties acceptably. G Pearson, as "The Rajah," was a gorgeous personage, and brought to bear a dignity befitting his exalted station; he carried a difficult part with ease and acceptance. Rol. Walker, as "Raj," the bold bad spirit, had one of the most difficult parts in the play, and he did it well. It took a lot of energy and sustained effort and not a little histrionic ability to play the part, and the necessary vim and mystery were maintained to the end.

So it sounds like a great moment in Otautau theatre history - such as it was.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

All Ford Classic Car Day

The Museum will have a table at the All Ford Classic Car Day at the Sports Complex next to Holt Park, Sunday, 28 Feb. We're bringing a special object which has just been donated. We weren't sure of its 'official' name but we think we know what it was used for. Come by and have a look. We'll also have a digital picture display of historical photographs. Hope to see you there.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Hats & Scarves - Sneak Preview

Hats & Scarves: A Heady Affair is the latest display at the Museum. As usual, the community have contributed hugely with their own items for display. For example, pictured above is just a taste of the many women's hats from the 1950s. Many were stylishly worn to weddings and other special events.

There are caps from old rugby days and sheep judging and even a cap in the style of Telly Tubbies. Here is a sneak preview of some of the diverse hats and scarves on show.

A selection of four hats from the Otautau Volunteer Fire Brigade. These range from the heavy hardhats worn during fire-fighting as well as a formal dress hat.


Then there are hats from the Otautau & District Pipe Band: a glengarry (right) with a metal emblem. The crest has an ostrich with a horseshoe in its mouth and the motto, Sperandum est - It is to be hoped. The feathered bonnet with plume is probably made of fake ostrich feathers. In the foreground is a balmoral from a member of the community. The metal crest is of a tree with the motto: Stand Fast.

This is an ornate Turkish smoking cap. The colourful designs are made of handsewn beads. Smoking used to be an exclusively male activity, and so only men wore these hats. They would retire to a room together and smoke their cigars and cigarettes. The cap was worn to help prevent the smell of smoke getting in their hair.

This handknitted neck scarf has a clever design. It enables the wearer to secure it by tucking one end through a sleeve in the other end.

And there is much, much more. The display is on until 18 April. We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Otautau Junior Football Team

One of our newest collection items is an image of the 1920 Otautau Junior Football Team, winners of the Western District Premiership. They are shown with the trophy, the banner and the team's baby doll.

Back row: J. Seatter (Manager), G. Fraser, A. Bulman, C. Clarke, T. O'Rourke, T. Aitken, T. Sheedy, W. Gaitts, G. Swap, M. Richards (Coach).

Middle row: C. Ross, A. Matheson, E. Crawford (Captain), A. McDonald, A. Coulter.

Front row: D. Bulman, H. McIvor.

Absent: E. Fisher, A. Fisher, R. McIvor, A. McLean.

The photo was loaned to the museum for scanning by the son of one of the players. We're most grateful that he thought of us as we didn't already have this one, so it is new to us.

If you know the story behind the doll or the team's success at the premiership, drop us a line.

If you have old photos relating to Otautau, Scotts Gap, Aparima, or Fairfax that you would like to loan for scanning, please get in touch.

And if you have done your family tree, and it relates to these same areas, please be sure to contact us. We welcome family history / whakapapa information.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!