The doors to some of Tauranga’s most treasured historical items are being opened to the community for the first time next month.
A limited number of tours of Tauranga’s Heritage Collection, which includes over 35,000 artefacts, are being held on 9 and 23 April and will be conducted by Heritage Collection Manager Dean Flavell and Curator Fiona Kean.
Tauranga City Council Arts and Culture Manager James Wilson says the collection has been kept in storage for nearly 25 years as no suitable community facility to house it currently exists.
“Many people have told us they are keen to learn more about our city’s history and see first-hand the items that help tell those stories, so we’re really excited to open the doors to the public for the first time” says James.
“Some people don’t even know this incredible collection exists, so we welcome anyone who is curious to join us and find out more.”
James says the timing of the tours has been planned to coincide with the community consultation that’s currently underway on the proposed plans for the transformation of the city centre, which include a museum and heritage centre.
“We hope these tours will help people see the value and importance of having these taonga available for public viewing permanently, and how they help us to connect with our city’s rich heritage and culture.
“The tours will also show the significant amount of care that goes into looking after our city’s taonga and the wide range of activities our wonderful team undertake, such as research, preservation, education and outreach work.
“The chance to get an up-close look at items, including some never seen by the public before, coupled with Dean and Fiona’s incredible knowledge and passion, will mean everyone who joins us for a tour will be moved by the experience I am sure.”
About the Tauranga Heritage Collection
The Tauranga Heritage Collection is rich with taonga important to Tauranga Moana and includes many artefacts of national significance, such as a hand-carved bailer carbon dated as 700 years old, a 13-tonne anchor and ship’s compass from the MV Rena, and a military Armstrong gun atop a wagon used at the Battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pa).
Tauranga’s first museum collection was shared with the community in 1872. In 1969 the Tauranga City Council supported the Tauranga Historical Society to open the Tauranga District Museum. In 1976 the collection moved to the Tauranga Historic Village and District Museum at 17th Avenue. In 1998 the museum closed, and the collection went into storage. The collection is not usually open to the public.
Heritage Collection tour details and how to register
- The tours will be conducted in accordance with the COVID-19 protection framework red setting requirements. All participants will need to wear a mask.
- Each tour group will be limited to 10 people.
- Tours will take place on Saturday 9 April and Saturday 23 April. Session times available: 9.30am, 11.00am, 1.30pm and 3pm. Tours run for approximately 45 minutes.
- Due to security reasons the Tauranga Heritage Collection storage facility is not open to the public outside of the scheduled tour times. The address of the facility is not publicly available, and full location details will be provided to those who have a confirmed tour booking.
- There is no charge for the tours, however due to limited capacity of the tours, pre-booking is essential.
- Head to www.tauranga.govt.nz/heritagecollectiontours for more details and to fill out a form with all the required information. Your spot will be confirmed at least seven days before the tour takes place.
- Any questions about the tours should be directed to: heritage.collection@tauranga.govt.nz