Wairoa Museum
Wairoa

Wairoa Museum - Kopututanga Taonga o Te Wairoa

The Wairoa museum depicts a strong sense of place; both of its past and its present. The museum holds extensive photographic collections which present a pictorial history of Wairoa from the 1890s through to the present day and a very strong collection of Maori taonga.

The museum’s recently extended premises include two exhibition galleries.  The main gallery features the long-term display ‘Whakaatatanga o Te Wairoa – Reflections of the Long River’, referring to the meandering Wairoa River that cradles the township.  This installation traces the natural and cultural history of the area from the time of first colonisation, approximately 1000 years ago, to the present.

In the second exhibition space the Museum holds regular arts-based exhibitions, which hosts a combination of touring and locally-derived exhibitions. The past couple of years have seen both solo and group shows by local photographers, painters and artists collectives. In 200#, a collection of kites made by Wairoa College Year 10 students was shown as a part of Matariki celebrations. An ancient art form, with spiritual significance was brought to life by a group of Wairoa College Year 10 students who explored different Maori kite forms using natural materials such as manuka, flax, toetoe, aute bark and raupo.

The museum is centrally located on Wairoa’s Marine Parade and admission is free.

For more information you can contact Museum Curator and Manager Jim Samson
on (06) 838 3108 or wairoamuseum@xtra.co.nz