Blacks Point Museum facts for kids
Blacks Point museum, showing the mural by Alun Bollinger
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| Former name | Methodist Church, Reefton |
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| Established |
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| Location | Blacks Point, near Reefton, South Island, New Zealand |
The Blacks Point Museum is a cool place to visit! It's a museum located in Blacks Point, a small area close to Reefton. Both are on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. This museum helps us learn about the history of mining towns.
Contents
The Museum Building's History
From Church to Museum
The building where the museum is now used to be a church. It was a Methodist/Wesleyan church built way back in 1876. The timber used to build it was "pit-sawn," which means it was cut by hand using a special saw.
At first, the church looked over the town. But in 1912, it was moved back and turned around. As fewer people lived in Blacks Point, the church services moved to Reefton. The church finally closed its doors in 1960.
How the Museum Started
The community bought the old church building to turn it into a museum. The Blacks Point Museum officially opened on October 1, 1966. Over the years, the building has been updated.
- In 1976, the building was made bigger.
- In the 1980s, a working "Golden Fleece stamper" was put inside. This machine was used to crush rocks.
- A special room for old records and research was added in 2008.
- In 2009, a new display building was built.
- The museum building got a new roof in 2013.
Outside the museum, you can see a large painting called a mural. It was created by Alun Bollinger, who is a famous filmmaker and lives nearby.
What You Can See at the Museum
Exploring the Collection
The Blacks Point Museum has many interesting items that show what life was like in a New Zealand mining town. It's like a treasure chest of history!
You can find:
- Old records from the local school.
- Information about the cemetery and family histories.
- A collection of old photographs.
- Town directories, which are like old phone books.
- Lots of tools and equipment used for mining.
The Golden Fleece Battery
Right next to the museum, there's a special machine called the Golden Fleece Battery. It still works! This machine was used by gold prospectors in the 1870s.
It's a water-driven stamper battery. This means it uses water power to make heavy stamps crush quartz rocks. Crushing the quartz helped them get the gold out of the rock. It's a great example of old mining technology.
