Seddon Bennington
Encyclopedia
Seddon L. Bennington was a New Zealand
museum
executive. Bennington served as the chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
, the national museum of New Zealand, from January 2003 until his death in 2009, and had also been the director
of the Carnegie Science Center
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, from 1994 until 2002.
, North Canterbury, on the South Island
of New Zealand
. His parents, Charles and Jean Bennington, reportedly named their son after former New Zealand Prime Minister Richard Seddon
, whom they admired for his efforts to benefit working class
New Zealanders.
Bennington attended Hanmer Springs Primary School, Culverden District High School and Shirley Boys' High School as a student. He credited a teacher at Culverden with introducing him to biology
, his favorite subject. An art teacher also took Bennington and other students on a birdwatching trip to Kapiti Island
when he was in seventh grade, and the trip left him with a lifelong appreciation for art
and nature
.
Bennington joined the Volunteer Service Abroad
in Western Samoa in 1966. He then returned to New Zealand to study across the arts and sciences, and during this time also worked as a teacher
.
He obtained his doctorate
in zoology
from the University of Canterbury
, and also studied a variety of subjects, including New Zealand history, Māori studies, art history
and anthropology
.
Bennington had two sons, Emile and Marcel.
in Dunedin, and then director of the Wellington City Art Gallery, early in his career. He went on to serve as the head of both the Scitech Discovery Centre
in Perth, Australia
, and the Division of Professional Services at the Western Australian Museum
. He authored a book entitled, Handbook for Small Museums, while living and working in Australia
.
of the Carnegie Science Center
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, in 1994. He is credited with reviving the science center
and making the institution financially stable.
Bennington joined the Carnegie Science Center at the height of the museum's financial and attendance woes. The museum, which opened a new building in Pittsbugh's North Side in 1991, was suffering from budget deficits and a wavering mission since its opening three years prior to Bennington's arrival.
He quickly moved to establish a new vision and mission for the Carnegie Science Center. Much of his strategy centered on the establishment and maintenance of institutional relationships between the Science Center and other cultural, scientific and business
organizations. He introduced travelling exhibits
to the museum, especially through the former UPMC SportsWorks
complex.
Bennington became a fixture within Pittsburgh's cultural and artistic communities during his nine year tenure as director of the museum, and volunteered with the city's theater and art groups.
The reforms which Bennington brought to the Carnegie Science Center proved popular with the general public. The Carnegie Science Center became the most popular museum of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
during his term as director, and it continues to be the most visited museum of the Carnegie system as of July 2009.
Bennington departed the Carnegie Science Museum in late 2002 to become director the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
in his native New Zealand
.
One of the highlights of Bennington's tenure was the opening of the "Monet and the Impressionists" exhibition at Te Papa in early 2009. The travelling exhibit
featuring Monet's masterpieces arrived at Te Papa following two years of negotiations with the Museum of Fine Arts
in Boston
, Massachusetts
. Bennington noted at the time, "It's the most significant collection of works by Monet that will ever have come to New Zealand
or Australia
. It's certainly the most valuable exhibition that has come to New Zealand".
in the Tararua Range
on the North Island
of New Zealand on July 11, 2009. Authorities were alerted after the pair failed to return from a weekend of tramping, as hiking
is called in New Zealand. They had planned to hike from Otaki Forks to Kime Hut within the Tararua Range. It is believed that Bennington and Jackson were caught in a sudden winter southerly storm on Saturday, July 11, on an exposed section of the Tararuas.
Their bodies were recovered on the July 15, 2009, four days after they went missing. Both had died from hypothermia
. Bennington was 61 years old.
and funeral
for Bennington was held at the Te Papa museum in Wellington. His body was taken to Te Papa's marae
on July 21, 2009.
Bennington's family members carried his coffin to the entrance of the marae, where it was given to Te Papa staff members who carried it up the stairs accompanied by Māori instrumental music and conch shells. Bennington's casket was then returned to his family at the top of the stairs, to be carried onto the marae.
Bennington's coffin was greeted by Te Papa's staff with a haka
, and was then placed on a stage in the center of the marae and covered with three kahu kiwi (kiwi
feather coats) as a sign of respect. One of the kiwi cloaks had been used for the tangi
, or funeral, of former Prime Minister Richard Seddon in 1906. The cloak was significant not only because Bennington was named after the Prime Minister, but also because Bennington had personally accepted the cloak from the Seddon family as a donation to Te Papa. The second cloak was originally from Tuhoe, where Bennington spent time during his younger years. The third kiwi cloak used to cover Bennington's coffin had been used previously to repatriate the remains of New Zealanders who died abroad back to their homeland.
Te Papa spokesperson Jane Keig noted the significance of the kiwi cloaks in Bennington's memorial service, "Kahu kiwi are very chiefly cloaks." She explained that the placing the kahu kiwis over the coffin symbolizes, "keeping the person warm as he starts making his way towards the ancestors."
Bennington funeral was held on July 22, 2009, at the marae at Te Papa in Wellington.
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...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
executive. Bennington served as the chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
, the national museum of New Zealand, from January 2003 until his death in 2009, and had also been the director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center, located in the Chateau neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened in 1991.With a history that dates to October 24, 1939, the Carnegie Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, from 1994 until 2002.
Early life
Seddon Bennington was born in Hanmer SpringsHanmer Springs
Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 65 kilometres southwest of Kaikoura , in the Hurunui District. The town lies on a minor road 9 kilometres north of State Highway 7, the northern route between Christchurch and the West Coast...
, North Canterbury, on the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of 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...
. His parents, Charles and Jean Bennington, reportedly named their son after former New Zealand Prime Minister Richard Seddon
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
, whom they admired for his efforts to benefit working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
New Zealanders.
Bennington attended Hanmer Springs Primary School, Culverden District High School and Shirley Boys' High School as a student. He credited a teacher at Culverden with introducing him to biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, his favorite subject. An art teacher also took Bennington and other students on a birdwatching trip to Kapiti Island
Kapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...
when he was in seventh grade, and the trip left him with a lifelong appreciation for art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
.
Bennington joined the Volunteer Service Abroad
Volunteer Service Abroad
VSA is an international volunteering organisation based in Wellington, New Zealand. It is an independent charity and is non-governmental, non-religious and non-political...
in Western Samoa in 1966. He then returned to New Zealand to study across the arts and sciences, and during this time also worked as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
.
He obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
from the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
, and also studied a variety of subjects, including New Zealand history, Māori studies, art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
.
Bennington had two sons, Emile and Marcel.
Early career
Bennington was appointed the head of the Otago Early Settlers' MuseumOtago Settlers Museum
The Otago Settlers Museum is a regional history museum in Dunedin, New Zealand. Its brief covers the territory of the old Otago Province, that is, New Zealand from the Waitaki River south. It is New Zealand's oldest and most extensive history museum...
in Dunedin, and then director of the Wellington City Art Gallery, early in his career. He went on to serve as the head of both the Scitech Discovery Centre
Scitech
Scitech is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to increase interest and participation by Western Australians in science and technology...
in Perth, Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and the Division of Professional Services at the Western Australian Museum
Western Australian Museum
The Western Australian Museum is the state museum for Western Australia.The Western Australian Museum has seven main sites: two in Perth within the Perth Cultural Centre, two in Fremantle , and one each in Albany, Geraldton, and Kalgoorlie-Boulder...
. He authored a book entitled, Handbook for Small Museums, while living and working in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Carnegie Science Center
Bennington became the directorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center, located in the Chateau neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened in 1991.With a history that dates to October 24, 1939, the Carnegie Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, in 1994. He is credited with reviving the science center
Science center
A science center or science centre is a science museum that emphasizes a hands-on approach, featuring interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to experiment and explore....
and making the institution financially stable.
Bennington joined the Carnegie Science Center at the height of the museum's financial and attendance woes. The museum, which opened a new building in Pittsbugh's North Side in 1991, was suffering from budget deficits and a wavering mission since its opening three years prior to Bennington's arrival.
He quickly moved to establish a new vision and mission for the Carnegie Science Center. Much of his strategy centered on the establishment and maintenance of institutional relationships between the Science Center and other cultural, scientific and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
organizations. He introduced travelling exhibits
Travelling exhibition
A travelling exhibition, also referred to as a "travelling exhibit" or a "touring exhibition", is a type of exhibition that is available for circulation to one or more venues in addition to the premises of the organiser....
to the museum, especially through the former UPMC SportsWorks
UPMC SportsWorks
Highmark SportsWorks is one of the major, consistent exhibits of the Carnegie Science Center located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is one of largest science and sports exhibition in the world, with over 30 interactive experiences in which visitors can participate...
complex.
Bennington became a fixture within Pittsburgh's cultural and artistic communities during his nine year tenure as director of the museum, and volunteered with the city's theater and art groups.
The reforms which Bennington brought to the Carnegie Science Center proved popular with the general public. The Carnegie Science Center became the most popular museum of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are four museums that are operated by the Carnegie Institute headquartered in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
during his term as director, and it continues to be the most visited museum of the Carnegie system as of July 2009.
Bennington departed the Carnegie Science Museum in late 2002 to become director the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
in his native 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...
.
Te Papa
Bennington sought to emphasize and redefine Te Papa's strengths to the public during his six years as the museum's head. He worked with staff to create exhibits which would grab the audience's attention saying, "I want our exhibitions to be richer in things and richer in information".One of the highlights of Bennington's tenure was the opening of the "Monet and the Impressionists" exhibition at Te Papa in early 2009. The travelling exhibit
Travelling exhibition
A travelling exhibition, also referred to as a "travelling exhibit" or a "touring exhibition", is a type of exhibition that is available for circulation to one or more venues in addition to the premises of the organiser....
featuring Monet's masterpieces arrived at Te Papa following two years of negotiations with the Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Bennington noted at the time, "It's the most significant collection of works by Monet that will ever have come to 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...
or Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It's certainly the most valuable exhibition that has come to New Zealand".
Death
Seddon Bennington and longtime family friend, Marcella Jackson, 54, disappeared while trampingTramping in New Zealand
Tramping, known elsewhere as hiking or bushwalking, is a popular activity in New Zealand.Tramping is defined as a recreational activity involving walking over rough country carrying all the required food and equipment...
in the Tararua Range
Tararua Range
The Tararua Range is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington....
on the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand on July 11, 2009. Authorities were alerted after the pair failed to return from a weekend of tramping, as hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
is called in New Zealand. They had planned to hike from Otaki Forks to Kime Hut within the Tararua Range. It is believed that Bennington and Jackson were caught in a sudden winter southerly storm on Saturday, July 11, on an exposed section of the Tararuas.
Their bodies were recovered on the July 15, 2009, four days after they went missing. Both had died from hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
. Bennington was 61 years old.
Memorial service
A memorial serviceFuneral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
and funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
for Bennington was held at the Te Papa museum in Wellington. His body was taken to Te Papa's marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
on July 21, 2009.
Bennington's family members carried his coffin to the entrance of the marae, where it was given to Te Papa staff members who carried it up the stairs accompanied by Māori instrumental music and conch shells. Bennington's casket was then returned to his family at the top of the stairs, to be carried onto the marae.
Bennington's coffin was greeted by Te Papa's staff with a haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
, and was then placed on a stage in the center of the marae and covered with three kahu kiwi (kiwi
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
feather coats) as a sign of respect. One of the kiwi cloaks had been used for the tangi
Tangihanga
Tangihanga, or more commonly, Tangi, is a Māori funeral rite.Each iwi differs on how they honour those who pass. Tangihanga generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the tūpāpaku is rarely alone. The tūpāpaku is transported to the marae...
, or funeral, of former Prime Minister Richard Seddon in 1906. The cloak was significant not only because Bennington was named after the Prime Minister, but also because Bennington had personally accepted the cloak from the Seddon family as a donation to Te Papa. The second cloak was originally from Tuhoe, where Bennington spent time during his younger years. The third kiwi cloak used to cover Bennington's coffin had been used previously to repatriate the remains of New Zealanders who died abroad back to their homeland.
Te Papa spokesperson Jane Keig noted the significance of the kiwi cloaks in Bennington's memorial service, "Kahu kiwi are very chiefly cloaks." She explained that the placing the kahu kiwis over the coffin symbolizes, "keeping the person warm as he starts making his way towards the ancestors."
Bennington funeral was held on July 22, 2009, at the marae at Te Papa in Wellington.