Paua House facts for kids
The Paua House was once a super cool tourist spot in Bluff, a town way down south in New Zealand. It was famous for being covered in shiny pāua shells! Now, you can see parts of this amazing house at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
Contents
Discovering the Paua House
The Paua House started as a regular bungalow (a type of house with one main floor) in Bluff. It was owned by an older couple, Fred and Myrtle Flutey. They loved collecting things made from pāua shells.
What are Paua Shells?
Pāua are a type of large sea snail, also known as abalone. They live in the ocean around New Zealand. Their shells are super shiny and colourful inside, with greens, blues, and purples that shimmer. People often use them to make souvenirs and decorations.
How the Collection Grew
For about 40 years, Fred and Myrtle collected thousands of these beautiful shells. They found many on the local beaches. They also bought ornaments and trinkets made from pāua. They used these shells to decorate their home. By the time they passed away (Myrtle in 2000 and Fred in 2001), their living room walls were covered with over 1,100 shells!
Becoming a Tourist Attraction
In 1979, a photographer named Robin Morrison visited the house. He included it in his book, The South Island of New Zealand From the Road. This made the Paua House famous! Fred and Myrtle became local celebrities. Thousands of people came to visit their unique home every year. Some reports say that over a million people visited the house during the 37 years the collection was growing.
Moving to the Museum
After Fred and Myrtle passed away, their grandson, Ross Bowen, bought the house. Even though many locals wanted the house to stay in Bluff, Ross decided to loan the amazing shell collection to the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
The museum carefully recreated parts of the house. They opened it to the public in 2008. In its first two years, about 250,000 people visited the Paua House display at the museum. It's still a popular exhibit today, letting new generations see Fred and Myrtle's incredible collection.
Images for kids
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Paua Shell House Sign
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Walls covered with shells, interior Paua House taken 2016
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Pieces of the collection
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Visitor's Book
