South Sea Islands Museum facts for kids
A distant street view of the entrance on Avondale Rd to the South Seas Island Museum
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| Established | 1964 |
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| Dissolved | 2017 |
| Location | 27 Avondale Rd, Cooranbong |
| Type | Museum |
| Nearest car park | On site |
The South Sea Islands Museum was a special place in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia. It opened in 1964 and was home to many interesting objects, called artifacts. These artifacts were collected by Seventh-day Adventist missionaries. Missionaries are people who travel to different places to share their beliefs and help communities.
These missionaries started their work in Australia in 1885. From there, they traveled to many islands in the South Pacific. These islands included New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, and the Pitcairn Islands.
The museum displayed amazing items from these islands. You could see beautiful carvings, tools, weapons, clothing, and even shells. The museum itself was in an old house built in 1896. It was a great way to learn about the cultures and history of the South Pacific.
The stories and records from the missionaries' work, going all the way back to the 1880s, are kept safe at the Adventist Heritage Centre in Cooranbong. These records help us understand where the museum's items came from and how important they are.
Contents
A Look Back: How the Museum Started
Over time, more and more people became interested in the amazing collection of items. Because the collection was growing, a decision was made to give it its own special home. This new home was a building at 27 Avondale Road in Cooranbong. The museum officially opened its doors there in 1964.
What You Could See: Museum Displays
The museum often changed its displays, so there was always something new to discover. One of the most impressive things you could see was a very large war canoe. It was so big it took up half of the building! The museum also had different themed exhibitions throughout the year.
The Giant War Canoe
The most eye-catching display was a war canoe from the Solomon Islands. This canoe was huge! When it arrived in Australia in 1968, it was big news. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper even wrote about it:
Giant War Canoe Arrives
"This 52-foot war canoe, once used for important journeys in the Solomon Islands, arrived in Sydney... It was carefully wrapped up to protect it. The canoe was unloaded from a ship called the Tulagi at Walsh Bay. It was then moved to the Seventh-day Adventist Church's South Pacific Island Museum in Cooranbong, which is about 80 miles north of Sydney."
Other Interesting Items
The museum had many other unique items that told stories about the islands.
The Museum's Closing
The South Sea Islands Museum is now permanently closed. All the wonderful artifacts that were once on display are being carefully stored and looked after by the Adventist Heritage Centre. There are plans to create a new museum in the future, so these important items can be shared with people again.
See Also
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Ellen G. White
- History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Seventh-day Adventist Church Pioneers
 | Sharif Bey |
 | Hale Woodruff |
 | Richmond Barthé |
 | Purvis Young |
