Tūhura Otago Museum facts for kids
Otago Museum original entrance, with its signature Moeraki boulder
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| Established | 1868 |
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| Location | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Type | Public museum |
The Tūhura Otago Museum is a fantastic place to explore in Dunedin, New Zealand. It's right next to the University of Otago campus. This museum has one of the biggest collections in New Zealand and is a top spot to visit in the city!
You can see amazing things here, from natural science items to historical objects from the Otago region and all over the world. The museum also has a cool science centre with interactive exhibits and a huge, tropical rainforest filled with butterflies!
In 2022, the museum received its Māori name, Tūhura. This name means 'to discover, investigate, and explore'. So, the official name became Tūhura Otago Museum, which perfectly describes what you can do there!
Discover Tūhura Otago Museum
Museum History
Early Days
The name "Otago Museum" was first used in 1865 for some geological collections. These collections became the start of the museum we know today. The Otago Museum first opened its doors on September 12, 1868. It was originally located in the Dunedin Exchange building on Princes Street.
Soon, the collection grew too big for its first home. A new, special building was needed! The foundation for the current building on Great King Street was laid in December 1874. The new building opened in August 1877 and is still part of the museum today. You can still see the original entrance with its grand pillars on Great King Street. The main entrance is now from the Museum Reserve.
From 1877 to 1955, the University of Otago managed the museum. After that, a new group called the Otago Museum Trust Board took over.
Growing Bigger
The museum building on Great King Street is over 100 years old! It's considered a very important historic place.
Over the years, the museum has added many new parts. The Hocken Wing opened in 1910, holding Dr Thomas Hocken's collection of old papers. This collection is now part of the Hocken Collections. Another wing, named after a generous helper called Willi Fels, opened in 1930. This wing now holds the People of the World and Tangata Whenua galleries.
In 1963, the Centennial Wing was added for more display space. With all these additions, the museum became much larger. It had a complex layout with many connected parts.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the museum had a big makeover. They added a stunning central Atrium, designed by architect Ted McCoy. This helped connect all the different wings. They also improved the storage areas for the collections, making sure everything was kept safe.
A big moment happened in 2002 when the Southern Land, Southern People gallery opened. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest, helped open it!
The museum's interactive science centre, Discovery World, first opened in 1991. During the makeover, it moved to a new floor. In 2007, the Tropical Forest was added to the science centre. This is an amazing rainforest environment with live butterflies! It became a very popular attraction. In 2015, a planetarium was added. In 2017, the science centre was updated again and renamed the 'Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre'.
In 2013, an old bluestone building on the Museum Reserve was reopened. This building, now called the H. D. Skinner Annex, is used for special exhibitions. It used to be a post office!
Generous Helpers
The Otago Museum has one of the most important museum collections in New Zealand. This is thanks to many generous people and smart ways of getting new items.
Many important helpers came from the same famous Dunedin family. One of the most impactful was Willi Fels, a businessman from Germany. He gave many items himself and also set up a fund to buy new things. He encouraged others to give valuable items to the museum too. He even helped raise money to build the wing named after him!
Amazing Collections
The museum has incredible collections in both natural science and human history.
Nature's Wonders
In natural science, the museum has very important insect and spider collections from around the world. There are over 40,000 marine invertebrate specimens (animals without backbones from the ocean). They also have 30,000 bird specimens, including nests and eggs!
The moa collection is one of the best in the world. The museum holds two of the only three complete moa eggs known to exist: the Ettrick Egg and the First Earnscleugh Egg.
Human Stories
In human history, the museum has strong collections of everyday items and art from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Australia. It also has a large collection of Māori taoka (treasures).
From other parts of the world, you can see amazing things like weapons and armour from India, ancient coins, Islamic pottery, and Ashanti goldweights. The museum also has about 150 cuneiform tablets (ancient writings on clay), which is the largest collection of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere! There are also wide collections of pottery, jewellery, costumes, glass, clocks, furniture, stamps, guns, cameras, and stone tools.
Fun Activities and Learning
What You Can See
Otago Museum has seven main galleries that are always open:
- Southern Land, Southern People: Learn about the geology and natural history of Otago. See how people in the south used natural resources. A huge plesiosaur fossil, New Zealand's largest fossil, is a highlight!
- Tangata Whenua: Explore Māori taoka (treasures/artefacts), focusing on the Māori people of the South Island.
- The Nature gallery: Discover natural science stories and specimens from Otago, including an old moa display.
- Animal Attic: A gallery inspired by Victorian times, with nearly 3,000 historical animal specimens. Look out for the Lawrence lions, two lions that escaped from a circus in 1978!
- People of the World: See human history artefacts from all over the world, including an ancient Egyptian mummy.
- Pacific Cultures: Explore masks, tools, weapons, and more from the islands and cultures of Polynesia and Melanesia.
- The Maritime gallery: Learn about the sea history of Otago and New Zealand. It has over 50 model ships and a historic fin whale skeleton.
Another amazing long-term attraction is:
- Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre: This is the museum's interactive science centre. It has two main parts. One part lets you explore science (like physics and technology) with hands-on exhibits. The other is the amazing Tropical Forest. This is a three-level rainforest with hundreds of live, colourful butterflies, tropical plants, and a six-metre waterfall!
Special Shows
The museum has a large gallery for temporary exhibitions. These shows change often and cover many different topics. Some exhibitions are created by the museum itself, while others travel from other parts of New Zealand or the world.
The museum works with international museums to bring amazing exhibitions to Otago. For example, the Shanghai Museum sent The Emperor’s Dragons to Otago Museum in 2008. This show featured ancient Chinese artefacts never seen outside China before! In return, Otago Museum sent Te Ao Māori: Māori Treasures from the Otago Museum, New Zealand to Shanghai in 2011. This was the first time Māori artefacts were shown in a Chinese museum, and over 600,000 people visited it!
School Trips and Events
Thousands of students visit the Otago Museum every year for special programs linked to their school subjects. The museum also offers popular 'sleepover' programs for school groups! A portable planetarium called ‘Starlab’ can bring astronomy experiences to schools or be used at the museum.
The museum also organizes many community programs and events that go along with the exhibitions. These events are often free and include family fun days, workshops, guest speakers, film screenings, kids' activities, and daily gallery talks. You can find out what's coming up on their website: [1].
Functions and Events
The museum has various spaces that can be rented for conferences, meetings, dinners, and parties. This helps the museum raise money to keep running.
Awards
The Otago Museum has won many awards, including:
- Qualmark Endorsed Visitor Activity
- Qualmark Gold status
- Six New Zealand Tourism Awards, including Best Visitor Attraction and Activity in NZ
- Five Westpac/Otago Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, including the Supreme Business Award in 2004
How the Museum is Run
The Otago Museum is managed by the Otago Museum Trust Board. This board has specific roles and responsibilities set by a law called the Otago Museum Trust Board Act 1996.
More than half of the museum's money comes from donations, business activities, company sponsorships, government funding, and services it provides. The rest of the money comes from four local councils: the Dunedin City Council, the Clutha District Council, the Central Otago District Council, and the Waitaki District Council.
Museum Leaders
Important People
Many talented people have helped shape the Otago Museum:
- Lily Daff (1885–1945), an artist and the Officer in Charge of Exhibitions.
- Harry Skinner (1886–1978), an expert in cultures and a museum director.
- Lyn Forster (1925–2009) and Ray Forster (1922–2000), experts in spiders.
Past Directors
When the University of Otago managed the museum, the "Curator" role was part of a university job.
- Frederick Hutton (1873–1879): He was a geology expert and helped design the original building. He started building a big natural history collection.
- Thomas Jeffery Parker (1880–1897): He was a brilliant researcher and one of New Zealand's greatest biologists. He organized the natural history items and put together many of the skeletons you still see today. He also started the human history collection.
- Sir William Blaxland Benham (1898–1939): A world-famous scientist, he was the Curator for 39 years! He was also a professor at the University of Otago. He was knighted for his work in science and education.
- Henry Devenish Skinner (appointed 1937): He was the first New Zealand-born leader of the museum. He was a pioneer in studying Pacific cultures. While earlier leaders focused on nature, Skinner built up the human history collection, working closely with his friend and helper, Willi Fels.
- Raymond Robert Forster (appointed 1957): He was the first director appointed under the new Trust Board. He led a time of intense research in biology at the museum. He became a world expert on spiders and created a huge collection of spiders from all over the world.
- Richard Cassels (appointed 1987): He focused on making the museum more connected to the community. During his time, the museum decided to create a science centre.
- Shimrath Paul (appointed 1995): He joined the museum in 1990 to set up the interactive science centre (Discovery World). He led a huge makeover of the museum, making it a world-class attraction. He also oversaw the creation of the Tropical Forest. Under his leadership, visitor numbers grew from about 250,000 to over 600,000 a year!
- Dr Ian Griffin (appointed May 2013): He is the museum's current director. He has a PhD in astronomy and has even discovered 27 asteroids! He brings a strong science background to the museum. Before this role, he led a charity in England that encourages science. He has also been a director at other museums and observatories around the world.
Images for kids
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Interior of Otago Museum, between 1883 and 1886, by Burton Brothers studio, featuring a fin whale skeleton (mounted 1883) and a spirit collection of fish and reptiles.
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The Exchange Building, original home of the Otago Museum
