Aotea Utanganui – Museum of South Taranaki facts for kids
The Aotea Utanganui – Museum of South Taranaki is a special place to learn about history in Patea, South Taranaki, New Zealand. You can find it right on State Highway 3 as you drive through Patea. The central part of the museum is the oldest colonial building in South Taranaki, built in a style called Georgian architecture. The museum had a big renovation project from 2008 to 2011 to make it even better for visitors.
A Look Back in Time
The main building of the museum was built way back in 1869. It first opened as Taplin and Muir's General Store in 1870. This was when the government first started selling land sections in Patea.
The idea for the museum came from the Patea Historical Society. Its first leader, G Livingston Baker QSM, worked hard to create a local place. He wanted a place to keep the history of the old Patea Borough and County Councils. It was also a place to remember the families who first settled in the area.
The museum has many interesting items in its collection. This includes paintings like Hay-Campbell and Haddon's Arrival of Turi. This painting was made in 1933 to remember Turi, an important ancestor. Turi arrived in the 14th century and is important to the Ngati Ruanui and Ngā Rauru people. You can also find items related to the famous Pātea Māori Club in the museum's collection.
How the Museum Works
Working Together
Since 2001, the South Taranaki District Council has given money to the South Taranaki District Museum Trust. This money helps the museum run every year. The Museum Trust and the Council decided to work together. They wanted to offer heritage services across the whole South Taranaki District. This means sharing history and culture with everyone.
The Trust is in charge of looking after all the museum's collections. They do this for the whole community of South Taranaki District. The Council helps by providing the professional staff who work at the museum.
Big Changes and New Beginnings
The museum closed its doors on September 13, 2008, for a huge renovation. This project cost a lot of money, over a million dollars! It reopened on April 30, 2011. An architecture company called BSM Group Architects Ltd from Wanganui designed the new building.
The design made sure to protect all the old artifacts and important history. It also continued to tell the story of the local Māori tribes, called iwi. The building was blessed later that year. The museum got a new roof and a much bigger archive area. It also has a public research and reading room now. There is new space for education and new exhibition areas. The places where the collections are stored were also improved.
