Butler Point Whaling Museum facts for kids
The Butler Point Whaling Museum is a special place located in Hihi, close to Mangonui. This area, known as Doubtless Bay, was a very busy spot for whaling ships between the 1820s and 1850s.
The museum helps visitors learn about the history of whaling and what life was like for early settlers in New Zealand. It's a great place to explore and see how people lived long ago!
Contents
What Can You See at Butler Point?
The museum has several interesting parts to explore. You can step back in time and imagine what life was like for people living here almost 200 years ago.
Historic Houses
The museum includes two old houses. One was built in the 1840s by an early settler named William Butler. The other house is even older! It was moved to this spot by William Butler from the Waimate Mission, which was a place set up by the Church Missionary Society. Both houses are filled with furniture and items from their original time, so you can see how people used to live.
Whaling History and Tools
A newer building at the museum is dedicated to whaling. Here, you can see a fully restored whaling boat, just like the ones used long ago. You'll also find "tryworks," which were big ovens used to melt whale blubber (fat) into oil. The museum displays a collection of harpoons, which were used to catch whales, along with models of ships and "scrimshaw." Scrimshaw is a unique art form where whalers carved pictures and designs onto whale teeth or bones. You can also see other items from the whalers who visited Doubtless Bay, including things related to famous ships like the Charles W. Morgan.
Explore the Gardens
Outside the museum, there are large and beautiful gardens to walk through. One of the most amazing things to see is a giant pōhutukawa tree. This tree is truly massive, with a trunk that measures about 10.9 meters around! It's even said to be the biggest pōhutukawa tree in the world. The museum is looked after by a retired eye doctor and his wife, who live on the grounds.
See also
- Whaling in New Zealand
