Bringing the Past to Life

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT TRAVEL – especially in regional New Zealand – is the joy of discovery. Whether it’s an isolated beach or a hidden waterfall, a great little café or a rural pub, stumbling across the unexpected and the exceptional is what makes getting out and about in Aotearoa such an adventure. And the Ōpōtiki Museum on the Bay of Plenty’s east coast is the perfect example.

Ōpōtiki certainly has great beaches and there are plenty of majestic old hotels to be found on the main drag – Church Street – but the Museum is something special. While many regional museums have morphed into art galleries housed in shining examples of thoroughly modern architecture, the Ōpōtiki Museum, also on Church Street, is found in a respectable, almost austere, three story building. The entrance is unassuming, but once inside the Museum appears to defy the laws of physics by opening out into a seemingly never-ending array of spacious galleries and detailed collections that tell the story of the district – and pretty much the whole of the country too.

On the ground floor is a huge collection of farming vehicles and colonial implements that were once commonplace in every kiwi town; tractors, saddlery, carpentry – even an old printing press – remind you that so many things we take for granted today were once hand made on our main streets. And the best thing about it is that instead of isolated objects locked away in glass cases, all this history is stacked and shelved and piled pretty much as it would have been back

in the day; walking through the ground floor you get the uncanny feeling that the printer or candle-maker or barber may have just popped out for a brew and could walk back in at any moment. There is also a large collection of trophies from local man Piki Amoamo’s hunting days in Alaska – what other museums can boast a polar bear!

Inside the Museum appears to defy the laws of physics by opening out into a seemingly never-ending array of spacious galleries and detailed collections that tell the story of the district.

The mezzanine floor above all this gives a bird’s eye view of the tractors and larger machinery, but it is also home to an extensive collection of photography that shows early life in Ōpōtiki and highlights the importance of shipping to the area. On the third floor there are 12 heritage rooms highlighting life from colonial times through to the 70s, but the real highlight is an extensive collection of taonga from local iwi Whakatōhea. This is displayed together with an exhibition on the many young Māori from the Ōpōtiki district who served in the First and Second World Wars, a poignant reminder of the sacrifice rural New Zealand made to a far-off conflict.

What is perhaps most remarkable about the Ōpōtiki Museum is that it is very much a local labour of love. Dot Wilson, manager and member of the trust that oversees the Museum, says the site was originally the town bus depot but this was demolished and work began on the current building in 2002. The Shalfoon family grocery and hardware stores that are just down the street have now been

The Shalfoon grocery store

incorporated into the Museum, preserved very much as they were back in the day, and can be toured with a guide. The Ōpōtiki Museum’s main building is open from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. Entry is $10 for adults, $5 for children and a family pass is just $25.

“Most museums are funded by the local council or the taxpayer, ours is not, and that is why there is an entry fee which helps to cover costs,” says Dot. “Work on the building has been ongoing over the years thanks to bequests from some of the local pioneer families, grants, donations and fundraising projects. Over that time many volunteers have contributed to the Museum’s success, and this was recognised in 2010 when it received a tourism award. There have been some amazing comments by national and international visitors, many saying that it is one of the best museums they have seen, and we really aspire to make a visit to the Museum a memorable and enjoyable experience by showcasing how people lived in the environment of their era.”

The Shalfoon grocery store interior

The Museum’s motto is “Bringing Our Past to Life” and it certainly achieves that goal. The Ōpōtiki Museum is not a sterile, clinical cataloguing of past events and faces like in so many museums, but a glorious celebration of all that made up the lives of our ancestors, from the momentous like war and industry, to the mundane, the bits and pieces of their everyday lives.

Walking through the ground floor you get the uncanny feeling that the printer or candle-maker or barber may have just popped out for a brew and could walk back in at any moment.

It’s a genuine trip back in time and well worth a trip to Ōpōtiki.