Cobblestones Museum facts for kids
The Donald Woolshed, Wairarapa's first purpose built woolshed, built Manaia (now Solway) c.1858
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| Location | 169 Main Street, Greytown, New Zealand, New Zealand |
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| Official name: Cobblestones Shearing Shed and Cobblestone Museum Stables | |
| Designated: | 23 June 1983 |
| Reference #: | 2873 and 4003 |
The Cobblestones Museum is a cool place in Greytown, New Zealand where you can learn about the first people who settled in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand. It's built on the spot where the old Cobb and Co horse stables used to be. Many of the buildings here are super old and important, recognized by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
You can explore several historic buildings at the museum. These include:
- a colonial cottage, built around 1867.
- Wairarapa's first Public Hospital in Greytown, built in 1875.
- Wairarapa's first Methodist church, built in 1865.
- The Mangapakeha country school building, which opened in 1902.
- The original Cobb and Co Stables.
- The Donald Woolshed, built in 1858. This was Wairarapa's first building made just for shearing sheep!
The Exhibition Hall
The Exhibition Centre is a special building that opened in November 2014. It shows off amazing stories, objects, photos, and old machines from Wairarapa's past. This is also where the museum keeps its collection of historical items safe.
A big new exhibition about World War 1 is being planned for November 2018. It will focus on how the war affected Greytown and the nearby areas. It will share the experiences of soldiers who came home and remember those who did not return.
Cobblestones Park and Gardens
The historic village at Cobblestones is surrounded by a beautiful park. You'll find many different kinds of trees here, both native New Zealand trees and others from around the world. Greytown was the first town in New Zealand to celebrate Arbor Day, which is a day for planting trees!
You can see native trees like kahikatea, kowhai, totara, and karaka. There are also trees like maples, ash, and fruit trees that the early settlers planted in their gardens. The Cobblestones Museum Garden is a popular spot for garden tours and even weddings in the Wairarapa region.
