Nelson Provincial Museum
Encyclopedia
The Nelson Provincial Museum, Pupuri Taonga O Te Tai Ao (in Māori
) is a regional museum in the city of Nelson
, New Zealand
. The museum showcases the Nelson region's history, from geological origins to the stories of individuals and families.
This museum holds over 1.4 million items of interest, collected during the past 160 years. Exhibitions are shown in a modern building that opened in 2005, costing NZ$5 million, funded by the community, private and public benefactors, the Nelson City Council, Tasman District Council and central government. The collections, professional staff and public research services are housed in the former museum building, which is located in Isel Park, Stoke.
Information on location, admission and opening hours can be found here
’s ships Whitby and Will-Watch.
Prior to the expedition reaching Tenerife, a sum of money was subscribed amongst the officers. It was transmitted back to England with directions for the selection of a number of books “of a useful character”, which would form the basis of the library of the Institution.
While a large number of books were acquired, subscribed to and collected by friends and associates of the Colony and Colonialists, the Committee noted that “they would be glad to receive maps, charts manuscripts, drawings, paintings, engravings, sculptures, casts, models of inventions and objects of natural history generally. These will be placed in the Museum of the Institution, and a record will be kept of the names of the donors.”
In late 1842 The Literary and Scientific Institution of Nelson (the Institute) opened on Trafalgar Street, firstly as a Library (with attached Museum storehouse) and subsequently incorporating the Museum, with a membership of sixty by 1844.
By 1861 the Institute had outgrown its Trafalgar Street premises and relocated to a wooden building in Hardy Street. Fire broke out in 1906. While most of the collection was rescued, it was resolved to rebuild as a brick building, which opened in 1912. Until 1963, the Museum was located on the second level of the Institute, with the Nelson Library located on the first level.
Independence grew throughout the 1960’s with the relocation of the Museum firstly to the former home of the Marsden family - Isel House, and subsequently to a concrete block construction, designed by Alex Bowman, which opened in 1973.
In 1983 a Maori History Gallery was opened; the teaching space was modified in 1984 and in 1985/1986 a new workshop, storeroom and darkroom was completed.
The Nelson Institute, Nelson Public Library and Nelson Provincial Museum are the contemporary successors of The Literary and Scientific Institution of Nelson.
The museum has been managed since 1965 by a myriad of committees representing the financial interests of a number of councils within the region. During 2000, Tasman Bays Heritage Trust was formed by Tasman District and Nelson City Councils, in partnership with the Iwi Trust Authorities of Te Tau Ihu as a move away from the traditional council administration system into an independent Trust Board, supported by both Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council. The new body was constituted as Tasman Bays Heritage Trust.
In 2001 Tasman Bays Heritage Trust acquired a site on the cnr of Hardy and Traflagar Streets, Nelson, which formed part of the original Town Acre 445 block. In 2002 the Trust appointed Andrew Irving, of Ian Jack Architects (now Irving, Smith, Jack Architects )as project architect. In 2004 the tender for the project was awarded to Wilkes Construction, of Nelson, a fifth generation family construction firm. In 2005, after significant local,and national support, the redeveloped museum was opened on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
.
The 1973 site in Isel Park continues to operate as a research facility for the museum.
Director
Museum Manager
Chief Executive
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
) is a regional museum in the city of Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The museum showcases the Nelson region's history, from geological origins to the stories of individuals and families.
This museum holds over 1.4 million items of interest, collected during the past 160 years. Exhibitions are shown in a modern building that opened in 2005, costing NZ$5 million, funded by the community, private and public benefactors, the Nelson City Council, Tasman District Council and central government. The collections, professional staff and public research services are housed in the former museum building, which is located in Isel Park, Stoke.
Information on location, admission and opening hours can be found here
History
The Literary and Scientific Institution of Nelson, was founded May 1841 in the Bay of Biscay amongst the officers of the preliminary Expedition of the Second Colony, on board the New Zealand CompanyNew Zealand Company
The New Zealand Company originated in London in 1837 as the New Zealand Association with the aim of promoting the "systematic" colonisation of New Zealand. The association, and later the company, intended to follow the colonising principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of...
’s ships Whitby and Will-Watch.
Prior to the expedition reaching Tenerife, a sum of money was subscribed amongst the officers. It was transmitted back to England with directions for the selection of a number of books “of a useful character”, which would form the basis of the library of the Institution.
While a large number of books were acquired, subscribed to and collected by friends and associates of the Colony and Colonialists, the Committee noted that “they would be glad to receive maps, charts manuscripts, drawings, paintings, engravings, sculptures, casts, models of inventions and objects of natural history generally. These will be placed in the Museum of the Institution, and a record will be kept of the names of the donors.”
In late 1842 The Literary and Scientific Institution of Nelson (the Institute) opened on Trafalgar Street, firstly as a Library (with attached Museum storehouse) and subsequently incorporating the Museum, with a membership of sixty by 1844.
By 1861 the Institute had outgrown its Trafalgar Street premises and relocated to a wooden building in Hardy Street. Fire broke out in 1906. While most of the collection was rescued, it was resolved to rebuild as a brick building, which opened in 1912. Until 1963, the Museum was located on the second level of the Institute, with the Nelson Library located on the first level.
Independence grew throughout the 1960’s with the relocation of the Museum firstly to the former home of the Marsden family - Isel House, and subsequently to a concrete block construction, designed by Alex Bowman, which opened in 1973.
In 1983 a Maori History Gallery was opened; the teaching space was modified in 1984 and in 1985/1986 a new workshop, storeroom and darkroom was completed.
The Nelson Institute, Nelson Public Library and Nelson Provincial Museum are the contemporary successors of The Literary and Scientific Institution of Nelson.
The museum has been managed since 1965 by a myriad of committees representing the financial interests of a number of councils within the region. During 2000, Tasman Bays Heritage Trust was formed by Tasman District and Nelson City Councils, in partnership with the Iwi Trust Authorities of Te Tau Ihu as a move away from the traditional council administration system into an independent Trust Board, supported by both Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council. The new body was constituted as Tasman Bays Heritage Trust.
In 2001 Tasman Bays Heritage Trust acquired a site on the cnr of Hardy and Traflagar Streets, Nelson, which formed part of the original Town Acre 445 block. In 2002 the Trust appointed Andrew Irving, of Ian Jack Architects (now Irving, Smith, Jack Architects )as project architect. In 2004 the tender for the project was awarded to Wilkes Construction, of Nelson, a fifth generation family construction firm. In 2005, after significant local,and national support, the redeveloped museum was opened on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
The 1973 site in Isel Park continues to operate as a research facility for the museum.
Collection
Collections include:- Kingdon-Tomlinson family silver collection dating from 1594–1800 and consists of over 140 pieces. It was gifted by Deed of TrustTrust instrumentA trust instrument is an instrument in writing executed by a settlor used to constitute a trust...
to the people of Nelson and the surrounding region by Julie Annie Tomlinson in 1959.
- Bett Collection (the nucleus of an extensive and growing historical library and archives). Dr Francis Arnot Blackader Bett (1873–1957) passionately collected books, photographs, maps, documents, sketches and paintings relating to the Nelson province.
- Marsden Collection. A rare and beautiful collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century antique furniture, plate, glassware and porcelainPorcelainPorcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
- including SèvresManufacture nationale de SèvresThe manufacture nationale de Sèvres is a Frit porcelain porcelain tendre factory at Sèvres, France. Formerly a royal, then an imperial factory, the facility is now run by the Ministry of Culture.-Brief history:...
, Dresden and WorcesterRoyal WorcesterRoyal Worcester is believed to be the oldest remaining English pottery brand still in existence today.-Overview:Royal Worcester is a British brand known for its history, provenance and classically English collections of porcelain...
. This has been consolidated from an original bequestBequestA bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
together with separate holdings formerly held by the Cawthron Institute and the Anglican Diocese of NelsonDiocese of NelsonThe Diocese of Nelson is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the top part of the South Island of New Zealand, which is mostly the area north of a line drawn from Greymouth to Kaikoura.The diocese was...
The Marsden Book Collection is also held at the museum dating from 1773 to the early 1920s and relates to natural history, discovery and exploration of the Pacific.
- Tyree Studio Collection of more than 105,000 photographic negativesNegative (photography)In photography, a negative may refer to three different things, although they are all related.-A negative:Film for 35 mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic or cellulose acetate. As each image is captured by the camera onto the film strip, the film strip advances so that...
is one of the most comprehensive social history collections in New Zealand. William Tyree (1855–1924) and Frederick Tyree (1867–1924) were the sons of a master boot-maker from SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1871, the Tyrees arrived in New Zealand. By 1878, William had established the Tyree Studio in Trafalgar Street, Nelson, and by 1884 his younger brother, Frederick, and Rosaline Frank were working as his assistants. Their Aunt's VictorianVictorian decorative artsVictorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior...
decorative tiled fireplaceFireplaceA fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
is installed in Amber HouseAmber HouseAmber House is one of the older two storey villas in New Zealand's third founded city of Nelson in the top of the South Island at 46 Weka Street....
nearby.
- Until 1895, William Tyree methodically documented and recorded the social history of the region and from 1910, when he moved to Sydney, Rosaline Frank managed the Tyree Studio. Frederick Tyree established his own photographic business in Takaka, Golden BayGolden BayGolden Bay lies at the edge of the junction between the Tasman Sea and Cook Strait. It stretches for 45 kilometres from the long sand spit of Farewell Spit in the north to Separation Point in Abel Tasman National Park at its southern extremity...
, and continued his interest in photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
until his death in 1924. The Tyree Studio continued to operate until 1947 under the ownership of Rosaline Frank.
- The Nelson Mail Photographic Collection of images from 1979 to 1994. More than 205,000 individual negatives and growing.
- Other collections: Geoffrey C Wood Collection, F N Jones Collection, Manson Collection, Prouse Collection, Nelson CollegeNelson CollegeNelson College is a boys-only state secondary school in Nelson, New Zealand. It teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private Preparatory School for year 7 and 8 boys...
Collection, Jenkins Collection, F G Gibbs Collection, Greenwood Collection, Knapp Collection, W E Brown Collection, Ellis Dudgeon Collection, Reg & Hugh Kingsford Collection, The Nelson Evening Mail Newspaper Collection, The ExaminerThe ExaminerThe Examiner can refer to:* The Examiner , an early 18th century journal with contributions by Jonathan Swift*The Examiner, a weekly paper published between 1808 and 1886*The Examiner , a weekly paper in Beaumont, Texas...
, The Colonist.
Director
Curator- Lt. Col. Cyprian Bridge Brereton, (1876-1962), Curator, - 1960;
Director
- Jim EylesJim EylesJames Roy Eyles OBE was a New Zealand archaeologist.Born in 1926, Jim spent his early years living with his family at the Wairau Bar near Blenheim where, in 1939 as a schoolboy, he discovered early human skeletons and associated artefacts including necklaces, stone tools and moa egg...
(James Roy Eyles) OBE (1926-2004), Director; - Steve Bagley, Director
- Dr John Rudge, Director
Museum Manager
- Hubert Klassens, Museum Manager, - 2001;
- Lesley Baxter, Acting Museum Manager, 2001
Chief Executive
- Wayne P Marriott, Chief Executive, 2001 - 2007;
- Cathy Knight, Acting Chief Executive, 2007;
- Robert (Bob) Dickinson, Chief Executive, 2007 - 2008;
- Peter Millwood, Chief Executive, 2008 -
Notable Staff
The following people have held key senior staff roles- Sally Papps, Head of Exhibitions
- Judith Taylor, Head of Collections