FLAXBOURNE HERITAGE CENTRE PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY STUDY
HERITAGE WORKS Report No. 120 December 2017
FLAXBOURNE HERITAGE CENTRE PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY STUDY
John Coster Heritage Management Consultant
HERITAGE WORKS 29 Thorn Road R D 1 Tauranga 3171
Report No. 120 December 2017
Back Cover Image - Wyvill, Edward Christopher, d.1889: Flaxbourne River and Station, May 1869. Reference number: B-035-004/records/23226249, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ. Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
The right of John Coster to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Act 1994.
Text copyright © 2017 Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association. Photographs copyright © J Coster 2011, 2017.
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CONTENTS
Page 1. Summary 4 2. Introduction 5 3. Proposal 6 4. Background 4.1. Policies: Arts, Culture & Heritage in Marlborough 8 4.2. Flaxbourne & Ward 8 4.2.1. Context 8 4.2.2. History 9 4.2.3. Archaeology 10 4.2.4. Built Heritage 10 4.2.5. Natural History 12 4.2.6. Summary 12 5. Flaxbourne Museum 5.1. Governance 13 5.2. The building 13 5.3. Collections 13 6. Tourism 6.1. Statistics 16 6.2. Attractions 17 6.3. Cycle trail 17 6.4. Facilities 18 6.5. Museums & Galleries 19 6.6. Visitor Information 20 6.7. Discussion 20 7. Assessment of Need 7.1. Potential 21 7.2. Competition 21 7.3. Workshop Conclusions 21 7.4. Comment 24 8. Assessment of Feasibility 8.1. Constraints 25 8.2. Alternative options 25 8.3. Supplementary Projects 27 8.4. Funding 28 8.5. Conclusion 29 9. Recommendations 30 10. References 31
Figures, Tables, Appendices: (overleaf)
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FIGURES, TABLES, APPENDICES -
No. Page Figures:
1 Signpost, corner of Seddon and Ward Streets, Ward Front cover 2 Northern approach 5 3 Former museum building 6 4 Map - Southern Marlborough & North Canterbury 7 5 Built heritage 11 6 Town centre 12 7 Interpretive panels, Flaxbourne Museum 15 8 Salt works & lighthouse 18 9 Sites considered 22 10 Preferred sites 23 11 Information centre, McLaren Falls 26 12 Interpretive sign, Seddon Street 20 13 EC Wyvill, Flaxbourne 1869 Back cover
Tables:
1 Registered collections. 14 2 Archival material 15 3 Accommodation figures - Marlborough & Kaikoura 17 4 Ward & Seddon – facilities 19 5 Indicative space allocations 24 6 Indicative building costs 24
Appendices:
1 Arts & Culture and Heritage Strategies 34 2 Themes & Stories 36 3 Legal Opinion 37 4 Title Deed
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1. Summary
A proposal to establish a Heritage Centre at Ward, on State Highway 1 in southern Marlborough, is consistent with the Marlborough District Council’s Arts & Culture and Heritage strategies. The Centre would provide a focus of community pride and a useful resource for tourists travelling on the road between Picton and Kaikoura, particularly if supported by high-quality public toilets, visitor information, a 70 km per hour speed limit in the settlement and a proposed cycle trail.
The proposal, intended to replace a recently earthquake-damaged museum, would involve a small building of about 250 square metres, situated on the main road through the settlement and providing professional-standard exhibitions interpreting the district’s social and natural history, storage for the collections, research facilities, visitor information and services, toilets, parking, and a picnic area. While a new building is the project’s main focus, establishment of the Heritage Centre would also require the development of facilities, policies and procedures to ensure that the museum collection and archives are maintained in the best possible condition.
The history of Ward, situated on the original Flaxbourne Station, the first pastoral run in the country, typifies many of the themes of Māori and Pākeha settlement in the South Island. Its stories present the visitor with a substantial sample of the country’s history as a whole. The town is well-situated to introduce tourists to both inland and coastal recreational resources, as well as being on the route to Kaikoura’s well-known marine mammal encounters.
The project is initiated by the long-established, volunteer-run Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association, which is responsible for the management of a number of other community facilities in Ward. Although the estimated cost of around a million dollars for land and building is substantial, it is not beyond the means of a small community to raise, provided that local and central government support is forthcoming. Smaller scale heritage-related projects are also a possibility.
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2. Introduction
This report was commissioned by the Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association and follows a workshop with Association members, local residents and District Councillors to examine the scope, objectives and possible siting for a new Heritage Centre in Ward.
Thanks for information and assistance are due to Sally Peter and Jack Taylor (Flaxbourne Museum); Stuart Oulton (Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association); John Hickman, Kevin Loe, Herb Thompson, Tony West & Jim West (Flaxbourne residents); Cynthia Brookes, Gerald Hope, Dean Heiford & Kaye McIlveney (Marlborough District Council); Steve Austin & Megan Ross (Marlborough Heritage Trust) and Jacqui Lloyd (Destination Marlborough).
The writer, John Coster, is an independent museum and heritage consultant based in Tauranga. His former positions include Museums Liaison Officer at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Curator/Registrar at the Museum of Transport & Technology, Acting-Director Wairarapa Arts & History Centre and Manager Museum Services for Tauranga City. He has been a member of the boards of the Te Awamutu, Whakatane and Auckland museums, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa National Services Te Paerangi Advisory Group and of the Tauranga Moana Museum Trust Board.
Cost estimates in this report are indicative only. None constitute a formal estimate or quotation and no undertaking is given that final costs for any development outlined will remain within the amounts stated. All sums cited are exclusive of Goods & Services Tax.
Figure 2: Ward – the approach from the north. Domain arrowed.
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3. Proposal
The Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association proposes to establish a Flaxbourne Heritage Centre at Ward, between Blenheim and Kaikoura. The Centre would replace the existing 35-year-old Flaxbourne Museum which was badly damaged in the 2016 ‘Kaikoura’ earthquake. The Centre would display and interpret objects, documents and photographs illustrating the history of the Cape Campbell area of southern Marlborough, focussing on relevant, in some cases unique, stories of the area, including: • The earliest Māori settlement of New Zealand • Flaxbourne Station, the first great pastoral station in the South Island • The environmental impact of the introduction of rabbits and ferrets to New Zealand • The social changes brought about by the 1894 Lands for Settlement Act and the establishment of Ward township • The history of Ward and its families • The historic 1905 Cape Campbell lighthouse • The local development of radar as part of New Zealand’s contribution to WWII • The development of Marlborough’s salt, wine, pine nut and olive oil industries.
This feasibility study will test the viability of the proposal, examine possible venues, suggest likely sources of capital and operational funding and advise on collection care and interpretation.
Figure 3: Flaxbourne Museum in 2011.
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Blenheim
Seddon
Cape Campbell
Ward
Marlborough Canterbury
Kekerengu
Kaikoura
Figure 4: The area of interest – southern Marlborough and north Canterbury
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4. Background
4.1 Policies – Arts, Culture & Heritage in Marlborough
Marlborough, at the northeastern extremity of New Zealand’s South Island, includes the townships of Blenheim, Picton, Havelock, Renwick, Seddon and Ward. The region is administered by a unitary authority, the Marlborough District Council, based in Blenheim.
The Council’s policy documents include an Arts & Culture Strategy and a Heritage Strategy (see Appendix 1). In regard to museums and heritage, the Arts & Culture Strategy has goals generally to support the arts and culture, with specific strategies to provide appropriate venues and, in particular, to preserve and enhance cultural heritage collections. The Heritage Strategy aims, among other things, to preserve heritage places and document their history, as well as to support the identification, documentation and preservation of heritage objects and artefacts. 1
These policies provide a potential foundation of support for the proposal - a heritage centre incorporating a small museum, based in Ward, with the aim of preserving, documenting and interpreting, through its collections, the history of the local area.
4.2 Flaxbourne & Ward
4.2.1 Context
Ward lies 45 km south of Blenheim, on State Highway 1, south of Cape Campbell. Its facilities include a tearooms, petrol station, community hall, domain and school.
The settlement of Ward was once part of the former Flaxbourne Station, which, in the nineteenth century, stretched along the now sparsely-populated coast between the Awatere and Clarence river mouths. This coastal area is now split between the Marlborough and Canterbury Regions (see Figure 4). The township itself, and many of the surrounding farms, were established in 1905 as part of a government initiative of the time, placing small farmers on land previously occupied by pastoral stations.
Ward itself has a population of around 150. For census purposes, the Ward Area Unit includes Ward and most of southern Marlborough, extending through the Awatere Valley to Molesworth, a vast inland area with a small population – 930, of whom 87% were born in NZ. Of these, 88% are Pākeha and 10% Māori.
1 Marlborough District Council Arts & Culture Strategy https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Our%20Commu nity/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/MDC%20Arts%20%20CultureStrategyFinal.pdf Marlborough District Council Heritage Strategy. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Our%20Commu nity/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/MDC%20Heritage%20Strategy%20Final.pdf
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(The population of Marlborough as a whole is 43,400, with similar demographics. It is one of the three most sparsely-populated regions in the country.) 2
4.2.2 History
The detailed history of Flaxbourne and Ward is recounted in a number of publications. In brief, the Marlborough area was one of the earliest settled by Māori, by the early 14th century. Wairau Bar, east of Blenheim at the mouth of the Wairau River, is proposed by some as a possible site of first settlement. Early groups were replaced by Rangitāne in the Wairau area and, further south, Ngāi Tahu. With the coming of European influence, Ngāti Toa, under Te Rauparaha, spread into the northern South Island, attacking a number of Ngāi Tahu settlements, including one at the mouth of the Flaxbourne River, between 1827 and 1838. 3
Flaxbourne, the first large pastoral station in the South Island, was established by the politicians Charles Clifford and Frederick Weld from 1846. The station extended initially from Lake Grassmere to the Waima (Ure) River and later to Kēkerēngū, north of the Clarence River. Running merino sheep and shipping wool from the mouth of the Flaxbourne River (Waiharakeke), the station brought a number of innovations to Marlborough, including the use of shearing machines. It was also responsible for introducing rabbits and ferrets to the region.
In 1892, the Liberal government of the time introduced a Lands for Settlement Act which allowed the purchase of large estates and their resettlement in smaller blocks, Flaxbourne (in 1905) being one. This policy brought an influx of small farmers to the area. The townships of Seddon and Ward, named after prime ministers Richard Seddon and Joseph Ward, were established in 1899 and 1905 respectively. By 1911 the main trunk railway had reached the area.
2 Meshblock 2309600 (3.6 km2) covers Ward township, population 108 in 2013. Addition of the two adjoining meshblocks, extending to Ward Beach (total area 20 km2) brings the population to 150. https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/8437-population-by-meshblock- 2013- census/http://community.infometrics.co.nz/Marlborough+Region http://www.stats.govt.nz/StatsMaps/Home/Maps/2013-census-population-dwelling-map.aspx http://www.stats.govt.nz/StatsMaps/Home/People%20and%20households/2013-census-quickstats-about-a-place- map.aspx 3 See: Stevens, Joy, 2013. Flaxbourne. http://www.theprow.org.nz/places/flaxbourne/#.WXfaXsIUmpp; Taylor, Jack, 2000. Flaxbourne: Its people and their stories. Flaxbourne Settlers' Association, Ward; Kennington, AL, 2007. The Awatere: a District and its People. Christchurch, Cadsonbury; Hale, AM, 1955. The Golden Jubilee of the Flaxbourne Settlement 1905-1955. Ward, Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association; Mitchell, H&J, 2007. A History of Māori of Nelson and Marlborough, Vol. II Te Ara Hou: 23. Wellington, Huia; Petre, CC, 1998. The Flight of the Phoenix: a Story of Flaxbourne Station. Blenheim, PP; Seddon and Ward, premier towns - roadside stories', https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/seddon-and-ward-premier- towns-roadside-stories, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 29-Jul-2014. McKinnon, M. 'Marlborough region - Early Māori history', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/marlborough-region/page-4 (accessed 26 July 2017); Blundell, S. 2016. Why the Wairau Bar is so important. NZ Listener 24 June 2016. http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/history/why-the-wairau-bar-is-so-important/
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Other local events included a significant legal case in 1904 over the issue of valuation of the compulsorily-acquired station; the establishment of the Cape Campbell lighthouse in 1870, following a number of shipwrecks, and its replacement in 1905; a series of major earthquakes from 1848 onwards; a period of flax milling around the turn of the nineteenth century; establishment of a radar post at Cape Campbell during World War II; founding of the Grassmere salt works; the growth of Marlborough’s wine, olive and pine nut industries and the start of large-scale crayfishing and processing at Ward. In 2014, Cape Campbell was a setting for the film “The Light Between Oceans”. 4
4.2.3 Archaeology
Some 40 Māori archaeological sites are recorded along the coast between Grassmere and Kēkerēngū. Most of these are scatters of ovenstones and shell midden, indicating non-intensive occupation, but evidence of larger sites, possibly villages and some of them probably early, has been found at Grassmere, Marfells Beach, Needles Point and Wharanui. A small fortified pā is located at Kēkerēngū. Further south, an extensive area of gardens, with stone structures, borrow pits and accompanying pā is found at the Clarence River mouth and Waipapa Bay. 5
The general pattern of the archaeological evidence of Māori occupation, as elsewhere in the South Island, appears to be of settlements, some of them early, located at estuaries, river mouths and sheltered beaches, with sporadic short-term occupation elsewhere.
Sites of European occupation recorded as archaeological sites include Flaxbourne Station’s boiling down works, a clay pit for brick manufacture, lime kilns and Weld’s first homestead. Other historic sites in the valley of the Flaxbourne River and elsewhere in the district remain unrecorded, although some, such as sod walls, boundary huts and sheepyards are documented in publications. 6
4.2.4 Built Heritage
Few early buildings remain in Ward, though photographs of some now gone are held by the Flaxbourne Museum. The railway station and an early 20th century boarding house, formerly located opposite the existing tearooms, no longer exist. The second Flaxbourne Station homestead is still occupied and the “Red Shed”, once one of the station buildings, still exists on Seddon Street. 7
4 http://flaxbourne.co.nz/about-us/our-history/; http://www.flaxbourneoliveoil.co.nz/; Monk, Ashleigh, 2015. Marlborough antiques used in Hollywood movie. Marlborough Express, 23 September 2015. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough- express/news/72138283/Marlborough-antiques-used-in-Hollywood-movie; Stevens, Joy, 2017, Heritage: Life on the fault line(s). Marlborough Express 7 May 2017. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/92220842/Heritage-Life-on-the-fault-line-s 5 NZ Archaeological Association Site Recording Scheme www.archsite.org.nz 6 Some sites were recorded by Michael Trotter of Canterbury Museum in 1991. See: Trotter, MM, 1997. The investigation of the historic lime-kilns at Ward, Marlborough. Records of the Canterbury Museum 11:53-64. See also Taylor (2000). 7 The Iron Store, more recently known as the Red Shed, is owned by the Flaxbourne Settlers Association as part of the Flaxbourne Museum and is constructed of corrugated iron on a timber frame. It was built in the early 1850s as a
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A station cook house and a former cemetery also survive. The Community Hall, built in 1912, and much of it still in original condition, includes war memorial plaques, while other buildings from the establishment of Ward, are thought to include two 1911 railway houses, the former post office and the 1906 school building. Other buildings of historic interest include those at the A&P showgrounds at the Ward Domain. The War Memorial at the Domain, built by local artisan Charles Butts, is a distinctive feature. No buildings in the vicinity of Ward are entered on the NZ Heritage List, administered by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, or on the District Council’s 2010 Register of Significant Heritage Resources. 8
Figure 5: Built heritage. Clockwise from top left – former Flaxbourne homestead, ‘Red Shed’, community hall, domain gates & war memorial, domain pavilion.
produce store for the Flaxbourne Station and before the 1855 earthquake was accessible by boat. An 1896 annexe was used as a Telegraph Station. It was also used as a changing station for coaches, as a social centre for groups such as the Country Women's Institute and, in 1905, the first Ward school. 8 http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list; https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Our%20Commu nity/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/Appendix%20A%20Register%20of%20Significant%20Heritage%20Resourc es.pdf
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4.2.5 Natural History
The Flaxbourne area includes a number of sites of geological significance, illustrating the fossil record and effects of past changes in sea level. Chancet Rocks and the Flaxbourne River, near Ward Beach, (as well as Needles Point and Woodside Creek further south) provide geological evidence recording the catastrophic events which brought about the extinction of dinosaurs, while the proximity of the Awatere, Clarence, Kēkerēngū and Hope faults makes the region a significant one for the study of plate tectonics and earthquakes, of which there have been a series, in 1848, 1855, 1966, 2013 and 2016. The landscape itself, and its endemic plants, marine mammals and birds, cater to a range of recreational and scientific interests. 9
4.2.6 Summary
The human and natural histories of the land between Grassmere and Kēkerēngū, as outlined above, include a number of New Zealand “firsts” and a variety of events and phenomena which in many ways typify Aotearoa and its development as a whole. They provide the basis for presentation of a rich range of highly- focussed interpretive themes and storylines which could be pursued in a heritage centre at Ward, providing both a sense of community for local residents and a source of information about the region for interested visitors. Some of these themes are outlined in Appendix 2.
Figure 6: Ward centre 2017. Former museum left, Flaxbourne Tearooms right.
9 See, for example, Hollis CJ, 2003. The Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary event in New Zealand: Profiling mass extinction, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 46:2, 307-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2003.9515011
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5. Flaxbourne Museum
5.1 Governance
Flaxbourne Museum is owned and operated by the Flaxbourne Settlers Association (Inc.), an incorporated society established in 1912 and registered as a Charity in 2008. 10 Its objectives include
(a) fostering and maintaining the community social, sporting, cultural and recreational interests of the residents of the Ward District. (b) operating and managing the amenities of the Ward District including the Community Hall, Museum, Domain and Cemetery …11
The Association’s affairs are managed by a committee, elected annually by its members.
The museum has been operated by volunteers since its establishment. It has no formal policy documents and minimal expenditure, averaging some $1300 annually over the last six years. 12
5.2 The Building
The Museum was built in 1983 by local builder Jim West. It comprises a concrete block structure of approximately 60 m2 on a 336 m2 section adjoining SH1 and the Flaxbourne tearooms. The building was damaged in the 2016 earthquake and is insured, with a replacement value of $87,000. The land value for rating purposes is $1500. 13
The building’s situation is less than ideal, on a section immediately adjacent to the state highway, restricted by rights of way, with little prospect of expansion and subject to noise and dust created by traffic at the adjacent petrol stop and tea rooms (Figure 6).
5.3 Collections
The Flaxbourne museum holds perhaps 2000 items, most of them donated by local people through the museum’s founding curator and local historian, Jack Taylor. Most of the collection relates to the Flaxbourne area, either directly or by association with local families. About a third of the collection, including the more significant items, has
10 Incorporated Society 221047 registered 17/10/1912; Charity CC32738, registered 30/06/2008. http://www.societies.govt.nz/cms/customer-support/learn-about-our-online-services/banner_template/CNAME https://www.register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=370bdd4d-f842-dd11-84f2- 0015c5f3da29&searchId=0589baf8-468e-47e5-9e4f-fb55a2d77eb9 11 Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association Incorporated Rules 2nd June 2008. 12 Expenditure on the museum as presented in annual accounts to Charities Services and the Companies Office, varies from year to year. Some $28,000 appears to have been invested in publications in 2000-2001, sales of which returned a steady income, averaging $790 annually in the six years 2011-2016. In the same period an annual average of $458 was spent on electricity for the museum and $838 on unspecified ‘museum’ expenditure, an average total of $1296 annually. Expenditure on maintenance of buildings, including the “Red Shed”, owned by the Association, also occurs from time to time. 13 The land is Lot 1 DP 5619, situated at 7328 SH1, Ward. See Marlborough District Council property file – Property No. 182545, Valuation No. 201710 13401. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/property-files- online?searchType=Property+Number&propertyNumber=PN182545#property-results-scroll-dest
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been registered with the assistance of Marlborough Museum staff. Table 1 (which is incomplete and not particularly accurate) summarises those by classification and material.
Archives, publications, photographs 361 52% Photographs, negatives, albums 204 29% Books & publications 67 10% Ephemera, scrapbooks, clippings 50 7% Archives & records 40 6%
Domestic & personal 196 28% Domestic & household items 89 13% Personal effects 35 5% Military memorabilia 21 3% Recreational (music & sports) 18 3% Clothing & textiles 17 2% Bottles 16 2%
Work 98 14% Agricultural implements 57 8% Tools 41 6%
Natural history & archaeology 41 6% Archaeological artefacts/ taonga Māori 26 4% Natural history specimens 15 2% Total 696 696 100% Table 1: Flaxbourne museum – registered collections.
Since the museum was closed, as a result of the 2016 earthquake, a significant part of the collection, including fragile and unique items and records, has been removed to secure temporary storage at the Marlborough Museum in Blenheim. Other items, including archives, photographs and ephemera are stored in a shipping container at Ward, while some larger objects, including farm machinery, are held in the ‘Red Shed’ (see section 4.2.4 and Figure 5). Neither of these provides suitable conditions for long term storage.
Probably the most significant collections held by the museum are the archives, publications and photographs. They include records of a number of local institutions and families (see Tables 1 & 2), as well as publications relating to the district. They form a valuable resource for the history of the district and its families.
In addition to the material collected by the Flaxbourne Museum, the Marlborough Museum holds an extensive collection of archival material from the District Council, Central Government and elsewhere, which is relevant to Ward and Flaxbourne. This includes lease and license records, rates books, valuation rolls and Roads Board records, as well as farm diaries and records of local institutions or organisations.
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Flaxbourne Settlers Assn Minute Books 1912-25, 1943-67 Flaxbourne Hall letter books, minute books 1965-92 Flaxbourne Football Club minutes 1923-33 A&P association ledger Flaxbourne CWI minutes etc. Ward School logbook 1937-84 Ward School Committee letter book 1953-62 Benmore Station wages books 1928-40 Mt Victoria Station shearing tallies 1932 Book recording Jubilee celebrations and centenary of settlement and school 1955-2006 Table 2: Examples of archival material held.
Figure 7: Interpretive panels, Flaxbourne Museum, utilising photographs from the collection.
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6. Tourism
6.1 Statistics
Tourism is a significant consideration in the establishment of cultural and heritage facilities on a major tourist route, as at Ward. Surveys indicate that nearly half of all visitors to New Zealand will visit a museum or gallery during their stay. 14 Actual visitor numbers to the Marlborough region as a whole are not known, but half a million annually, both national and international, may be a reasonable minimum estimate (see Table 3). This is equivalent to an average of 1370 visitors per day, although with significant seasonal variation – around three times as many in the summer as in winter.15
Although the Marlborough region receives only 1% of the country’s international tourist spending, tourism-related spending as a whole in the region has been slowly rising over the last 5 years. 16 The Ministry for Business, Innovation & Employment estimates total tourist spend in Marlborough in the 2014-15 financial year at $290 million. 17 Destination Marlborough, the regional tourism entity, estimates the visitor spend in 2015-16 at M$365. 18
Kaikoura, as a result primarily of its marine mammal encounter offerings, is a major focus of tourism activity on the northern South Island’s east coast and it may be assumed that something like half of visitors to Kaikoura come from or leave to the north, via State Highway 1, passing through Ward. In the last five years, visitors staying in commercial accommodation at Kaikoura have averaged 176,436 per annum (480 daily), although a recent Lincoln University study, based on observations of vehicle arrivals, estimates the annual visitor numbers at 873,000 per annum (2390 daily). 19 The
14 http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/international-tourism- forecasts/documents-image-library/tourism-forecasts-2016-2022.pdf 15 In the 5 years May 2012 – May 2017 an average of 100 commercial accommodation units (hotels, motels, backpackers, holiday parks) in Marlborough received a total of 2,006,034 guests, staying an average of 1.8 nights. Average annual guests 401,207. Monthly Minimum/Average/Maximum = 17,594/32,886/57,106, corresponding to a regular annual variation. Source: Regional pivot tables – http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/commercial-accommodation- monitor/cam regional-pivot-tables 16 2016 international spend in Marlborough was $122 million - http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors- industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/tourism-insight-series/appendix-two-international-tourism-spend-by-region.pdf 17 http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/monthly-regional-tourism- estimates/previous-regional-tourism-series/regional-tourism-estimates/documents-image-library/regional- summaries/Marlborough-rto.pdf https://mbienz.shinyapps.io/tourism_dashboard_prod/ http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/commercial-accommodation- monitor/documents-image-library/key-data-tables/current-year-tables/CAM_key_data_May_2017.pdf 18 Destination Marlborough Annual Business Plan 2016/17 v.2. https://marlboroughnz.com/media_files/uploads/2017_01/2016_17_DM_Annual_Business_Plan_FINAL.pdf 19 In the 5 years May 2012-May2017 an average of 44 accommodation establishments in Kaikoura received a total of 882,182 guests, staying an average of 1.7 nights. Average annual guests 176,436; average daily 483. Monthly Minimum/Average/Maximum = >3,437/14,462/28,987, corresponding to a regular annual variation. (Since July 2016, as a result of the recent earthquake, these figures have fallen to something like 50% of their previous levels, but are expected to recover over time). Source: MBIE as-May17-pivot-table-Territorial-authority-area.xlsx. Fairweather JR & DG Simmons, 1998. Estimating the Number of Visitors to Kaikoura Over One Year by Developing a Vehicle Observation Method. Tourism Research and Education Centre (TREC) Report No. 2. http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/PageFiles/6862/894_Report2f_s3349.pdf
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true figure presumably lies somewhere in between, and it is likely that a significant proportion of these travellers pass through Ward. Estimated visitor spending for the Kaikoura District (as opposed to the township) in the year ended September 2016 was $120 million. Although this has fallen substantially since the 2016 earthquake, it may be expected to recover rapidly in future, with the re-opening of SH1. 20
There is considerable seasonal variation in visitor numbers to Marlborough. Confirmed visits to Kaikoura from December to March are of the order of 20-30,000 per month, while from May to September they fall by approximately two thirds to 5-10,000 per month. 21
Measure Marlborough Kaikoura Kaikoura % Av. No. Accommodation 100 44 44% establishments Total guests 2,006,034 882,182 44% Av. Annual guests 401,207 176,436 44% Av. Daily guests 1,099 483 44% Monthly Maximum 57,106 28,987 51% Monthly Average 32,886 14,462 44% Monthly Minimum 17,594 3,437 20% Average nights stay 1.8 1.7 94% Table 3: Accommodation figures for Marlborough and Kaikoura Districts, May 2012 - May 2017. 22
6.2 Attractions
Southern Marlborough, located between mountains and sea, is scenically rich. Visitor attractions in the immediate vicinity of Ward include the popular Ward Beach (3 km away), with its geological sites and marine mammals, the Cape Campbell Lighthouse (accommodation available), Yealands Seaview Vineyard at Seddon, Lake Grassmere salt works (no visitor facilities) and farmstays and high country tramping both inland and nearer the coast.
6.3 Cycle trail
Proposals for a “Coastal Pacific” cycling and walking trail between Marlborough and Kaikoura are the subject of a recent feasibility study. 23 The route would, if constructed, be likely to pass through Ward, increasing the demand for information and other
20http://www.busandcoach.co.nz/images/files/3553/Kaikoura%20%20North%20Canterbury%20tourism%20stats%20YE %20Mar17.pdf 21 as-May17-pivot-table-Territorial-authority-area 22 CAM regional pivot table (Territorial Authority (TA) by Total Accommodation: May 2017). http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/commercial-accommodation- monitor/cam-regional-pivot-tables 23 TRC Tourism Ltd., 2017. Coastal Pacific Trail Feasibility Assessment Final Report 19 September 2017. Report to Marlborough District Council. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/About%20Marlbo rough/Coastal%20Pacific%20Trail%20feasibility%20assessment%20Final%20Report%20190917.pdf; https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/97726414/rt-foundation-moves-coastal-pacific-trail-from-idea-to-project
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facilities. 24 If a Heritage Trail focussed on the former Flaxbourne Station were to be developed locally, it would support the proposal. The feasibility study, however, makes it clear that, although there is significant support for the concept, development of the cycle trail would be expensive, and that “uncertainty revolves around the alignment and securing agreements, around the standards that can be achieved off road, and the certainty of access”. The development, once initiated, would be likely to take 3-6 years, with the sections from Seddon to Ward and Ward to Clarence identified as “particular challenges”. The study contains no detail about these sections of the proposed trail, but Yealands Estate and the Grassmere saltworks are identified as significant potential experiences.
While Destination Marlborough has no plans at present to extend its i-SITEs beyond the existing facilities (see section 6.6), it may be that future expansion of tourism would justify a permanently-staffed information facility at Ward. Development of the proposed cycleway, for example, might well increase visitor traffic to a point where there would be a need for further public facilities in the area.
Figure 8: Grassmere salt works, Cape Campbell lighthouse
6.4 Facilities
Within the Awatere-Flaxbourne area, and southern Marlborough as a whole, Seddon and Ward are the only significant settlements. Both lie on SH1, 24 and 45 kilometres (19 and 35 minutes) respectively south of Blenheim, on the southern edge of Marlborough’s wine growing area. Seddon and its immediate environs have a significantly higher population than Ward (around 500 as opposed to 150). 25 Both communities have primary schools and a range of other facilities.
24 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/88709305/Support-grows-for-Coastal-Pacific-Rail-Trail-between-Picton-and- Christchurch; http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/90715955/coastal-pacific-trail-supporters-to-form-trust-after-practical- response-from-government; https://www.facebook.com/coastalpacifictrail/ 25 http://community.infometrics.co.nz/Marlborough+Region http://www.stats.govt.nz/StatsMaps/Home/Maps/2013-census-population-dwelling-map.aspx
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Ward lies just under halfway on the two-hour drive from Picton to Kaikoura via State Highway 1, and provides the last petrol stop before Kaikoura. It is thus well-placed to provide toilet facilities and refreshments to travellers who do not stop in Blenheim, but less so on the Blenheim-Kaikoura section, where Kēkerēngū, just north of Clarence, is the halfway point on the 1¾ hour journey.
In the immediate area of Seddon and Ward, the District Council provides public toilets at Seddon (on SH1), Seddon Domain, Elterwater Reserve (SH1 between Seddon and Ward), Ward Domain (adjacent to SH1) and Ward Beach. Of these, the only toilets of high quality directly adjacent to SH1 are at Seddon. The Council proposes to upgrade the Ward Domain toilets but these are not obvious from the main road and there is arguably a need for more prominent, better-quality public toilets on SH1 at Ward, nearer the existing tearooms and petrol station. The township has no sewage system however, so a new facility would require a septic tank and drainage field.
A limited information centre established at Seddon is not an i-SITE as such but is supported by the District Council as a ‘community hub’ while some visitor information is also provided by Flaxbourne Services at their Tearooms in Ward. 26 Visitor-related facilities are summarised in Table 4.
Facility Seddon Ward Information 1 1 Motels 0 1 Motor camps 1 2 Café/Tearooms 1 1 Post shop 1 1 Groceries 1 0 Fuel 1 1 Mechanic 1 0 Public Toilets 1 1 Table 4: Ward & Seddon - facilities
6.5 Museums & Galleries
Marlborough Museum is the regional museum, employing 4.5 fulltime equivalent staff at its Blenheim site. It is governed by the Marlborough Heritage Trust, which also operates Brayshaw Heritage Park, the Marlborough Vintage & Farm Machinery Society and the Riverlands Cob Cottage, all in Blenheim, as well as the Edwin Fox Maritime Centre in Picton. 27 The Millennium Public Art Gallery, in Blenheim, is the only other professionally-staffed museum in Marlborough.
The Picton Heritage & Whaling Museum, Havelock Museum, Renwick Museum & Library and the Marlborough Art Society’s Marlborough Gallery in Blenheim are smaller, locally-based, volunteer-run institutions. Others include Ecoworld Picton
26 http://www.menus.co.nz/listing/15j3/flaxbourne-tearoms/; https://www.facebook.com/FlaxbourneServices/ 27 http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/79297780/Funding-transferred-to-Marlborough-Heritage-Trust; http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/83762073/Marlborough-Historical-Society-signs-over-assets-to- Marlborough-Heritage-Trust
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Aquarium, the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre and commercial galleries in Havelock and Picton. Together, these cater for the museum and gallery-minded visitor, while not competing directly with a Heritage Centre at Ward.
6.6 Visitor Information
Tourism i-SITES in Marlborough are operated by Destination Marlborough, a not-for- profit trust responsible for marketing Marlborough as a visitor destination. Funding for its operations comes primarily from the District Council, partly from a tourism levy, and a significant proportion from commercial operations and commissions. i-SITES are located at Picton and Blenheim, with a seasonal trial site at Havelock, a community of about 500 located between Picton and Nelson which acts as a gateway to the Marlborough Sounds. 28 Neither Destination Marlborough nor the District Council have plans to establish further i-SITES, but Destination Marlborough could be open to the possibility, should a demonstrable need arise. Funding for a Ward i-SITE would need to be pursued initially through a submission to the District Council’s Ten-Year Plan, with support from Destination Marlborough.
Primary sources of tourist information for the region are Destination Marlborough’s website and their publication the 2017 Marlborough Visitor Guide. Both promote attractions in southern Marlborough – the Awatere Valley, Molesworth Station and The Store (a restaurant and function centre at Kēkerēngū) but do not serve Ward and the Flaxbourne area particularly well. Cape Campbell receives only passing mention in the Heritage pages of the website, while there is no mention of the Flaxbourne area in the site’s Awatere and Pacific Coastline pages. Similarly, Ward and Flaxbourne are not mentioned in the District Council website’s regional information pages. 29
A specific search, however, for “Flaxbourne” or “Ward” on Destination Marlborough’s website produces a comprehensive history of the two, including Cape Campbell and its lighthouse, with an advertisement for “Experience Cape Campbell” accommodation at the lighthouse. 30
6.7 Discussion
High-quality public toilets and a comprehensive information facility are currently lacking in Ward. If provided, they would naturally support a Heritage Centre and give travellers additional reason to stop and visit. Imposition of a 70 km per hour speed limit on SH1 at Ward would also increase its attractiveness as a stopping place.
On average, some 500 visitors per day might be expected to pass through Ward, and use by even 10% of that number would justify the combined facility, while development of a cycle trail could increase the demand for local overnight accommodation. The likely considerable seasonal variation in visitor numbers would allow staffing levels to be significantly reduced in the winter months.
28 https://marlboroughnz.com/about/isite; Destination Marlborough Annual Business Plan 2016/17 v.2. https://marlboroughnz.com/media_files/uploads/2017_01/2016_17_DM_Annual_Business_Plan_FINAL.pdf 29 https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/about-marlborough/regional-information 30 https://marlboroughnz.com/
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7. Assessment of Need
7.1 Potential
Over the last 50 years there has been a steady increase in the number of small local history museums in New Zealand. They now form part of a network of nearly 400 similar institutions, providing both a significant contribution to their communities and a source of information for visitors who wish to learn about the district they are in.
The proposed Heritage Centre at Ward could similarly provide an important community focus and promote a sense of identity for a dispersed, largely rural, population based on Ward township and the former Flaxbourne Station. Although it would serve only 2% of the region’s population in this particular way, the Centre would in addition provide a point of reference for visitors travelling on State Highway 1 to either Kaikoura and Christchurch or Blenheim and Picton. Complementary functions for the Heritage Centre might include visitor information, retail, toilet facilities and refreshments. For visitors, including future cyclists, there is the potential for a range of activities, including interpreted walks to sites of interest which would utilise local knowledge and range from half an hour to a whole day in duration.
7.2 Competition
No significant competition for the proposed Heritage Centre is envisaged. The nearest similar institutions are in Blenheim and, although Seddon provides some visitor information, its facilities are set back from the highway and easily missed, whereas the Ward centre would, with adequate signage, be readily visible to travellers. The one conflict that might arise is in the provision of refreshments, which could affect the Flaxbourne Tea Rooms. This issue would be one to be negotiated. Supply of food at a heritage centre could require additional staff, whereas other options, such as the simple provision of attractive picnic facilities, for example, might fill particular needs for some visitors.
7.3 Workshop Conclusions
A workshop to examine the proposed heritage centre was held in the Ward Hall on 9th May 2017, attended by twelve local residents, councillors and museum advisers.
Definition of the area of interest was agreed to be coastal southern Marlborough, between Grassmere and Kēkerēngū, excluding the inland areas such as Molesworth.
The Heritage Centre was seen as: • A gateway to Marlborough for travellers from the south • A last stopping place on the road south to Kaikoura • An i-Site, with retail, food and drinks • A centre of pride and community connection • A museum, telling of Ward’s people, places, amenities, attractions and “firsts” • A centre for historical and genealogical research.
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The Centre was seen as requiring the following components: • Parking, camper van sites, bus parking • A physical link to the cycleway • Foyer/Reception area • Toilets • Wi-fi, phone charging, electric car charging, etc., with technical servicing • Limited refreshments • Retail – books, quality gifts • Postal services • A mini-theatre space with audiovisuals • Static display space • Storage for collections, particularly archives • Office space • Meeting space • Storage and plant.
Café & petrol
Figure 9: Sites considered
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Discussion centred around the choice of site for a new Heritage Centre. The two preferred sites were:
• The former Catholic Church site on SH1, at its corner with Gulch Road, and • A section opposite the existing museum, at the intersection of SH1 and Seddon St.
Both of these sites would need to be purchased and the Seddon Street site would require subdivision beforehand, as well as possible closure and purchase or donation of an existing paper road. Sites which are available at no cost – the existing museum site and the Ward Domain – were not favoured, the former because of its small area and congested situation, and the latter because of its relative isolation. Two sites with existing buildings – the former Ward Garage and the earthquake-damaged East Coast Inn, were rejected because of unsuitable buildings and uncertainty over availability.
Advantages of the Catholic Church site were identified as: 1. Availability and large area, allowing parking, picnic and play areas 2. Easy access, from both SH1 and Gulch Road 3. Close to town “centre” 4. Water, power and sewage laid on 5. Less busy and cluttered than the Seddon St. option 6. The site has a history (former church).
Advantages of the Seddon Street site were identified as: 1. Highly visible location, opposite Tea Rooms 2. Easy access from Seddon Street, and possibly SH1 3. Easy access for traffic from Ward Beach 4. At town “centre” 5. The site has a history (former boarding house).
Figure 10: Catholic church site (above) Seddon Street site (right).
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7.4 Comment
The concepts put forward for the Heritage Centre by workshop participants were forward-looking and ambitious. While the facility would provide a centre of pride for the community, and an attractive facility for visitors, its practicality would depend on raising capital funding for planning and construction as well as operational funding to staff and maintain the building. Tables 5 and 6 provide a rough estimate of maximum floor areas required and likely costs.
A relatively modest building meeting all or most of the requirements listed above (s. 7.3) would need about 250 m2 of floor area, costing in the order of a million dollars at an estimated overall rate of nearly $4000 per square metre. A smaller building, which would meet most of the identified needs would cost proportionately less. A detailed architectural brief will need to be prepared before the project is finalised.
Proposed Function/Occupant Space/Facility 2 % Area (m ) Foyer, toilets, retail, bag storage, 40 16 Public Areas refreshments Visitor Information Public counter, storage, display, 20 8 Exhibition gallery, research room, 160 64 Museum staff workspace, collection storage Meeting room, furniture store, 30 12 Facilities services & access TOTAL 250 100 Table 5: Flaxbourne Heritage Centre - indicative space allocations.
Item Cost Land $60,000 Feasibility, resource consent, architect’s preliminary work $75,000 Building construction, site works, fitout, services, fees @ $3000 m-2 $750,000 Museum – exhibition planning, design, research, interpretation $1,000 Museum – exhibition installation and furniture @ $1000 m-2 $100,000 Museum – collection packing, materials and move $2000
Museum collection storage – shelving, plan drawers, cabinets $8000 TOTAL $996,000 Table 6: Flaxbourne Heritage Centre – indicative building costs
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8. Assessment of feasibility
8.1 Constraints
The proposal for a museum combined with an information centre and public toilets at Ward is both farsighted and, if capital funding of around a million dollars and a willing volunteer workforce are forthcoming, achievable. It is not clear at the present time, however, that the project would gain immediate support from the District Council, an essential partner in such an exercise, despite a high degree of convergence with the Council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage strategies. A good case can be mounted for the township’s strategic positioning on a major tourist route and hence the need for provision of a cluster of public facilities, which would in turn provide a sense of revival for the earthquake-affected community. Realistically, however, support from local government, the NZ Transport Agency and the tourism industry may be focussed elsewhere than on one of the smallest population centres in the region. In particular, operational funding to pay staff in the long term is unlikely to be provided by Council.
Capital grant funding from agencies such as the Lottery Grants Board and regional trusts, or sponsorship from local businesses, is also likely, to a significant degree, to be dependant on direct support from the District Council and, without the Settlers’ Association having raised a significant proportion of the funding required, and initiated a successful and politically well-directed campaign, this might not be forthcoming.
The time and effort involved in fundraising, demolishing the existing building, negotiating land purchase, designing a new building and obtaining resource consent for the scale of facility proposed by the workshop is likely to be considerable, requiring a period of at least 2-3 years, if all goes well, more if difficulties arise. In the meantime, collections held in the container at Ward and in the Red Shed, are deteriorating. The danger is that momentum could be lost if the Heritage Centre project as proposed takes longer than envisaged. An alternative approach may be to firstly clear the way for development and then start at a less ambitious level.
8.2 Alternative options
The following alternative stages may be proposed:
1. Firstly, ensure the safety of collections by moving the museum collections from unsatisfactory container storage at Ward to temporary storage at Marlborough Museum until suitable storage facilities can be built in Ward. 2. Secondly, consider alternative or improved storage conditions, or deaccession, for items currently in the Red Shed. 3. Having ensured the safety of the collections and demolished the old museum building, utilise the museum site by erecting a temporary kiosk with a range of information and interpretive panels similar to those now displayed on the outside wall of the existing museum. This would be a relatively cheap measure and would help to raise the profile of the heritage centre project during the fundraising process.
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4. It may be worth reconsidering the option of siting the Heritage Centre at the Ward Domain, with its ample space, existing toilet facilities (which are to be upgraded in the near future) and Charles Butts’ eye-catching war memorial. This option would align the Centre with an existing community facility, save the cost of land purchase elsewhere, allow the provision of visitor facilities and possibly encourage some District Council support. The disadvantage of distance from the ‘centre’ of the township (a matter of just under a kilometre) may be able to be overcome with suitable signage. 5. If Option 4 is not acceptable, it may also be possible to extend Option 3, again preferably as a temporary measure, by erecting a small relocatable building on the existing site, thus achieving more immediate progress and also allowing time to raise major funding for land purchase and a more complex building. The existing museum could be replaced with a purpose- built, timber-framed, structure, providing a small office space, storage for necessary archives and records and a stand-alone display area interpreting the Flaxbourne story with text, photos, and a small number of selected objects in secure display housing. This could be placed on the present site and need occupy no more than 100 m2. The possibility remains open of removing it to another, less crowded, site in the future.
Figure 11: Tauranga City’s McLaren Falls park information centre. This provides, in a building of 100 m2, three toilets (15 m2) , an office and small kitchen (40 m2) and a secure display area (45 m2). A surrounding deck of 140 m2 brings the total footprint to 240 m2.
It is, however, unclear whether a building as large as 100 m2 would be permitted on the Association’s section (part of which is compromised by a right of way). The question would need to be resolved through an application to Council for resource consent.
If such a building is permissible on the existing small section, this approach would have the advantage of lower cost (allowing for some income from
Flaxbourne Heritage Centre, HERITAGE WORKS, December 2017 26
insurance of the existing building) avoiding the immediate need to purchase an alternative site, avoiding the need to provide suitable climatic conditions for museum objects, requiring less maintenance of displays and needing a lesser staff or volunteer presence to maintain security.
This option could also free up volunteers to undertake further research on the region’s history and develop a range of initiatives which could in time result in achieving a permanent local museum on a more suitable piece of land. It would, however, require suitable storage for at least some of the Museum’s collections, pending provision of larger facilities.
A complicating factor arises from restrictions imposed on the future use of the land on which the museum stands. At the time of its subdivision from land then owned by Ward Chalets Ltd., Council consent was granted subject to the conditions that the land could only be used for a museum and that if the Settlers Association (the owner) were to be wound up the land would be “amalgamated with the balance title”. This seems to imply, in effect, that if the land is no longer to be used as a museum it would have to be amalgamated with the adjoining land from which it was originally subdivided.31 It is unclear whether or how the Settlers Association might be compensated for the value of the land and this issue would need to be further investigated (see Appendices 3 and 4).
8.3 Supplementary Projects
In addition to the primary project of developing the proposed Heritage Centre, a range of individual small projects can be envisaged which would support the centre in its aims of recognizing, recording and preserving Ward’s heritage. These are set out below, not necessarily in order of priority, and have the advantage in some cases of being able to be undertaken informally by individuals or small groups, although the cooperation of residents and landowners would be necessary to achieve most of them. The objective in all cases would be to raise awareness of local heritage among Flaxbourne residents, provide a focus of interest for visitors and contribute toward the aims of the Heritage Centre.
1. Undertake a combined archaeological survey and oral history project to record historic Flaxbourne sites, making use of Jack Taylor’s extensive and detailed knowledge of the district’s history. The NZ Archaeological Association’s site recording scheme provides a suitable template for recording and the project could possibly be undertaken by volunteer university students. 2. Undertake a conservation and management assessment of existing historic buildings and sites, including a good quality photographic record. This would require professional input and would be aimed at exploring options for the long term preservation and management of historic sites and structures
31 Pt Sec 12 SO 731 Blk IX Cape Campbell SD; 7334 SH1, Ward; Property Number: 529236; Valuation Number: 20710 13400; MDC File 7/10/340 Flaxbourne Settlers Association Museum. (See legal opinion, Appendix 3.) https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/property-files- online?searchType=Property+Number&propertyNumber=PN182545&viewing=PN182545&viewing=PN182545-07
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around Flaxbourne. Sources of funding such as Heritage New Zealand’s national heritage preservation incentive fund could be explored. 32 3. Update existing signage and interpretation (e.g. at the Red Shed) and create an interpreted Heritage Trail out to Ward Beach, focussing on Flaxbourne Station remnants. This could be undertaken as a community project, using the results from 1 and 2 above, and would fit well with the proposed cycle way. 4. Publish a guidebook or pamphlet outlining local history and sites to accompany the Heritage Trail. 5. Develop museum-standard policies, particularly relating to collections, for the new Heritage Centre. (These will be necessary to support some funding applications.) 6. Continue research on the provenance and history of existing collections, with a view to enhancing their registration and documentation, and providing information to enhance museum displays. The cooperation of Marlborough Museum staff would need to be negotiated with the Marlborough Heritage Trust, which has a mandate to support the heritage sector in Marlborough. 7. Set up a project to scan photographs from the collection with the aim of making them available for purchase and displaying them on a large TV screen in the Heritage Centre or alternative building. 8. Consider a similar project for archives, with the aim of scanning unique archives and records, negotiating permanent storage for originals with Marlborough Museum and holding scanned copies only at Ward, allowing them to be viewed on computer and made available for purchase. This would reduce the need for secure controlled storage in the Heritage Centre.
8.4 Funding
The major funding agencies for heritage-related projects are the Lottery Grants Board’s Environment & Heritage Fund and the government’s Regional Culture and Heritage Fund, administered through the Ministry for Culture & Heritage. Both of these require a significant proportion of funding requirements to have been raised before they will consider major capital grant requests. The Lottery Board will provide grants toward feasibility studies for infrastructure projects.
Other national funding agencies include the Tourism Infrastructure Fund, administered by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, and a variety of small grants available through Te Papa National Services Te Paerangi.
In Marlborough, the District Council Community Grants are a significant source of funding, while relatively small amounts are also available nationally from a variety of sources, including gaming trusts such as the Southern Trust, gaming machine grants, Pub Charity and other agencies.
The District Council’s Small Township Programme, operative in the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan and designed to provide improvements to community spaces, recreation areas,
32 http://www.heritage.org.nz/protecting-heritage/funding-for-heritage-protection
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landscaping and streetscapes, may also be able to be utilised for projects complementary to the Heritage Centre. 33
Sponsorship may also be sought from relevant commercial entities – the salt, wine, pine nut, olive oil and crayfishing industries in southern Marlborough spring to mind.
8.5 Conclusion
In the long term, a major fundraising effort would be required to allow the purchase of suitable land and erection of a larger-scale Flaxbourne Heritage Centre to provide storage and workspace for staff, detailed exhibitions of local social and natural history, genealogical and research resources, visitor information, retail facilities, high quality toilets and modest refreshments. These facilities can all be designed to complement each other and provide an attractive environment and rest area for travellers, as well as a focus for community interaction, analogous perhaps to the ‘community hub’ established by Council in Seddon.
The project, while requiring dedication, is not beyond the means of a small community and is highly appropriate in terms of providing a focus and sense of ownership for local residents. A similar example is provided at Waikouaiti, a township of similar size, where a new 300 m2 museum, costing just over half a million dollars for construction alone, is about to be built. (The building cost does not include interior fitout and display installation, for which fundraising will continue.) Planning and fundraising for the project, driven by a small committee, has extended over the last 10 years.
Figure 12: Interpretive sign, Seddon Street
33 https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/our-community/small-township-programme
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9. Recommendations
1. The Settlers’ Association’s first priority must be to ensure the safety of the Flaxbourne Museum’s collections. A reassessment of existing unsatisfactory storage should be undertaken and alternatives sought as necessary (s. 8.2.1). Marlborough museum staff or Te Papa National Services may be able to assist further.
2. Temporary alternatives to the ‘ideal’ Heritage Centre could be considered, once the existing museum building has been demolished and insurance paid out (s. 8.2.3, 8.2.5).
3. Long-term planning for the new Heritage Centre can continue alongside other heritage- related projects, as resources permit (s. 8.3). In particular, ongoing research on the district’s history and on the provenance of collection items, and the stories attached to particular objects, will enhance displays and interpretation in the new Heritage Centre.
4. A series of standard museum policies, particularly those relating to collection care and acquisition, will need to be developed for the new Heritage Centre in order to support funding applications and guide future operations (s. 8.3.5). 34
5. Ongoing relationships with the District Council and funding agencies can be established while at the same time acknowledging that the project may take some years to complete.
6. The mutually-supportive combination of high-quality public toilets, visitor information and a 70 km per hour speed limit should not be lost sight of in planning for the provision of museum and heritage facilities (s. 6.7). A detailed architectural brief for the building will need to be prepared before the project is finalised (s.7.4).
34 A suggested ‘Aim’ for the Heritage Centre, put forward at the May 2017 workshop, was To tell the stories, preserve to collections and inform the visitors of the Flaxbourne community. Other policies, such as a Statement of Purpose, Acquisition and Deaccessioning Policies and Collection Management Policy will stem from this or similar statements.
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10. References
Blundell, S. 2016. Why the Wairau Bar is so important. NZ Listener 24 June 2016. http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/history/why-the-wairau-bar-is-so-important/ Destination Marlborough Annual Business Plan 2016/17 v.2. https://marlboroughnz.com/media_files/uploads/2017_01/2016_17_DM_Annual_Business_Plan_FI NAL.pdf Destination Marlborough Annual Business Plan 2016/17 v.2. https://marlboroughnz.com/media_files/uploads/2017_01/2016_17_DM_Annual_Business_Plan_FI NAL.pdf Fairweather JR & DG Simmons, 1998. Estimating the Number of Visitors to Kaikoura Over One Year by Developing a Vehicle Observation Method. Tourism Research and Education Centre (TREC) Report No. 2. http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/PageFiles/6862/894_Report2f_s3349.pdf Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association Incorporated Rules 2nd June 2008. Hale, AM, 1955. The Golden Jubilee of the Flaxbourne Settlement 1905-1955. Ward, Flaxbourne Settlers’ Association. Hollis CJ, 2003. The Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary event in New Zealand: Profiling mass extinction, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 46:2, 307-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2003.9515011 Kennington, AL, 2007. The Awatere: a District and its People. Christchurch, Cadsonbury. Marlborough District Council Arts & Culture Strategy. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Docume nts/Our%20Community/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/MDC%20Arts%20%20CultureStrateg yFinal.pdf Marlborough District Council Heritage Strategy. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Docume nts/Our%20Community/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/MDC%20Heritage%20Strategy%20Fi nal.pdf Marlborough District Council property file – Property No. 182545, Valuation No. 201710 13401. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/property-files- online?searchType=Property+Number&propertyNumber=PN182545#property-results-scroll-dest Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE), CAM regional pivot table (Territorial Authority (TA) by Total Accommodation: May 2017). http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors- industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/commercial-accommodation-monitor/cam-regional-pivot- tables McKinnon, M. 'Marlborough region - Early Māori history', Te Ara - the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/marlborough-region/page-4 (accessed 26 July 2017). Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2014. Seddon and Ward, premier towns - roadside stories. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/seddon-and-ward-premier-towns-roadside-stories, updated 29- Jul-2014 Mitchell, H&J, 2007. A History of Māori of Nelson and Marlborough, Vol. II Te Ara Hou: 23. Wellington, Huia. Monk, Ashleigh, 2015. Marlborough antiques used in Hollywood movie. Marlborough Express, 23 September 2015. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/72138283/Marlborough- antiques-used-in-Hollywood-movie NZ Archaeological Association Site Recording Scheme. www.archsite.org.nz.
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Petre, CC, 1998. The Flight of the Phoenix: a Story of Flaxbourne Station. Blenheim, privately published. Stevens, Joy, 2013. Flaxbourne. http://www.theprow.org.nz/places/flaxbourne/#.WXfaXsIUmpp Stevens, Joy, 2017. Heritage: Life on the fault line(s). Marlborough Express 7 May 2017. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/92220842/Heritage-Life-on-the-fault-line-s Taylor, Jack, 2000. Flaxbourne: Its people and their stories. Flaxbourne Settlers' Association, Ward. TRC Tourism Ltd., 2017. Coastal Pacific Trail Feasibility Assessment Final Report 19 September 2017. Report to Marlborough District Council. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Docume nts/About%20Marlborough/Coastal%20Pacific%20Trail%20feasibility%20assessment%20Final%20R eport%20190917.pdf Trotter, MM, 1997. The investigation of the historic lime-kilns at Ward, Marlborough. Records of the Canterbury Museum 11:53-64. Websites consulted (2017-18): busandcoach.co.nz/images/files/3553/Kaikoura%20%20North%20Canterbury%20tourism%20stats% 20YE%20Mar17.pdf community.infometrics.co.nz/Marlborough+Region datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/8437-population-by-meshblock- 2013- census/community.infometrics.co.nz/Marlborough+Region flaxbourne.co.nz/about-us/our-history/ flaxbourneoliveoil.co.nz/ heritage.org.nz/protecting-heritage/funding-for-heritage-protection heritage.org.nz/the-list marlborough.govt.nz/about-marlborough/regional-information marlborough.govt.nz/our-community/small-township-programme marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Our%20 Community/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/Appendix%20A%20Register%20of%20Significant %20Heritage%20Resources.pdf marlborough.govt.nz/services/property-files- online?searchType=Property+Number&propertyNumber=PN182545&viewing=PN182545&viewing =PN182545-07 marlboroughnz.com/ mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/international-tourism- forecasts/documents-image-library/tourism-forecasts-2016-2022.pdf mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/monthly-regional- tourism-estimates/previous-regional-tourism-series/regional-tourism-estimates/documents-image- library/regional-summaries/Marlborough-rto.pdf mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/commercial- accommodation-monitor/documents-image-library/key-data-tables/current-year- tables/CAM_key_data_May_2017.pdf mbienz.shinyapps.io/tourism_dashboard_prod/ menus.co.nz/listing/15j3/flaxbourne-tearooms/ facebook.com/FlaxbourneServices/ register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=370bdd4d-f842-dd11-84f2- 0015c5f3da29&searchId=0589baf8-468e-47e5-9e4f-fb55a2d77eb9 societies.govt.nz/cms/customer-support/learn-about-our-online-services/banner_template/CNAME
Flaxbourne Heritage Centre, HERITAGE WORKS, December 2017 32 stats.govt.nz/StatsMaps/Home/Maps/2013-census-population-dwelling-map.aspx stats.govt.nz/StatsMaps/Home/People%20and%20households/2013-census-quickstats-about-a-place- map.aspx stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/79297780/Funding-transferred-to-Marlborough-Heritage- Trust stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/83762073/Marlborough-Historical-Society-signs-over-assets- to-Marlborough-Heritage-Trust stuff.co.nz/national/88709305/Support-grows-for-Coastal-Pacific-Rail-Trail-between-Picton-and- Christchurch stuff.co.nz/national/90715955/coastal-pacific-trail-supporters-to-form-trust-after-practical-response- from-government facebook.com/coastalpacifictrail/ stuff.co.nz/travel/news/97726414/rt-foundation-moves-coastal-pacific-trail-from-idea-to-project
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Appendix 1 Arts & Culture and Heritage Strategies
Arts, Culture & Heritage in Marlborough Extracts from Marlborough District Council’s Arts & Culture and Heritage strategies –
Arts & Culture Strategy
Goal 2, Arts Infrastructure, of the District Council’s Arts & Culture Strategy aims
To support and develop a healthy and flourishing arts and cultural sector in the Marlborough region,
and includes strategies to
1. Facilitate the provision and promotion of a range of venues, facilities and events that support a flourishing arts sector, and 3. Fund innovative and well-managed arts and cultural projects, facilities and organisations, that have the greatest potential to deliver the Council’s arts goals
Goal 4 of the Strategy, Arts and Regional Distinctiveness, aims
To develop Marlborough as a region where there is a high visibility of arts activity, reflecting and enhancing our natural and cultural heritage.
Strategies to achieve this goal include (2) to
Ensure that Marlborough’s art and heritage collections are enhanced and preserved through the implementation of effective collection, education and management policies. 35 Heritage Strategy
The Council’s Heritage Strategy includes Objective 2,
The preservation and perpetuation of heritage places and spaces that are important to the community and tangata whenua.
Policies aimed at achieving this are:
2.1: Progressively identify the extent and condition of Marlborough’s heritage places and spaces. 2.2: Support the documentation of the history, and relative significance of Marlborough’s different heritage places and spaces. 2.3: Promote and support the sustainable use and enjoyment of Marlborough’s heritage places and spaces.
35 Marlborough District Council Arts & Culture Strategy https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Our%20Commu nity/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/MDC%20Arts%20%20CultureStrategyFinal.pdf
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2.4: Support and facilitate the preservation, retention and restoration of heritage resources, which are important to the community and tangata whenua.
Objective 3 of the Strategy is:
The preservation, retention and return of Marlborough’s heritage objects and artefacts, which are important to the community and tangata whenua.
This is supported by policies:
3.1: Progressively identify the extent and condition of Marlborough’s heritage objects and artefacts, 3.2: Support the documentation of the history, and relative significance of Marlborough’s different heritage objects and artefacts, 3.3: Support the preservation, restoration, retention, and return of heritage objects and artefacts within and to the district, where they are of special value to the community and tangata whenua, 3.4: Recognize the need to preserve objects whilst, at the same time, enabling opportunities to fully appreciate their meaning.
Objective 5 of the Strategy regards:
The establishment of protocols for the preservation and protection of taonga Māori,
and is supported by policies:
5.1: Progressively explore the needs and interests of Iwi, hapu, and whanau concerning their taonga and waahi tapu, and 5.2 Develop agreements and protocols with Iwi, hapu and whanau for the preservation and protection of their taonga and waahi tapu. 36
36 Marlborough District Council Heritage Strategy. https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Our%20Commu nity/Arts%20Culture%20and%20Heritage/MDC%20Heritage%20Strategy%20Final.pdf
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Appendix 2 Themes & Stories
Ward - Themes and Stories – a preliminary list
• 1300 first settlement • 1830s skirmishes between Ngāti Toa and Ngāi Tahu • 1847 Flaxbourne Station – Ward & Clifford – biographical/political background (wealthy/well-connected Englishmen seeking their fortunes in the colonies; Baronet Clifford of Flaxbourne); sheep & shearers; later history. • 1855 Flaxbourne earthquake • 1860s shearing, Awatere shearing reserve • 1870 Cape Campbell lighthouse • 1880s first shearing machines at Flaxbourne • 1880s rabbits & ferret breeding • 1896-1912 Closer settlement scheme; acquisition of Flaxbourne by Government • 1903 replacement of Cape Campbell lighthouse • 1905 Founding of Ward and Seddon; Ward & Seddon – biographical/political background; • 1911 railway reaches Ward • 1943 Lake Grassmere salt industry • c.1942 Cape Campbell radar station established • 1944 experimental radar programme at Kaikoura • 1970s wine industry • 2013 Seddon earthquake • 2016 film ‘The Light between Oceans’ shot at Cape Campbell • 2016 ‘Kaikoura’ earthquake; Kēkerēngū Fault, regional tectonics • 2017 buildings, monuments, industries, landmarks, recreation, natural history
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Appendix 3 Council Legal Opinion
File Ref: A200-002-02/PN182545 Legal File Ref: Date: 01 August 2017
Memo To: Dean Heiford Copy To: From: Kaye McIlveney Subject: Flaxbourne Settlers Museum
You have asked me to advise you whether there would be any compensation to be paid to the Museum Association if the use of the land is changed or if the land is amalgamated back into the lot from which it was subdivided.
Discussion I am unable to answer the question you have posed as it is an issue between the Association and CG and TM Burkhart, the current owners of the land from which the museum lot was subdivided.
It may be a matter that was settled between the parties at the time of the subdivision or it may be a matter that needs to be negotiated between them now. I suspect that the matter may not have been addressed at the time but Council does not have the information necessary to determine this question. It would be found in the Associations files and should comprise a sale and purchase agreement and related correspondence between 1980 (or earlier) and the late 1980’s. I would be happy to look through the Associations records if you wish to assist them further and if they are prepared to provide them.
The only other point I would make is that NZTA should be consulted to determine whether they will insist on the condition being carried out; that is, the amalgamation still take place if the land use changes or the Association is wound up.
I have looked through the Council property file and obtained a title search. I have set out the history of the subdivision to show why I have come to the conclusions I have.
History of the subdivision
The Association made an application for planning consent to subdivide the land in May 1980. From the documents, it appears that the Association had entered into an agreement to purchase the land from the current owner, Ward Chalets Ltd (now owend by CG and TM Burkhart). Council does not have a copy of the agreement between these parties. I assume that the Association would retain a copy.
Because the land was subject to a declaration that it fronted a limited access road (SH1), the approval of the National Roads Board was also required.
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The Roads Board gave its approval on the conditions that— a) No other use will be permitted on the newly created lot than the proposed museum; and b) Provision be made for its amalgamation into the balance title in the event of the winding up of the Flaxbourne Settlers Association.
Council’s approval to the subdivision was given on 29 August 1980 (amended on 31 July 1981) subject to these conditions. It is recorded on the file that the Association consented to these conditions and the subdivision proceeded. A title was eventually issued to the Association. It remains in their ownership today.
Council does not appear to have secured these conditions by way of a memorial on the certificate of title. This is not an issue however, as the land remains owned by the Association who were the holders of the planning consent containing the conditions (and the Association remains bound by them).
[See also MDC File 7/10/340 Flaxbourne Settlers Association Museum https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/property-files- online?searchType=Property+Number&propertyNumber=PN182545&viewing=PN182545&v iewing=PN182545-07]
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Appendix 4 Title Deed
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Wyvill, Edward Christopher, d.1889: Flaxbourne River and Station May 1869. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, Reference number: B-035-004.