Toitū Otago Settlers Museum facts for kids
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum main wing (Dunedin Railway Station is visible in the background)
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| Established | 1898 |
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| Location | 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin, New Zealand |
The Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a history museum located in Dunedin, New Zealand. It tells the story of the Otago region, especially focusing on the city of Dunedin. This museum is special because it's New Zealand's oldest history museum! It helps us understand how people lived and what happened in this part of the country, from the very first people to arrive until today.
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Discovering the Museum's Past
The museum first opened its doors in 1898. This was a special year because it was 50 years after the first Scottish settlers arrived in Otago. It was started by a group called the Otago Early Settlers' Association.
By 1908, the museum moved into a building in Queen's Gardens, Dunedin. This building was designed by an architect named John Burnside. At first, the museum only focused on the very first European settlers who arrived between 1848 and the start of the Otago gold rushes in 1861. But over time, the museum started to include stories of people who arrived later. That's when they dropped the word 'early' from the museum's name.
The museum's collections grew to show these changes. They still focus on history from when James Cook first visited southern New Zealand in 1770, right up to modern times.
Growing and Changing Over Time
In 1927, the museum took over the building next door. This building was also designed by John Burnside and used to be the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. For a while, the museum had some tough times, especially with money. Other similar museums in New Zealand even closed down after World War II.
But things started to get better in 1978 when a new director, Seddon Bennington, began a plan to make the museum new again. Another director, Elizabeth Hinds, continued this work. The Dunedin City Council started giving more money to the museum. In 1991, the city council took over owning and running the museum completely.
The museum also bought the old bus station building next door. This building was built in 1939 and is a great example of art deco style. Today, this part of the museum is used to show off old vehicles and machines. It was connected to the main museum in 1994.
In 2006, the city council decided to make the museum even bigger. They planned new parts to the north and east of the old buildings. This was to bring all the collections together in one place and make sure they were stored and displayed well.
On April 4, 2008, a water pipe burst and caused some flooding at the museum. It cost $45,000 to fix, but luckily, none of the important items were permanently damaged.
Amazing Old Locomotives
The museum has some really cool old trains! One of the most popular is the E class Fairlie steam locomotive called Josephine. It's the oldest preserved steam train in New Zealand, built way back in 1872. When it was saved in the late 1920s, it became the very first preserved locomotive in the country!
The museum also has the newest preserved steam locomotive in New Zealand, called JA 1274. This train started working in December 1956. It was the last new steam train built by the New Zealand Railways Department in Dunedin's Hillside Workshops. It was also the last new steam train built to run on New Zealand's main railway lines. It stopped working in 1971 and was saved for the museum a few years later.
Art and History Collections
The museum has a great collection of paintings. These include works by early Dunedin surveyors like Charles Kettle and John Buchanan, and artists like Alfred Henry O'Keeffe and George O'Brien.
There's also a research center at the museum. It has a huge collection of photographs of early European settlers. Outside the main building, you can see a statue of James Macandrew, who was an important leader in the Otago region.
Exploring the Museum Today
The museum had big renovations in 2011 and 2012. It reopened to the public in December 2012 with a new name: Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. The name "Toitū" was suggested by a local family. It means "to remain unchanged" and refers to the water, land, and sky of this area. It was also the name of a stream that used to run near where the museum stands now.
The improvements included a new building attached to the northern end of the old museum. This new part has the main entrance, a gift shop, and a cafe. It's also where you can see Josephine, the old steam train! This area is officially called the Josephine Foyer. Another new building, just north of the museum, houses the JA 1274 locomotive.
Journey Through Time Displays
The museum's new displays tell the story of Dunedin and its surrounding areas in order, from the past to the present day. You can learn about the first meetings between southern Māori and Europeans in the late 1700s. The exhibits now have cool interactive computer screens that make learning even more fun.
The two original Burnside buildings show the history of the region from before Europeans arrived, through the exciting Otago Gold Rush, and up to the end of the 1800s. You'll see old costumes, detailed models, and multimedia displays.
The popular Smith Gallery, also known as the Portrait Room, is still there. Its walls are covered with paintings and photos of the city's early settlers. A new computer screen in the middle of the room lets you find out more about the people in the portraits.
Transport, Technology, and Creativity
The old link between the main museum and the former bus depot is now a research center and a military history display. It includes a Roll of Honour, remembering all the people from Dunedin who died in wars. This is fitting because it's close to the Dunedin Cenotaph, a war memorial in Queen's Gardens, right outside the museum.
The former bus depot now shows items from the 1900s. This includes a transport hall with historic vehicles, from old drays to a trolley bus. There's also a section about digital technology, with some of the city's first computer equipment. This includes a huge ICT 1301 mainframe computer, which is one of only four left in the world!
Another part of this wing highlights Dunedin's creative history, including its early radio and television industries. You can also learn about the famous Dunedin sound music scene. The beautiful Art Deco entrance hall of the old bus depot has been carefully restored to how it looked originally.
- The interior of the revamped Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
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The Smith Portrait Gallery.
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Part of the transport display, featuring a city trolley bus and cars.
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Early digital and computer technology is featured at the museum's southern end.
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The museum's ICT 1301 computer display.
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The former bus depot's Art Deco waiting room has been restored to its original condition.
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Pixie town animatronic models from the D.I.C. (department store).
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Pixie town animatronic models from the D.I.C. (department store).
Dunedin Chinese Garden
A beautiful traditional Chinese garden was built right behind the museum's southern wing. It opened to the public on July 8, 2008. This garden is very special because there are only a few like it outside of China! Part of the garden was a gift from Dunedin's sister city, Shanghai. It was designed with help from landscape experts from Shanghai.
