Otautau Museum

Wanted - Dress Forms

2012-01-20T21:19:00.000+13:00

We need a few more adjustable dress forms for our wedding dress display. If you have one lurking in your closet that you don't need, please get in touch!

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

Handpainted Dish Raffle

2012-01-12T17:54:00.000+13:00

We are raffling this beautiful handpainted dish made by the inimitable Jean Watt of Otautau. It measures 23.5cm x 11.5cm. Tickets are a steal at just $1. Come by the museum to view and buy a ticket or two.

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

Low-cost Mannequin

2012-01-08T11:42:00.000+13:00

In the museum world, mannequins can be expensive. They are made out of special acid-free materials so that they don't harm fragile garments. We don't have our own mannequins so we've had to borrow when we wanted to feature clothing in a display.

But for our upcoming wedding dress display, we anticipate needing at least ten mannequins, and so we've taken a chance at making our own.

The initial prototype was made completely out of chicken wire, however, I think this one is more suited to the task. The torso is a dress form made out of card, and the bottom is made out of chicken wire, using a Simplicity skirt pattern. The idea is to cover both top and bottom with calico cotton to protect the dress.

What do you think? Will it work for wedding dresses?

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

Family Enquiries

2012-01-05T18:23:00.000+13:00

Yesterday, we were visited by the granddaughter, great-granddaughter and great-grandson of Dan & Johanna Lynch. Originally from County Kerry, Ireland, Dan & Johanna arrived in Auckland on the ship, Hydaspes, in 1873. They spent a little time in Gisborne but spent all of their years in Otautau.

Dan was one of the early blacksmiths of the town. His shop on Main Street was approximately where the St John and Simple Systems buildings are now. The picture above shows Dan standing next to a white horse at his former blacksmith shop which had been taken over by Sheedy in 1913.

Dan also ran the mail service from Otautau to Scotts Gap with a horse and buggy. He was known for his reliability regardless of the weather. The white horse is the last to have been used for the mail run.

Dan died in 1919, age 80; Johanna in 1931. They had seven sons, who at various times played on the Otautau Football team.

It's always wonderful to meet the descendants of early settlers, and this visit was no exception.

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

Wedding Dresses

2011-12-18T19:17:00.000+13:00

Despite the holiday season, we are working on our next display already. It will feature the dresses, stories and photos of local women on the day they got married.

I've been asking nearly every woman I come across (and some men!) whether there is a wedding dress lurking in their closet. I've had good responses but still don't know exactly how many we'll get. Our space is limited, but I'd like to get a few more 'yes, I do's' before we say we have enough.

If you have a wedding dress and/or a wedding photo that you'd like to loan for 3 months, please contact us. It could be old or new, borrowed or blue - as long as you are local to the Otautau District. If not, what is your wedding story? Did you elope? How did you get married?

Our display will open in February 2012 so put it on your calendar.

Coincidentally, Te Papa have just opened a wedding dress display too. The exhibition is called "Unveiled: 200 years of wedding fashion." These remarkable dresses and wedding suits are from the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) representing rural and urban weddings for the last two centuries. Sounds like a great exhibition.

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

Christmas Street Fair - II

2011-12-17T18:43:00.000+13:00

The Christmas Street Fair was great fun. The weather held up - no rain - thank goodness. And a nice crowd came to enjoy the event.

We were selling a variety of things - lots of books which Jan Lowrey (Otautau Heritage Trust) helped with, home baking, and a Christmas cake raffle. We had about 70 people buy tickets for the Christmas cake but of course there was only one lucky winner.

Here's our table. The space was graciously granted by the Salvation Army shopkeepers. We had a prime location in front of their furniture store.

This year, one of our newest offerings was candy floss and balloons. Kids loved it. They got to watch the candy floss being made. Here's Cindy and Margaret preparing to whip up another batch.

Another new thing we tried this year was a chocolate wheel. Buy a ticket, hopefully win a prize. This is Peter Gutsell doin' the hard sell. He and Peter Campbell (left) sold loads of tickets for the chocolate wheel. Lots of great prizes were won.

Thanks to everyone who gave their support to the Otautau Museum. This was a great event, and we'll see you all at the Ford Day next year.

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

Christmas Street Fair

2011-12-16T09:43:00.000+13:00

The Museum will have 3 tables at the Christmas Fair tonight. We'll be situated by the Salvation Army furniture store (next to their main store). We'll have a chocolate wheel, Christmas cake raffle, books and odds and ends to sell. Stop by and say hello and show your support. Hope to see you there. The fair starts at 5pm and closes at 8pm.

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

Cubs and Keas Visit

2011-11-07T08:28:00.002+13:00

Last Wednesday evening the Cub and Kea Scout Packs went on a history walk through Otautau. They visited the Presbyterian Church and heard Rev. Judith Day give a talk about the history of the church. Then, they came to the museum and listened to Peter Campbell give a talk about the history of the town, the museum and also had a tour of the new tool display.

It was a pleasure to see these young folks. We hope they visit again.

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

Research Enquiries

2011-10-31T19:10:00.000+13:00

Can you help us with these family history enquiries?

Thomas & Julianna Price
A descendent of the Price's asked which hotels they owned. We were able to find out that they owned the Otautau Hotel in 1875. Thomas died in 1879 but Julianna owned the Crown Hotel in 1884. She also owned the Wairio Hotel around that period. While Thomas had planned to build a hotel on the Otautau-Riverton railway line, his son was listed as the owner of the Fairfax Hotel before it burned down in 1881.

So this leaves us with the question as to who built the Otautau Railway Hotel. Alistair McLachlan of the Wallace Early Settler Association in Riverton says it was a man named Smith. Do you know more about that?

George & Christina Kelly
Our next enquiry was from a woman wanting to know about a house owned by George & Christina Kelly who used to live on Clitheroe Street. George became the Wallace County Clerk in 1916. He was then called to serve in World War I. He became ill and didn't finish training and was given his clerk job back.

The house in question is not a typical Otautau house. I've asked around and have heard it might've been in Winton, Invercargil or Gore. But no one thinks it was in Otautau. Have you seen this house? If so, where is it? Or, if you know anything about the Kelly's and their time in Otautau, please let us know.

John & Jessie Johnston
Our next enquiry was for John Smith Johnston and his wife Jessie Isabella (nee Walsh or Welsh). John came over from Scotland and died in 1920, age 79. They lived in the Yellow Bluff area along the Aparima River. After John died, Isabella seems to have moved to MacAndrew Street.

Three of their boys served in World War I, and one of them, Peter, died at Passchendale in 1917. He's listed on the Otautau War Memorial.

If you know anything of interest to these family history researchers, please contact us so that we can pass the information along.

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

Tools of the Trade

2011-10-30T18:47:00.000+13:00

Our display manager has been busy closing the Isla Bank display and installing the new Tools display. The implements featured are all hand tools from the farming, dairy, and forestry trades. A competition to guess the name and function of 10 'Mystery Tools' will beguile you but give it a go.

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

Women's Right to Vote

2011-09-23T08:48:00.000+12:00

With all of the hubbub about the rugby world cup, it completely slipped my mind that this week was the 118th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote - 19 September 1893. It's a landmark event in New Zealand but also worldwide as New Zealand was the first country in the world to achieve this measure of equality for women.

We have the signatures of the original Otautau petition on permanent display in the museum, but I was thinking it might be nice to add photos of these women someday to our display. If anyone has a photo of any of these women and is willing to have it copied for display, please contact us.

You can search the NZ History's women's suffrage database to see if your ancestor signed this petition and made history.

Otautau Petition Signatories

Acheson	Jane
Blatch	Ellen M
Cameron	M.
Cameron	C
Campbell	Catherine
Carmichael	M.
Clothier	A L.
Cotter	E. F.
Croft	Annie
Cupples	Jane
Cupples	Jemima
Forbes	Margaret
Forbes	Mrs
Forbs	Isibella
Gaines	Alice
Gardiner	J
Gilchrist	Annie
Greenslade	J.
Hill	Elen
Hill	Annie
Hogan	M. T.
Johnston	M. P.
Ketteg	Mrs Anne
Keveney	Catherine
Lawson	I
Lee	Jane
Lindsay	Barbara
Manson	Mary
Matheson	L C
McAfee	Margaret
McDonald	Florrie
McLaren	B. S.
McNeil	C.
Morrison	Jane
Norman	Elizabeth
Pankhurst	Jessie
Parmenter	Isabella
Price	Elizabeth
Raitton	Mrs
Rogers	Emily
Shaw	Jane
Sinclair	Sarah
Smith	Jessie
Swap	A.
Thomson	M.
Walker	A.
Wohlmann	Rebecca

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

Oral History

2011-09-03T08:09:00.002+12:00

For a few years, we've talked about adding oral history recordings into our collection - to help capture some of the stories of people's lives and share them through our displays and things. We currently have copies of oral histories about the 1984 floods in Otautau derived from the Southland Oral History Project. But we haven't yet started our own collection of oral histories.

This week, we've inched closer to that goal. We've drafted an oral history agreement form which is different from most others. Most oral history agreements state that the copyright belongs to the institution or group who are doing the project unless the interviewee or 'depositor' stipulates otherwise. This is bad news for someone who might not read the form in detail and just sign it faithfully. Also most forms don't allow the person to name who will take over their copyright once they are no longer able to exercise it.

Our form, which is still in draft, covers these issues and places all power and control in the hands of the interviewee. They retain their copyright, even if they just sign the form without reading. And we, as an institution, must seek their written permission to access (listen to) and use the recording. And the same will go for any member of the public.

The next step is to develop a simple questionnaire that will be a good jumping off place for oral history interviews.

This year, we hope to do our first oral history recording. So if you know of anyone who wants to be interviewed or you want to be interviewed yourself, please drop us a line. This is going to be an exciting opportunity for people to record their life stories for their family/whanau and potentially the community. If you want to jump on board and move this project forward, please get in touch.

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

Memorial in Waiting

2011-09-03T07:59:00.001+12:00

This week, I visited a local resident who shared about a woman from Aparima who was very involved with the Methodist Church there. Several years ago my friend was given a white marble plaque with a very touching inscription about this woman who died in 1928. She wasn't sure what to do with it. It's not really appropriate for the museum but where should it go? These people, the Kellows, had no children. I suggested the Otautau Cemetery but then the woman wasn't sure that Mrs Kellow was buried there. She thought they might be up in Christchurch. So I got onto the SDC Cemetery Search page and found she was buried at the Calcium Cemetery. Maybe that is the place for this memorial plaque to go. I gave my friend this information so we'll see what happens next.

My friend has written a bit about Mrs Kellow's life, and hopefully will contribute it to our biography files. As a side note, we have over 70 obituaries in our files of early settlers and the succeeding generations, and we're always keen to receive more.

It just goes to show the interesting things people have that relate to the past and how rewarding it can be to volunteer at the museum.

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

Research Enquiries

2011-09-03T07:42:00.000+12:00

This week people we received two new research enquiries. We were of no help to one and some help to another.
The Winton A&P Show
A book is going to be written about the Winton A&P Show in the near future so people are gathering information now. Winton is out of the museum's district so we had nothing significant for the researchers. But we know that many local farmers would've shown their stock at the Winton A&P and may have a lot of stories to share. The Wallace A&P stopped running several years ago, but the Winton A&P keeps going.

The Densems
Rev. George and Mrs Alice Densem lived in Otautau roughly between 1937 and 1942. They lived in the Methodist Manse on Lieman Street. We verified to their grandson that one of his old photos was this manse and provided a transcription from the Otautau Standard for an anniversary service that was given in 1938. In addition, I photographed the manse and Methodist Church building as they are today and passed them on to him.

If you have further information on these enquiries, please contact us, and we will put you in contact with these folks. Thanks!

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

A Call for Tools

2011-08-25T21:02:00.001+12:00

A message from our Display Manager:

Thanks everybody who came and viewed our comprehensive display covering the district of Isla Bank. Our next exhibition will be of tools, particularly farm tools that got used in days gone by. If you have in your possession any tool or gadget that would fit this description collecting dust in the corner of your shed, we would be glad to hear from you. The more ancient and unusual it is, the better. We will put it on display for 3 months and return it to you at the end of that time.

If you can help, please contact Peter Campbell phone (03) 225-8209.

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

Book Sale

2011-08-15T18:21:00.002+12:00

The Book Sale set-up crew (from left): Mervyn Officer, John Low, Peter Campbell, Biddy Gentleman, John McAlister, Jan Lowrey and Diane Baird.

This weekend the Otautau Heritage Trust and the Otautau Museum Trust had their annual joint fundraiser, the Otautau Book Sale.

The event is normally held in the Courthouse, but this year, we had a change of venue. The owner of the old drapery building (next to the Central Garage), graciously consented to the use of his building for the weekend.

The building is divided into two large rooms. In former times, one side was a grocery store and the other a drapery business. We easily filled both rooms with our stock of a few thousand books (including magazines and videos). Customers remarked that they appreciated having more space to get around without bumping into other people.

Most folks came on Saturday while the weather was still 'pre-polar blast'. However, even on Sunday people were dropping by to donate books and see if there were more gems to be found.

Approximately $1100 was made on Saturday. This will pay for the rental of tables and then divided in half for the respective trusts.

Thank you to the community for continuing to support us through these economically tough times. We look forward to next year's sale which promises to be bigger and better. And thanks to the owner of the building for allowing us to turn it into a used bookstore for the weekend.

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

Winton Probus Visit

2011-07-18T21:44:00.000+12:00

About 22 members of the Men's Winton Probus Group visited the museum today.

Peter Campbell, our Display Manager, was on hand to show folks around the display on Isla Bank.

Peter Teviotdale (left) comes from a long line of Teviotdales and Tavendales from Scotland. They originally started during the gold rush days and eventually found their way to Isla Bank.

Group visits are wonderfully stimulating and we welcome anyone who wants to bring their group (big or small) to the museum.

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

Book Sale

2011-07-06T19:06:00.001+12:00

Speaking of fundraisers, our annual booksale is coming up on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of August. This a joint fundraiser to benefit the Otautau Heritage Trust and ourselves. If you have books to donate, please drop them off at the Otautau SDC office (176 Main Street).

The sale will be open from 10am to 4pm both days and will be held in the Courthouse (146 Main Street). There is usually something for everyone so come along and bring a friend.

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

Tablecloth Update

2011-07-06T18:59:00.001+12:00

Last weekend, Isla Bank residents (former and present) came from far and wide for afternoon tea at the museum. Thankfully, someone answered our question about the tablecloth - the occasion it was made for and so on. It was made by Bessie Johnstone as a fundraiser for the Association of Presbyterian Women. You could have your signature embroidered on it for a shilling.

It's always so good when people gather at the museum. There is usually someone who comes out of the woodwork and gives us the background on an object or photograph that we have questions about.

Special thanks to Georgie Carter and everyone else who made the day a great success.

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

Isla Bank Tablecloth

2011-06-23T08:04:00.002+12:00

We're trying to find answers about this tablecloth. It has the signatures of Isla Bank people embroidered on it. There are two years - 1953 and 1962 - also embroidered on it in separate places. Men and women have signed it. But what was the occasion - a reunion? A jubilee? A Church gathering? We don't know.

Originally, we were told it was from the Isla Bank PWMU. But with Irish names and men's names, we started to wonder if it was for some other group or occasion.

If you know, please enlighten us.

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

Students Visit

2011-06-22T19:06:00.003+12:00

Today, twenty-three students from Isla Bank School made a special visit to the museum to view the Isla Bank display. They came in three groups of 7 or 8 accompanied by "Mrs T".

Peter Campbell, our display manager, welcomed them to the museum and gave an introduction to what they were about to see. There are four different display rooms in the courthouse, covering the Church, Anzac Memorial and the Cemetery; the School; Contractors and Farmers; and People in the News.

Working in pairs, they hunted for answers to questions about the display. Different sets of questions were geared toward different age groups. These were created by the Isla Bank principal, Clare Robinson.

I think the students were surprised to hear that the Isla Bank School started long before the Otautau School and that there was even a world's record made at Isla Bank.

For those who finished early, I talked a little about the courthouse, how old it is, where the judge would sit, and what the witness stand was for. They seemed to soak it up, enacting their own little dramas and sending each other to jail. It made me think the courtroom is a prime venue to hold a children's courtroom play.

We really enjoyed having the Isla Bank students and hope that they will visit again soon.

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

AGM Follow-up

2011-06-17T18:13:00.003+12:00

We held our AGM last Tuesday and welcomed three new trustees: Diane Baird, Cindy Bragg-Dooley, and Peter Gutsell. Diane is a member of the Otautau Lions. Peter is the Chair of the Otautau Community Action Group. And Cindy is currently overseas but has been our Secretary/Treasurer for a couple of years now. We feel fortunate to be getting three individuals who are so committed to our corner of the world.

Trustees for 2011-12 are: John Low (Chair), Cindy Bragg-Dooley (Secretary/Treasurer), Peter Campbell (Exhibition Manager), Pam Booth (Publicity Manager), Muriel Brown (Roster Manager), Mervyn Officer, Diane Baird and Peter Gutsell.

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

New Acquisitions

2011-06-17T16:47:00.008+12:00

Our most recent acquisitions are these two post cards of early Main Street, c. 1908. The one above shows part of the original town hall, and new post office (built in 1906) on the right, but no courthouse next to it as it wasn't finished until 1909. On the left are the Glen and Glen shops. Note the hitching post with horse or donkey tied up to it.

This picture was probably taken from the standpoint of the original town hall on the right. Midway on the left is the building where the Central Garage stands today.

These post cards were mailed over 100 years ago and now have a place in our musuem. Thank you to the donor.

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

Email List

2011-06-10T10:45:00.002+12:00

Would you like to be notified directly of new displays and events at the Museum? Send us an email and put 'Email List' in the subject box.

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

Taonga of Otautau

2011-06-07T15:43:00.005+12:00

I've been looking into the issue of Protected Objects lately - namely taonga in Otautau that originated from Ngai Tahu, Ngati Mamoe or Waitaha, the early people of this area.

There have been some adzes found in the Otautau area - mostly by farmers as they dug up their paddocks. Some of these have stayed quietly in the families for many years. I was curious as to the cut-off date regarding taonga and found this bit of information on the Ministry of Culture and Heritage website.

Taonga tūturu found after 1976 are, in the first instance, the property of the Crown. The Ministry decides who should have custody of such objects, and ownership by any interested party can be claimed through the Māori Land Court.

So it seems, discovery of taonga, if it happened more than 35 years ago, means that the finders get to keep what they found. However, I would encourage discussions with the local runaka, Oraka Aparima Runaka (Riverton) as they are well-placed to care for such items and have their own whare taonga - a place where their taonga are on display for all interested. We, at the Otautau Museum, are not Registered Collectors of Taonga Tūturu so cannot hold such items in our collection.

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

Returned Email

2011-06-04T13:12:00.005+12:00

Kia ora all,

Would the person who wrote to us via our website requesting photos of the north end of Main Street, please email us? I wrote back to you but the email bounced back 'address unknown'. So unless you contact us again from your correct address, we can't reply. Thanks!

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

Isla Bank Open

2011-06-01T08:35:00.003+12:00

Isla Bank: People. Passion. Pedigree is open. We are still re-doing little things, but come and have a look.

There is so much to cover about the district but we didn't touch the geological side of it - the limestone for which it is named. So I found some science-oriented links to the limestone plains and New Zealand in general here:

This animation shows the break-up of Gondwana and how major parts of the South Island were under water, forming the limestone through layers and layers of crustacean life.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/evolution-of-plants-and-animals/1/1 (click the play icon)

This link discusses the geology of New Zealand and shows also the extent of Zealandia, the continent we are part of.
http://data.gns.cri.nz/geoatlas/text.jsp

And this link gives a social history of Isla Bank.
http://www.track.co.nz/islabank.html

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

Visit from Our Museum Development Officer

2011-05-28T16:21:00.005+12:00

Today, we had a visit from Judith Taylor, our Museum Development Officer from National Services Te Paerangi. She is visiting museums in our area including Nightcaps and Te Hikoi in Riverton.

This was the first time the whole Trust has met with Judith so it was a special occasion.

We talked about some of the things that National Services could help us with - through the Helping Hands Grant, Strategic Projects Grant, Expert Knowledge Exchange and the Free phone among other things.

We also discussed our recent Standard Scheme Peer Review that happened last October. We had a few questions about the report that was generated from the review. Nothing major though. Our overall experience of the Museum Standards Scheme has been good. It made us look at ourselves but without the pressure to suddenly become something we're not. Taking reasonable steps to improve is within our grasp and that is what we've tried to do. The support of people like Judith has made the process easier.

Judith mentioned there will be workshops in governance and exhibitions coming our way so that is something to look forward to.

Disaster preparedness was also a topic of discussion. Because Judith is the MDO for the South Island, she has seen the devastation of small museums by the Canterbury quakes. She said Methven, Lyttelton and Kaiapoi museums have all been hit hard. We need to get our own disaster plan so that we can mitigate the effects of flood, fire, or quake.

After a cup of tea and a quick tour of our recent display on Isla Bank, we farewelled Judith. We don't know when she'll be back again but she is always welcome at our place. Thanks, Judith!

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

Volunteer Vacancy - Collection Manager

2011-05-28T10:44:00.002+12:00

We're looking for a new Collection Manager for the museum.

This position is responsible for cataloguing all incoming items and for looking after the collection - labelling and storing things according to good museum practice. We can show you how!

We are looking for a person who can spare approximately 1 to 4 hours a week, working at their own pace to manage the collection. Ideally, you'll have some computer skills and are open to learning how to use museum software.

If this sounds like you, email us and we'll send you a job description. If you'd like to see firsthand what a collection manager does, just let us know and we'll arrange an informal demonstration.

Applications close 12 July 2011.

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

Annual General Meeting

2011-05-17T19:21:00.009+12:00

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 14 June at 7.30pm at the Otautau Courthouse. Terms are up for three of our trustees. We hope they all choose to stay on, but even if they do, this is a great time for new people to come in and see what we're all about. You too can make a difference at the museum!

What the museum does
The Otautau Museum is unique in that we put on new displays three or four times a year. Most museums of our size have displays that don't change. But we want to keep things interesting for our community so we try to come up with new ideas.

What trustees do
The museum board is made up of trustees who create the vision for the museum. They meet once a month and handle all matters dealing with the governance of the museum as well helping out with the day to day duties of the museum.

What volunteers do
Volunteers are essential. We're all volunteers, and we know that if we want the museum to grow, we'll need more volunteers with different skills to make it happen. Some jobs are just a one-off while others could entail working a few times a year or even more often.

If you have any of these skills, you can make a real difference at the museum:

visual/creative - you can help with our displays

interested in children and youth - you can help us make the museum more meaningful to young people and schools

money/business - you can help us with a business or marketing plan

putting things in order - you can help with cataloguing our collection

computer work - you can create flyers, update our webpage/blog or design a museum brochure for us

family history - you can help fulfill requests for information

fundraising - you can help put on fun community events

meeting the public - you can be an attendant on Wednesdays or Sundays and connect directly with our visitors

What we offer
The Museum Trust has been around since 2002 and has a culture of good old-fashioned values - honesty, comraderie, and trust. They are a great group to work with and joining them links you into the cultural heritage of the community. You'll learn a lot about Otautau's history just by becoming involved.

We offer access to workshops and training through Te Papa/National Services. For those who are really keen, we have a lot of reading materials and guides to help get familiar with how a museum works.

So think about joining and making a difference at the Otautau Museum and email the museum to find out more.

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

Coming Soon - Isla Bank District Display

2011-05-17T18:16:00.005+12:00

Trustees Mervyn Officer and Peter Campbell working on new display. Photograph © Cathy Onellion.

Our new Display Manager, Peter Campbell, has been diligently putting together the Isla Bank District display these past few weeks. He's relied heavily on photographs, newspapers clippings and handmade items that were loaned by residents of the district.

Isla Bank is following a similar pattern as many other local communities. Sheep farming has given way to dairy, and many longtime residents have slowly left the district. Still, it remains a very beautiful and special place to live, work and raise a family. With new people moving in, bringing new ideas and energy, it can once again be a place to thrive.

In the past, we've created district displays for Bayswater and Gladfield, Aparima, and Fairfax. We hope this will be just as successful. Watch this space for the opening day.

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

Thank You Graham

2011-04-10T20:10:00.005+12:00

Today, we had a presentation for Graham Barkman who recently retired from the Museum Trust.

Chairperson, John Low, described Graham's many achievements. Graham joined in 2006 and held the positions of Display Manager and Publicity Manager simultaneously. He was active in all aspects of fundraising and started the Friends of the Museum. He also put together storage shelving for our photographs, archives and large maps.

His wife, Betty, was a key player behind the scenes. She knew a lot of local history which was helpful in putting together displays and provided homemade baking for different events.

On behalf of the Museum Trust, John presented Graham with a framed certificate of appreciation. Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice afternoon tea.

We miss Graham hugely but thank him deeply for all the time and energy he put into the Otautau Museum. We wish him all the best.

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

Great Time in Wyndham

2011-03-30T08:16:00.008+13:00

This week I attended a fabulous two-day workshop in Wyndham on the Care of Textiles, led by the incomparable Valerie Carson (pictured right).

But my great time in Wyndham actually started in Riverton at Te Hikoi when Valerie gave an impromptu talk, filling in for a speaker who couldn't make it last Sunday. She had no props, no visuals, but made up for it with a genuine 'wow factor'.

Valerie is New Zealand's very first textile conservator. She was trained in London and spent 27 years working at Te Papa caring for our nation's most treasured garments and textiles. She literally wrote the book on textile conservation in New Zealand and has provided internship with some of our best textile conservators including Rangi Te Kanawa.

On Sunday at Te Hikoi, Valerie talked about her Riverton roots which go back to Captain Howell in the 1830s. She also spoke of the tours she's led to China and the Silk Road and India visiting the places where people still make garments (and even ships) by hand. Then she shared about working with some very key pieces of New Zealand and Pacifica history including the cloak made for Captain Cook by the Hawaiians. Her talk was so fascinating that I signed up for her two-day workshop in Wyndham. I actually hadn't planned on going because two days in the life of a volunteer is a long time.

The Wyndham Museum is a massive collection of local history. The sheer scale of it is mindboggling. Thankfully, the space is so large that they are able to easily accommodate the 20 people who attended this workshop. Attendees included a healthy contingent from Te Hikoi as well as staff from Gore Museum and the Southland Museum.

For two days we were immersed in the finer points of how to identify, clean, display, transport and store the textiles in our own museums. We learned how to make padded hangers for dresses and how to gently wash and improve the symmetry of fabric or lace that may have become 'crooked' with time. Valerie showed slides and had many real life examples of what to do and not to do with textiles from her extensive career. Most of all, we learned to know our limits and to ask a conservator for advice when we were out of our depth.

Thanks to Jo Massey, our Roving Museum Officer, and Te Paerangi National Services for bringing a person of such magnitude to our fair southern land. And thanks to the people of Wyndham Museum who were such fabulous hosts making us feel welcome and providing such wonderful food.

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

Lacemaking with Janet Macrae

2011-03-04T08:58:00.009+13:00

Last Sunday, we hosted a hosted a lacemaking demonstration and display with Janet Macrae (pictured in the middle with Jean Watt, left, and Shirley Froude, right). Janet has been making lace since she was a young girl back in England. Her extensive collection of handmade and machine made lace from around the world and far back in time was on display as well.

Lacemaking is a fine art that has been around for centuries. It looks very complicated, but Janet assured us it was easy once we got the hang of it. The lace bobbins flowed through her nimble fingers like water and was fascinating to watch. She answered all our questions and was very encouraging. She is an excellent teacher. We had two people have a go at making lace themselves on a beginner sample that she had prepared - even a very willing 12-year old boy had a go.

We had a nice crowd attending as it coincided with the All Ford car show day over at Holt Park.

If you are interested in lacemaking or want to get in touch with Janet, drop us a line.

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

NZ Family History Records Online

2011-02-20T18:58:00.006+13:00

A little snippet from the NZPA, 4 Feb 2011:

New Zealanders will be able to delve through their family history as more
than 20 million family history records go online today. The records cover 140 years of New Zealand's history from 1842-1981 from the six major historical collections - the New Zealand Electoral Rolls 1853-1981, Canterbury Provincial Rolls 1868-1874, Jury Lists 1942-1862, Maori Voter and Electoral Rolls 1908 and 1919, Maori Land Claims 1858-1980, and New Zealand Naturalisations 1843-1981.

All the collections, found at http://www.ancestry.com.au/ have been
digitised and individual records indexed.

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

Lace Demonstration and Display

2011-02-20T18:40:00.005+13:00

This coming Sunday, 27 Feb, the Otautau Museum is hosting Janet Macrae who will demonstrate the fine art of lacemaking. Janet will also have on display selected pieces of homemade lace (antique and modern) from her private collection as well as offer the opportunity for those interested to have a go at lacemaking themselves.

Janet's previous demonstrations and displays have included an extended exhibition at the Southland Museum last year.

Entry is by gold coin donation. Doors open at 2pm and will only stay open until 4pm, so make sure you don't miss this great opportunity to learn about lacemaking and even have a go at it yourself.

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

Raffle Winners

2010-12-23T13:37:00.003+13:00

Our table at the recent, fabulous Christmas Street Party featured two raffles: a scratchy board, donated by Muriel Brown, and an iced Christmas cake, donated by Graham Barkman.

George Stearne, Otautau, won the Scratchy Board, and Mrs Roberts, Drummond, won the Christmas cake.

Thanks to everyone for supporting our table, buying homemade goods and assorted odds and ends. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone and meeting lots of new folks too.

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

Scout Display

2010-12-21T21:01:00.006+13:00

The Drummond and St Andrews Scout display is up. It's a one-room display of memorabilia from former Scout Leaders, Graham Barkman and Peter Campbell.

The scouts did interesting things a few decades ago - climbing mountains and going into caves. Come see the photos they took and the badges gathered from far and wide.

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

Peer Review for Standards Scheme

2010-10-28T08:08:00.006+13:00

(Left to right: John Low, Otautau Museum Chairperson; Jim Geddes, Gore Art Gallery and Museum; and Kylie Ngaropo of National Services Te Paerangi).

Yesterday we participated in a peer review of the New Zealand Museum Standards Scheme which is run by National Services Te Paerangi. This is a scheme to help improve the work of museums towards best practice standards.

Our reviewers were Jim Geddes, Director of the Eastern Southland Gallery and Museum, and Kylie Ngaropo, Manager of Iwi Development at National Services Te Paerangi. All peer reviews are conducted as bi-cultural so that we get a balanced perspective. Also present were John Low (Chairperson), Graham Barkman (Display and Publicity Manager), Peter Campbell and Muriel Brown (Trustees), and myself (Collections Manager).

We looked at all five areas of best practice for a museum: Governance, Collections & Taonga, Public Programs, Customer Service, and Relationships with Communities. It took the better part of the day to move through all five modules but in the end a lot of good ideas emerged on how to improve e.g. being prepared for an emergency, creating relationships with the local runaka and other local organisations, as well as a bit more financial and succession planning.

Some things that the reviewers felt were positive were that we refresh our displays every few months so that we don't have the same thing on display all the time, and that we have job descriptions and policies in writing. They said they've seen some museums that have paid staff that don't have those things in place. So we felt really good about that. Often times, being so rural and remote, we don't know how we are doing in comparison with the other local museums around us. So it felt good to get some positive feedback.

The review was a very user-friendly process. It was relaxed and informal with no pressure to comply to the Standards. Just a good honest discussion on how we do things and what could be the next step for us. In a month or so, the review team will produce a report that we can use as a guide and reference for strategic planning as well as to support us in funding applications we might submit.

We'd like to thank Jim and Kylie again for taking a whole day to give their perspective on what we do and how we can improve.

Next month, we head into revising our strategic plan. If you have feedback on the museum - positive or negative - please feel free to email us or leave a comment. Your views can make a difference.

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

A Busy Month

2010-10-13T21:21:00.012+13:00

The Next Display

The Fairfax display has come to an end, and now we are about to launch a new display featuring Miss Donnan and Miss Shaw (pictured above). This is the first time we're focusing on the lives of specific people so it's new territory for us.

These two women were both born in the late 1800s. Each of them was an only child, both attended Otautau School, and neither of them married. They were friends who lived together for nearly 35 years in a house in Eton Street. Miss Donnan became a school teacher and taught at Otautau School for over 30 years, starting in 1908. Miss Shaw worked for the Wallace County Council for many years. Between them, they became part of the fabric of the community through church, Girl Guides, the Croquet Club, and the Tennis Club.

Miss Donnan was an amateur photographer, and her collection of photographs has found its way to our museum. We have selected a small sample of her photographs to highlight their lives.

Miss Donnan also took photos of her travels throughout New Zealand in the 1920s-40s. Someday, it would be nice to feature these travel photos as they are a snapshot in time of New Zealand.

The Standards Scheme
This month we are also preparing for a visit from Kylie Ngaropo (Te Papa/National Services) and Jim Geddes (Eastern Southland Gallery). They are going to do a peer review of the Standards Scheme with us. Basically, it's a set of best practice museum standards set out by National Services to help museums improve on what they do. We've completed all five modules which allowed us to see where we are and aren't meeting the standards, so the next step is the peer review.

Strategic Plan
This should really help us on our next task - to review our Strategic Plan. We will be doing this in the first week of November so if you have any thoughts, ideas, wishes or feedback, please let us know. What kind of museum do you want us to be? Your input could really make a big difference.

Book Sale Fundraiser
And don't forget that this weekend is the Book Sale! Lots of second-hand books and all at very cheap prices. That's Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 4pm. This is our main fundraiser so we hope to see a big crowd there!

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

Scottish Piper

2010-10-03T20:12:00.005+13:00

Today, the museum was treated to the timeless sounds of a single bagpiper, straight from Glasgow. John McGlen is visiting our fair town and offered to play for the museum. Unfortunately, I wasn't there and missed the photo opportunity. But I understand he'll be back next Sunday to play again for us.

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

Fairfax District Display

2010-08-26T14:40:00.009+12:00

This lovely ballet costume is among several that were contributed from the public for our Fairfax Display.

It was a 'special' ballet put on in Fairfax several decades ago as a fundraiser. On the right is one of the 'dancers' wearing his costume.

This was not the only time that men went in drag for a good cause. We also have photos of a debutante ball held at the Fairfax Hall many years ago. The dresses were so fine and elegant, and the makeup so good, I didn't guess they were men.

But what a great idea for a fundraiser today? For some reason people will always pay good money to see men in drag.

Fairfax also had a cricket team which used to play on the flat, and we were fortunate to be able to borrow this special trophy - a pipe - which was given to F Parkes for the 1937-38 cricket season.

It's the McPherson Trophy. The engraving on the right shows: McPherson Trophy, F Parkes, FCC (Fairfax Cricket Club), 1937-38. But we don't know anything else about the McPherson competition. Was there a cup? Did all the players get a pipe? If you have any information, please contact us. We'd like to know more.

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

Progress for the old cemetery

2010-07-16T20:48:00.005+12:00

Earlier this week, more progress was made toward the heritage kiosk that is to be erected at the old Otautau Cemetery. The kiosk was originally going to be built by the Otautau Lions Club, however, the devil is in the details. So some of the SDC staff who are also working on the project held an informal meeting at the Otautau Hotel. They presented 3 copies of an oversized wall printout of a list of people buried in the old cemetery (pictured above). They asked participants to help with identifying errors or ways to improve the banner.

Part of the confusion is that there is an overlapse of time when both cemeteries (the old and the new) were opened and in use. The old cemetery opened 4 June 1879 and closed in 1947. The new cemetery opened in 1914. So for 30 years, there was lots of room for clerical error.

The staff hope to have the list finalised and ready to go up in August. At the close of the meeting, one of the staff offered one of the printouts to the Otautau Museum. We have it on display in the big room if anyone would like to see it. There is also a copy on display at the SDC office.

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

New Family History Search Tools

2010-06-30T18:07:00.004+12:00

Am I the last to know? It seems both the Invercargill City Council and the Southland District Council have added cemetery search tools to their websites. This is one huge time- and petrol-saver! No longer do you have to wait for a council office to open to ask them to search their books or spend hours looking for a grave at a cemetery - only to never find it! Just go to their respective websites and the answers are at your fingertips.

Headstone transcriptions are found on both search tools, and the ICC has images of the headstones on theirs.

Southland District Council Cemetery Search page

Invercargill City Council Cemetery Search page

I had two requests for family information this week, and these websites helped tremendously.

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

Museum AGM

2010-06-09T16:38:00.009+12:00

Last night a few changes took place at our Annual General Meeting and regular meeting. After four years of service, our chairperson, Muriel Brown, who has been the heart and soul of the museum, has retired from her position, though will stay on as a trustee. John McAlister resigned as a trustee after his two-year term. We'll miss John but he said if we ever needed him, he'd help out. And two new trustees, Pam Booth and Isabel Dahlenburg, came on board. We are delighted to have them.

After the AGM, new officers were elected:
John Low, Chairperson
Cindy Bragg, Secretary/Treasurer
Graham Barkman, Publicity/Exhibition Manager
Pam Booth, Roster Manager
Cathy Onellion, Collection Manager

After the election of officers, we got on to the deep and meaningful business of museum management.

Pictured top left: Cindy Bragg and John Low

Pictured bottom right: Muriel Brown, Pam Booth, Mervyn Officer, Graham Barkman, Isabel Dahlenburg, and Peter Campbell.

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

Early Settlers - Call for Photos

2010-05-11T22:38:00.003+12:00

We're planning a display of early settlers but are sadly lacking in photographs. If you know of a photograph of any of the following people (plus spouses and family), please let us know.

Matthew Scott (owned all of Otautau and Scotts Gap, 1850s?)
Henry Cassels (first postmaster)
James Quin (wagoner)
Jimmy Dodds (built first accomodation house, later postmaster)
James Clark (had the mail run between Otautau and Riverton, 1862)
Roderick McIvor
Roderick Campbell
Robert and Catherine Campbell (shopkeepers and postmaster, Main St, 1874)
Mr and Mrs Daniel Lynch (blacksmith)
Mrs John Swan
James Henderson

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

AGM

2010-05-10T17:57:00.003+12:00

Well, it's nearly that time of year again - time for the Annual General Meeting. We have had an abundance of trustees in the past - as many as 10 or 11 on the board at one time. One of the things I noticed when I came to my first board meeting was how well everyone got along. There has always been a strong element of goodwill and good humour on this board.

We've had strong leadership too. Under the guidance of our Chairperson, Muriel Brown, we created a Strategic Plan, completed a national museum Standards Scheme, completed a collection assessment and plan, and held a successful Antiques Roadshow fundraiser. More importantly she kept us on track in all the little things that keep a museum going. This year she will resign as chairperson but will remain a trustee. This will mark a slight change for the board but hopefully someone can step up to fill Muriel's big shoes. Two trustees resigned last year and have not been replaced.

So, we are looking for:

New trustees - people interested in local history, or who possess governance and management skills (fundraising, publicity, putting on displays, cataloging, creating educational programmes). Or, people who would like to learn those things.

New volunteers - people who might like to be an attendant for the museum on a Sunday or Wednesday afternoon (2 hours); or who would like to help with scrapbooks, transcription, family history research, fundraising, oral history, and cataloguing. Or, who might like to learn those things.

A new chairperson - someone who has governance skills, can lead a meeting, keep people on track, oversee various projects and help keep us doing for the community what we are here to do.

So I would say this is the perfect time to see if the museum is your niche! Contact us now and tell us about yourself. The AGM is 8 June, 7:30pm at the Courthouse, but if you want to be nominated you need to contact us ahead of time.

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

Call for Soldiers Photos

2010-05-03T20:02:00.003+12:00

As we prepared for our Military Memories display which started on Anzac Day, we noticed that one of our resources - a display book on men who served in WWI and WWII - seemed a little short on photos. If you have a relative who served in either of those conflicts, and would like to share a photo of them in uniform, please contact us.

Pictured left is Private William Flett who died at the battle of Messines, Belgium, 7 Jun 1917, age 30. He previously was a partner in the well-known Flett Bros bakery business in Otautau. The photo is from the Auckland War Memorial Museum's Cenotaph Database. It is one of only a handful of photos we have men who served.

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

Southland Museum's Lace exhibition

2010-04-24T19:53:00.008+12:00

This week, I visited the Gentle Art of the Lacemaker exhibition at the Southland Museum. Our own local lacemaker, Janet Macrae, has a good portion of her private collection on display there and this was a great opportunity to see it.

The exhibition features works from 19th century as well as modern day lacemakers. In historical times, lacemaking was not only the domain of women but also of children as they had small fingers and a lot of time on their hands. The patterns can be complex, the amount of bobbins seemingly infinite, and the attention to detail overwhelming. What fine skills these women and children had.

All of the pieces can be appreciated on their own without aid of magnification. But if you really want to lose yourself in the splendour of the patterns, bring a magnifying glass!

The exhibition is on until 6 June at the Southland Museum. If you want to find out more about lace, visit the NZ Lace Society website.

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

Military Memories 2010

2010-04-24T14:17:00.006+12:00

Well, the Hats and Scarves display has been taken down, and now we have the Military Memories display ready to start tomorrow on Anzac Day and running through to 9 May.

We did a military display two years ago, and it seemed successful, so we are going for it again. This time, there is a lot less memorabilia (no bunkers or uniforms), but some new photos will be on display which we think you'll find interesting.

One little fact that I found while researching some of the items was that by 1916, about 70 men from the Otautau area had signed up for military service. That's a huge amount. I'm still doing research in the Otautau Standard to gather information on casualties, send-offs and welcome-homes. We already have a list of names but would like to create a resource that provides more than just names but family background and so on.

The museum will be open from 8am to 4pm on Anzac Day so if you're around, please do drop by!

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

Attention Newspaper Lovers

2010-03-24T21:40:00.011+13:00

Can't start the day without the morning paper? You may be just the person we are looking for.

Despite its quiet exterior, there is always something happening in the Otautau area, and some of it makes the newspapers - from the fire at the mill to the Yike Bike.

At the museum, we have an archive of newspaper clippings that we hope will become a valuable resource for future generations. It will hold the stories of our people, places and events.

We've had good a donation of clippings from the 1960s, a smattering of stories from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, and a earnest helping from the last decade. But we need your help to keep our archive current.

If you still love reading newspapers - AND - you can spot an Otautau (Aparima, Fairfax, Scotts Gap etc) story a mile away - AND - you know how to use a pair of scissors, we would like to hear from you. All we ask is that you clip out local stories, note with a pencil the date and newspaper they came from, and give them to us so that we can add them to the archive.

The next time you sit down for your daily read, grab your scissors and start lookin'.

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

Contest - Guess What It Is?

2010-02-28T17:18:00.010+13:00

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

2010-02-27T09:25:00.014+13:00

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

2010-02-27T09:03:00.004+13:00

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

2010-02-14T15:53:00.013+13:00

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

2010-02-07T15:12:00.008+13:00

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!

The Lay of the Land

2010-01-27T22:31:00.004+13:00

In recent months, one of our trustees, Peter Campbell, has been working on creating a framework with which to help preserve local history. As a farmer, he knows that many of the farming families of the past are no longer in the district. Their farms have been passed onto new hands. With this change of ownership, a certain amount of local history is lost.

Peter was able to get an excellent set of aerial photographs from the Southland District Council. These include the rural Otautau district as well as the township. The various property boundaries are clearly identified, and each property is given a number as a reference. We then created a card catalog. On the cards, we hope to have owners of the property and a list of related museum items, for example, a photograph of the homestead or family, or any written family history.

But to display these rather large maps, we felt we needed a new set of display panels. These were recently acquired thanks to funding from the Community Trust of Southland.

We also now have a file cabinet in which to keep our family history information organised. If you have a family history or family tree that you would to contribute, please contact us. We now have the ability to store such valuable things.

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

Podcasts to Ponder

2010-01-22T11:01:00.018+13:00

If you are still enjoying a leisurely summer but longing for a little mental stimulation, here are some interesting podcasts related to New Zealand history and the history of the world.

Radio New Zealand's Kim Hill interviewed James Belich last September on his new book Replenishing the Earth: the Settler Revolution and the Rise of the Anglo World, 1783-1939. The interview covers the global issues surrounding British colonisation and why it was so successful from a British standpoint. This is relevant to Otautau because even at the turn of the 20th century, British settlers were still pouring into the region to take up farming. Otautau's connection with Britain was a very strong one, and this interview helps us in part to understand more about early settlement and the effects its had on the world. You can listen to the James Belich interview here or download it on iTunes. The book can be found at the Invercargill library but not the SDC library.

BBC Radio 4 have started a new podcast series called A History of the World in 100 Objects. This is an absolutely riveting exploration of the history of humankind (starting 1.8 million years ago in Africa) through a careful selection of unique objects from the British Museum. Each podcast explores one object in depth and contextualises where it came, how we came to know about it, and its significance to us as a species. Listen and be astounded. The series is also available to download from iTunes.

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

The 2010 Calendar

2009-12-26T18:26:00.004+13:00

As 2010 steps out from behind the Curtain of Time, it's a good idea to get your Otautau Museum Calendar. This year, the theme is sports clubs and features some of the best sporting photos from the museum's collection. The calendar's cover displays the Birchwood Hunt (pictured above). The hunt was a great tradition in the old days, but at this particular event, Governor General Lord Jellicoe made an appearance and is shown in the carriage in the centre of the photograph.

Lord Jellicoe had had a long career in the Royal Navy before and during WWI. He was the Governor General of NZ in 1920-24 and, with Lady Jellicoe (both pictured left), visited Otautau in 1921. [Note: the date on the calendar is slightly off and so is the spelling of his name. The Museum apologises for these typos].

And to show that 2 degrees of separation is not just a modern phenomenon, our own chairman of the Town Board at the time, Robert Seatter, was from Scapa Flow, a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. This was the northern base of the British Grand Fleet where Admiral Jellicoe fended off German naval attacks in WWI. So they had plenty to talk about over lunch at the Otautau Hotel before viewing the Birchwood Hunt itself. You can read more about Lord Jellicoe's Otautau visit in PapersPast.

So before Time leads you into the next chapter of your life, grab a piece of Otautau history via the Museum's 2010 calendar. Reasonably priced and readily available at the Otautau Museum. We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request.

Your comments are always welcome!

Otautau Book Sale

2009-11-27T17:27:00.003+13:00

It's time for Otautau's Annual Book Sale. There will be something for everyone - fiction, sport, crafts and children's books - and at very low prices.

So wiggle your way down to the Otautau Courthouse this weekend. The sale is on Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Proceeds go to the Otautau Heritage Trust and the Otautau Museum Trust.

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

A Call for Kiwiana

2009-10-26T17:09:00.006+13:00

Dr. Claudia Bell, a sociologist at the University of Auckland, is researching Kiwiana. Her project's aim is to explore why things that were once common, everyday items (the Buzzy Bee toy and Weetbix tins) have became valuable collector's items, and how this relates to NZ identity. She will be talking to people all over NZ about their private Kiwiana collections.

If you have a private collection or are a curator of Kiwiana and would like to talk about it, email Dr. Bell.

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

New Art & Heritage Displays

2009-10-17T14:53:00.008+13:00

Student Artwork
Otautau School students, ages 9 to 13, visited the Southland Museum a while back and then set brush to paper. The result is a very colourful array of paintings, photographs and sketches of their impressions of the place. This exhibition is proudly displayed in our middle room.

(Pictured above right: Penguin on the Sand by Jake DeClifford, age 12.)

Local Transport: from horses gigs to big rigs
We've also got a small photographic display of local transport through the years. This includes some of the firms noted in our dairy and sheep industries as well as ones like the Otautau Bakery featured left. The display also highlights that driving wasn't just for men.

(Pictured above left: A delivery van for Laing's Bakery with driver, Fred Hill holding Ron Bye.)

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

Exhibition Ends This Sunday

2009-08-28T07:35:00.004+12:00

Sunday will be the last day for the Bayswater and Gladfield display at the museum. This display has been on for 3 months and has attracted many people.

The next display will be split in two - the first subject will feature local transport through the years (cars, trucks and garages); and the second one will feaure projects from the students of Otautau School.

Toward the end of the year we are planning a display of the history of the Fairfax area. If you have photos or objects to loan for this, please bring them by the museum. We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

August Update

2009-08-25T08:20:00.004+12:00

Women's Probus

This has been an eventful month at the museum. On the 19th, we hosted a presentation and morning tea for the Winton Women's Probus Group. Their bus stopped at the hotel, and they took a stroll through the town, checking out shops and gifts stores on their way to the museum. One by one they came into the big meeting room which we had prepared for the event. We wanted to feature some of the things in our collection that don't normally get put on display so we had a few women's dresses from the 1920s, petticoats and pantaloons along with some very fine lace collars. We also had our large scrapbooks from the Women's Division of Federated Farmers Otautau Branch on display, as well as part of the Pipe Major's uniform from our Otautau & District Pipe Band collection.

Graham Barkman welcomed our guests, and I gave a brief presentation on how we care and store our clothing and photographs. Afterward we had morning tea and lots of conversation. It was great fun and left us museum people buzzing. We hope to see these women back here again soon.

Family History

The very same morning that the Women's Probus were here, we had a gentleman here from Australia researching his family history. His great, great-grandfather, James Mackintosh, was one of the early pioneers and landowners of the Gladfield estate and surrounds. He actually had far more information than we had so we encouraged him to email us a copy when he had time. But, as our current display is of the Bayswater Gladfield area, I think he enjoyed looking at pictures and studying the maps.

We continue to get 2-3 inquries a month of people looking for information on their Otautau & District ancestors. This is a growing field for us, and we are seeking volunteers to help us do the research. If you like digging through the past and helping others make ancestral links, please contact us.

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

Un-furled

2009-08-07T19:31:00.002+12:00

Well, we have been enlightened as to the owner of the fur stoles that were left at our doorstep a few weeks ago. It turns out they were originally owned by a native Otautau-ite. She had married a farmer and lived in Bayswater. She died suddenly after an operation at Riverton Hospital in 1929. Her father was a blacksmith through the turn of the century, and mother owned a draper's shop in the Main Street from 1916.

Now the Trust will have to decide whether to keep the stoles or give them back. They are visually striking and would be excellent for display. But on the other hand, they may require special care to get rid of the musty smell. On top of this, there is the issue of storage space. If we continue to collect clothing, we will soon run out of space.

So these are just some of the things that the Trust has to take into account when accepting items from the public - whether we have the resources to care for and store the item properly, and whether the item adds value in terms of Otautau's heritage.

What would you do?

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

Memories Come Flooding Back

2009-07-22T21:00:00.006+12:00

The flood of 1984 will long be remembered in Otautau. Thanks to the great work of interviewer, Nancy Burnett, the folks at the Southland Oral History Project and the Invercargill Library, the Museum has added oral histories of the flood to its collection.

A few months ago, at the 25th anniversary of the 1984 flood, several residents were asked about their 'flood' memories by Nancy Burnett at the Flood Road Show at the SDC Otautau office. She followed up and recorded nine more in-depth interviews which cover what people did during and in the aftermath of the deluge. It's a tale of people helping people and doing the best they could.

We now have copies of these interviews on CD, available for public listening in the museum.

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

Fur-ilicious

2009-07-19T21:14:00.007+12:00

A few Sundays ago, someone left two beautiful stoles at the Museum's doorstep. There was no note - no contact details. We'd like some information about these furs before we can accept them into our collection. If you have information, please contact us via email or phone or in person.

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

Otautau Standards Online

2009-06-24T11:00:00.002+12:00

The Otautau Standard, our historical newspaper, is now online at Papers Past, the National Library's database of New Zealand newspapers. The issues covered are from 1905 to 1932.

This is a great research tool, and thanks need to go to the hard work of National Library staff for making our newspaper more easily accessible.

Later issues of the newspaper (1933-1946) can still be accessed directly via microfilm at the Otautau office of the Southland District Council.

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

Don't Throw Grandma's Sampler Away!

2009-06-20T19:30:00.002+12:00

There is a project called the New Zealand Sampler, and its aims are to create a database of samplers in New Zealand and to tell their unique stories.

What's a sampler?? Well, it's embroidery that highlights one's skill with the needle. Many of the old samplers were of the alphabet or featured intricate edging patterns, but some also depict homes or special events. They can carry historical significance along with sentimental value.

If you've got a sampler, either made in New Zealand or brought here, and would like to share your story, get in touch with Vivien Caughley of NZ Sampler. Her research may well result in a book.

Find out more on the New Zealand Sampler website

And see what samplers are all about from Te Papa's Collection of Samplers as well as searching on the NZ Museum website

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

Our AGM

2009-06-16T16:08:00.003+12:00

Last week, the Museum held its annual general meeting.

It's been a busy year with displays ranging from military memorabilia, handmade crafts from our mothers, the Aparima District and its families, Holt Park and the many events held there, the Otautau Floods, Sea Shells, and the Junk Drawer Art from Otautau School students.

Some of our other activities included holding presentations for the Otautau Senior Citizens group, Rowena Jackson residents, and the Winton Men's Probus Club.

Administratively, we have created a Strategic Plan, a Collection Development Plan, and a Collection Policy. For our volunteers, we have created a Volunteer Policy, and job descriptions for Office holders, Collection Manager and Display Manager.

We also have a new thing called Friends of the Museum. It's an annual subscription to help us keep going. Several people have joined and we extend our heartfelt gratitude.

We sadly had to say goodbye to outgoing trustees, Mrs. Colleen Greenhalgh and Mr Ian McKenzie. We thank them for their many efforts in forwarding the work of the Museum.

In the coming year, we hope to bring new volunteers on board to do some of the little jobs that need doing - scrapbooking, podcasting, collecting newspaper clippings etc. We know giving of your time is a BIG thing to ask. Everyone seems so busy with something. There is no obligation to join the Board in order to do any of these jobs. Check the volunteer jobs list on the right of this page. If anything sounds appealing, come in and let's talk.

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

Bayswater and Gladfield

2009-06-04T09:19:00.013+12:00

The museum is featuring a new display called Bayswater - Gladfield: The history of farming settlement. It's an extensive photographic collection of farming families and practices in the Bayswater and Gladfield areas, just a little north and northeast of Otautau.

The farming encompassed not only different grain crops but also sheep, chicken, turkeys, deer and dairy cows. Clydesdale horses were a necessity to pull ploughs and work the land. Pictured above: A member of the Manson family kidging at Korowai, 1932.

But rural life isn't all about work. The Bayswater Tennis Club and the Gladfield School are also featured in the display.

Various homesteads are highlighted as well. Many of the names originate from ancestral connections to lands in Scotland and England. Other homesteads have Maori names such as 'Korowai' or 'Tatarepo'. So before there were postal addresses, you would say you were so-and-so from 'Korowai'. And that is how people identified each other. You were linked to your homestead.

This display is on until 30 Aug 2009 so drop by and have a look. We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Visit from our MDO

2009-05-19T14:08:00.004+12:00

Today we had a visit from Judith Taylor, our Museum Development Officer (MDO). Judith is from National Services (part of Te Papa) and is meeting with people from small museums all over the South Island to see how she can help them.

We had a good talk about our museum's history, where we are now and where we might like to go in the future. We enjoyed her visit greatly and look forward to working with her in the future.

Pictured above: Judith Taylor (MDO) and Muriel Brown, Chairperson, Otautau Museum Trust.

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

Probus at the Museum

2009-05-19T13:45:00.006+12:00

We had about 40 men (and one woman) from the Winton Men's Probus Group at the Museum on Monday. After a short presentation, a delicious morning tea was provided by Betty Barkman. Also on hand were Graham Barkman and John Low, the display managers of the Museum.

The visitors looked around at the new installation Bayswater - Gladfield which is about the history of farming settlement of those areas. I had also pulled out some things from storage such as our 1899 copy of 'The Otautau Mail' and some medicine bottles from Sinclair's Chemist shop. We also had a croquet dress, possibly from the 1940s, and the scrapbooks from the Otautau Branch of Women's Division of Federated Farmers. Lots of comments and interesting discussion ensued as people worked their way through the building. To be in the Courthouse surrounded by lively conversation is always a really gratifying experience.

Before long it was time for our Probus friends to get on the road to their next destination. The weather was quite cold. We thanked them for being with us, wished them a safe trip and waved goodbye.

If you are interested in a presentation about the Museum plus morning or afternoon tea, just drop us a line. We are more than happy to oblige.

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

Books for Sale

2009-04-20T20:55:00.001+12:00

If you like to browse shelves, looking for a good read, there is something new in Otautau for you. The Otautau Museum Trust and the Otautau Heritage Trust are now holding an ongoing booksale at The Courthouse. There is a variety of books and magazines on offer including biography, novels, and children's books. This won't replace their annual booksale which is always very successful but is in addition to it. Proceeds are split between the two organisations. The Museum is open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm. No dealers, please.

Your comments are always welcome!

WWI Medal

2009-04-19T20:49:00.007+12:00

Today at the museum, a local couple came by with this gold medal for me to photograph. It was created by Otautau jeweller, William J. Wesney at the behest of the Otautau Patriotic Committee at the time of World War I.

According to the Western Star, 1916:

These are to be presented to all returned soldiers who at the time of enlistment had been resident 12 months in Otautau, and to the parents of those who have died in the service of their country.

William had registered the design and encouraged other groups or communities wanting to present this medal to their returned soldiers to contact him.

The medal measures only 26mm x 45mm (approx. 1in x 1 3/4in). On the back is an inscription including the soldier's name and rank.

A rough estimate would indicate that at least 100 of these medals were created and probably many more.

Thanks to the couple for sharing their piece of history with us.

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

There is Beauty in Junk

2009-04-08T20:08:00.007+12:00

Would you ever imagine that your junk drawer could be a great resource for art objects? The kids in Year 5 at Otautau Primary School have done just that. These small wooden tableaus contain virtual universes of art - from the common woodscrew to the cheerful toy mechanic. Of course painting them gold and silver is a stroke of genius.

Also featured in this display are colourful mobiles from the kids at Otautau Primary. Both projects were at the Otautau Garden Club's Flower Show a few months ago so if you missed them there, be sure to see them at the museum.

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

Wallace Mounted Rifles

2009-03-27T13:58:00.003+13:00

The Museum has been asked to identify some of the men who were in the Wallace Mounted Rifles, a military organisation that formed before World War I.

If you would like to come by and view our photos and have a go at identifying who these men were, please do so. We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Crustaceans Make it to Otautau

2009-02-24T16:07:00.006+13:00

Star fishes, sand dollars and sea horses are now on display at the Otautau Museum. As the Holt Park display comes to a close, our tireless exhibition managers have put together a small display of sea shells. These beautiful crustaceans as well as things made from shells are on loan from avid collector Mrs Betty Barkman from Gladfield.

As one crusty would say:

Under the sea

Darling it's better

Down where it's wetter

Take it from me

-- From The Little Mermaid

Your comments are always welcome!

Flood Display

2009-01-08T12:42:00.004+13:00

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Southland flood. Otautau was severely affected, with several hundred people needing to be evacuated and the businesses on main street entirely flooded.

The museum is putting together a small display of the 1984 flood as well as pictures of the Big Flood of 1913, and some of the 1935 and 1947 floods. If you have a story or photo to share of any flood, please let us know. The museum is open Sundays and Wednesdays, 2-4pm.

Your comments are always welcome!

Family History Resource

2008-12-25T21:40:00.004+13:00

If you are wired to the Otautau grapevine, you may have already heard that the Otautau Standards are now viewable on microfilm at the SDC office on Main Street. The Standards were published between 1905 and 1946, and the local collection has nearly all of the newspapers. This is potentially a very good source of family history information.

The Otautau Museum plans to slowly and methodically go through each volume and glean information on marriages and obituaries to create a printed index for researchers. We would've wanted to collect information on births as well, but it seems that births were not really reported in the newspaper in those days.

If you are interested or can help with this project, please let us know. The more people we have helping, the sooner the resource will get done.

Your comments are always welcome!

Manapouri - Power and Protest

2008-11-24T13:09:00.003+13:00

The New Zealand Film Archive presents Manapouri - Power and Protest, a 60-minute programme of early films about the Manapouri and Te Anau region.

Films include excerpts from "The New Zealand Sounds Hydro-Electric Concessions Limited" (1925), "The Twin Lakes" (1963), "Pictorial Parade - Water to Burn" (1965), "Pictorial Parade 2 - the Duke Drops In" (1968), "A Question of Power - the Manapouri Debate" (1980), and "Give it a Whirl" (2006).

Admission is free, and viewings will be held over three nights at Te Anau, Manapouri and Invercargill.

- 2 Dec at the DoC Visitor Centre, Te Anau, 7pm.
- 3 Dec at the Lake View Motor Inn, Manapouri, 7pm.
- 4 Dec at Hansen Hall, corner Ythan and Forth Streets (Behind First Church), Invercargill, 8pm.

Your comments are always welcome!

Book Sale

2008-11-19T10:40:00.005+13:00

Otautau's annual book sale is nearly here. In the past, this was a dual fundraiser for the Otautau Museum and the Otautau & District Creative Arts Trust. Sadly, the Creative Arts Trust has closed its books and is no longer operating. But the book sale will still be a dual fundraiser for the Museum and the Otautau Heritage Trust.

There will be books for all interests at unbeatable prices so come and indulge your inner bibliophile. The sale is on Saturday and Sunday, 29 and 30 November, 10am - 4pm, at the old Courthouse, 146 Main street. If you'd like to donate some books to our sale, drop them off at the SDC office. Your donations keep us going!

And your comments are always welcome!

Visitors are a Treasure

2008-10-10T09:21:00.011+13:00

We've had some great visitors this week - both are relatives of very early residents, in fact two of Otautau's best known women writers: Winifred Gonley Davin, and Margaret Elizabeth McKay who wrote Customers and Green Men. These early families, the Gonleys and the Mathesons, represent the Irish and Scottish roots of Otautau.

The visitor from Ireland wanted to find out more about the Gonleys who were here about the turn of the century. Dominic Gonley was the nephew of Michael Gonley who owned a hairdressers and stationer shop on Main Street, about where the fish and chip shop is. Rather tragically, though, Dominic ended up enlisting for WWI and was killed in 1917. Michael and Winifred Gonley's daughter, Winifred, became a writer and married Dan Davin. That's a whole story in and of itself!

Our visitor ended up telling us more about the Gonley family history than we could tell her, but the good thing is she allowed me to record her. It's a fascinating story that includes a bit of Irish history, bare-knuckle boxing, and settling in Otautau. With our visitor's permission, I will make a transcript for our biography file and make the audio available at the museum if anyone wants to listen to it.

Our second visitor is a granddaughter of Ewan Matheson who was a storekeeper on Main Street, about where the CRT store is. I gave her a quick tour of the Holt Park exhibition which is our current display. One of her early jobs was to clean the courthouse so I showed her around the building, and she had a few stories to tell. It was a pleasure to hear her stories of living in Otautau in the 1940s and '50s.

This is certainly one of the best perks of volunteering for the museum, getting to meet people who have something to share about the town. If you have something to share do contact us.

Your comments are always welcome!

What's New at the Museum

2008-09-28T15:51:00.005+13:00

The exhibition manager, Graham Barkman, has been busy gathering items for the subject of the next display - Holt Park. Holt Park is a natural amphitheatre, carved out by the Otautau Stream. Its natural grandstand hillside provided an impressive backdrop to a lot of big events that have taken place there over the years. For example, Holt Park hosted the A&P Show and the Labour Day Sports competitions. Thousands of people would turn up for these events from miles around. There used to be a swimming pool there which was an after school favourite of many young people. No heating - just plain water and lots of fun.

So Graham has been collecting things from the public - photos, trophies, remembrances from the past and preparing to put them on display for next weekend.

Meanwhile, I've had the flu and that has slowed me down quite a bit. But we've managed to put together a calendar as a fundraiser. Last year, our first calendar featured photos of the early 1900s - and it turned out to be a good source of funding for us. We didn't simply want to raise money but we wanted to bring part of Otautau history into people's homes. So the calendars are one way that the museum is trying to break down its own walls and provide access to the images we preserve.

The 2008 calendar featured the Courthouse because this is its centennial year. It was purpose-built in 1908 to be a courthouse and nothing else. And funnily enough, after about 70 or 80 years when the Justice Department had no use for it, it became a library, an office, a meeting place, an exhibition space, a yoga room, a concert hall, and a museum. So it's an interesting reminder of what buildings and industries are still around in Otautau, and which are not; which of them have changed with the times and which have not.

For the 2009 calendar, we've chosen the topic of homesteads. Some of the homesteads featured are still around while others have long since been torn down. So the calendars provide a kind of snapshot of a town that continues to change.

Your comments are always welcome!

Women's Suffrage Petition

2008-09-18T18:40:00.003+12:00

This blog date seems to be a day behind, but today, 19 September, is the 115th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. The museum has a copy of the Otautau Women's Suffrage Petition of 1893 on display. There are 45 names of local women who dared to say they wanted the right to vote. Come in and check it out.

Your comments are always welcome!

Flood!

2008-09-17T19:49:00.009+12:00

We regularly receive photos from the public to scan for our collection. We then return them once we have made a digital copy. This is a win-win situation because people get to keep their original photos, and we get to use the images for our displays without having to use up valuable storage space. We're always grateful when someone comes forward with something to share.

One of our recent donations involved images of the floods and fires around Main St in the 1930s and '40s. Every picture tells a story but these flood pictures are overflowing with information.

This photo shows the Otautau Stream and would've been taken in the '30s or '40s, long before the stream was radically straightened and the flood banks built. I'm not sure if it's in flood here or just its natural state. It looks like a wetland. The edges of the stream seem almost level with the road. Off to the right is the old flour mill. I had heard that when the mill was demolished in the 1980s, it was used as filler for the flood bank. I don't know if that's true but would like to find out. Just looking at the picture, we see a vastly different landscape than what we have today.

This next picture is the Otautau Stream in flood in 1948. In the distance is the Otautau War Memorial. It's amazing to see all the trees by the water (now there are none!), and the stream is so wide it could be challenging to swim across.

These are just two of the pictures we've received. There are more. Feel free to come by the museum and ask to see them. We are open Wednesdays now as well as Sundays.

Your comments are always welcome!

Introduction

2008-09-11T20:20:00.008+12:00

What goes on behind the closed doors of a museum? Boring old objects or Pandora's Box?

With New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, having regaled (or accosted) the online public with its zealous dissection of a colossal squid -- squid cam and all -- our little museum is not to be outdone.

Ok, no one's given us a colossal squid lately, but as the collections manager, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the precious donations from the public. Most of them do not go on display right away but end up in line to be labelled, catalogued and stored - though thankfully NOT dissected!

I have long wanted to share with people in a more timely manner the things we acquire, bypassing the redtape that even our tiny, volunteer museum has developed. I hope this little blog will be the right vehicle for that, especially for those who are interested in what we do but don't often get to visit us in person.

As always, your comments are most welcome.