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Architect appointed for restoration and development of Rotorua Museum
Thursday, 27 September 2018
DPA Architects, with previous experience refurbishing Rotorua Museum, has been appointed to carry out the design work for the restoration of the heritage Bath House building, with help from local firm, Carling Architects. Rotorua Lakes Council’s Arts and Culture manager, Stewart Brown, says restoration work is due to get…
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Rotorua Museum – A complex process
Monday, 13 August 2018
Roof tiles have been a hot topic amongst the team working alongside Heritage New Zealand on the upcoming restoration of Rotorua Museum. The need to maintain the heritage integrity of the building means every aspect of the work to be undertaken must be carefully considered. It is coming up to…
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Souvenir ware plate ‘Eruption of the White Terrace’
Wednesday, 11 July 2018
The Rotorua Museum has what we think is the biggest collection of souvenir ware in museums in New Zealand. Most of the pieces were made in the 1900s and have scenes like the Bath House, Sanatorium, Prince’s Gate, Ohinemutu, or Whakarewarewa. This plate is unusual in that is shows an…
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The mystery of the Tarawera cats
Friday, 8 June 2018
Many people will remember the dried remains of a cat which had been displayed in Rotorua Museum in recent years. In fact it has been described as one of the museum’s most popular exhibits. Here is the story of the three Tarawera cats that were included in the Tarawera eruption…
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Fred Wylie and his rifle
Thursday, 24 May 2018
Most Rotorua residents will be familiar with the memorial in Government Gardens to soldier Fred W. Wylie but they might not know his story or why he was honoured with a memorial. The 26th of May marks the anniversary of his death. Frederick William Wylie was living in Galatea (76…
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Catch up with the Curator: Margaret Aull, Taonga Gallery and Tuku Iho Collection Curator
Monday, 12 March 2018
We’re excited to kick off the first Catch up with the Curator blog for 2018. This week Rotorua Museum’s Lead Exhibitions Curator, Ane Tonga, caught up with esteemed artist and curator Margaret Aull (Te Rarawa, Tūwharetoa, Fiji). Margaret is an established artist who has exhibited her artwork nationally and internationally,…
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QUIZ: Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Waitangi Day is the day commemorates the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – our nation’s founding document. It provides the guiding principles for our nation, it is both celebrated and debated over, and while it comes with a fraught past it also offers clarity for the future. Test your…
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Meet the Rotorua Museum Team – Collections
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
Over the next few months we will use the blog to introduce you to some of the people behind the scenes at Rotorua Museum. This week we will focus on the people who look after the precious taonga in our collection and learn about what makes them passionate about their…
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Exploring Rotorua’s history of Santa Parades
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
It’s carnival time. Love them or hate them, Santa Parades have been part of New Zealand’s history since the early 1900s. Right from the start they have been a commercial venture supported by the large department stores that would promote the arrival of their in-store Santa. Father Christmas made his…
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The Fenton Agreement 1880-2030
Friday, 24 November 2017
1980 was a busy year for the City of Rotorua. It was the year that the city chose to celebrate its founding on 25 November 1880. The year-long centennial celebration kicked off in style in November 1979 when the Morrison Quartet briefly reunited for a special concert at the Rotorua…


