Paua House facts for kids
The Paua House was once a very special home in the New Zealand town of Bluff. It was famous for being covered inside with shiny pāua shells. Today, you can see parts of this unique house at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
A Home Covered in Shells
The Paua House started as a regular New Zealand bungalow. It was owned by an older couple, Fred and Myrtle Flutey. They loved collecting beautiful, shimmering shells from the pāua, which is a type of abalone found in New Zealand. These shells are often used to make souvenirs.
Over about 40 years, Fred and Myrtle decorated their home with these shells. They used both ornaments made from pāua and cleaned shells they found on the local beach. By the time they passed away (Myrtle in 2000 and Fred in 2001), their living room walls were covered with more than 1,100 shells!
Becoming Famous
In 1979, a New Zealand photographer named Robin Morrison visited the house. He included it in his book, The South Island of New Zealand From the Road, which came out in 1981. This book helped make the Paua House well-known.
Fred and Myrtle Flutey became local celebrities. They welcomed thousands of visitors to their home each year. Some people say that about one million visitors saw the house during the 37 years the collection grew.
Moving to a Museum
After Fred and Myrtle passed away, their grandson, Ross Bowen, bought the house. Many local people wanted the house to stay in Bluff with all its shells. However, Ross Bowen decided to loan the amazing shell collection to the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
The museum recreated parts of the house to show the collection. It opened to the public in 2008. In its first two years, about 250,000 people visited the display at the museum.
Take a Virtual Tour
You can explore the Paua House from anywhere! There is an online virtual tour available.
Gallery
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Paua Shell House Sign
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Walls covered with shells, inside the Paua House display
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Pieces of the collection
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The Visitor's Book
