OTAGO MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2013–2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 Chairperson’s Foreword 4 Director’s Review of the Year 5 Otago Museum Trust Board 6 Māori Advisory Committee 7 Honorary Curators 7 Association of Friends of the Otago Museum 7 Acknowledgements 8 Otago Museum Staff 9 Goal One – A World-class Collection 12 Goal Two – Engaging Our Community 17 Goal Three – Business Sustainability 21 Goal Four – An Outward-looking and Inclusive Culture 24 Visitor Comments 27 Looking Forward 28 Statement of Service Performance 29 Financial Statements 53 2 INTRODUCTION Leadership at the Otago Museum Each new director builds on the wider community, taking into account is generational, with each Museum legacy of those that have come the many varied functions of the director’s tenure being an average of before. Dr Ian Griffin, trained as a Museum and its obligations to service 18 years. This length of service scientist and physicist, has a passion its stakeholders and communities. invariably defines the culture and for science communication and organisational structure of the informal learning engagement. A strategy planning workshop held institution. Previous directors have He brings a new approach to, and in November 2013 was attended by placed emphasis on building and awareness of, the potential and many sectors of the Museum’s wider inspiring research into the collection, importance of the Museum, not only community, from Museum staff and communicating our region’s history as a visitor attraction but as a centre the Otago Museum Trust Board, to and inspiring our community. for learning. educators and academics, to City, District and Regional Councillors, For the past 20 years, the focus has Our aim is to develop a fit for purpose Kāi Tahu representatives, business been on building the Museum into a repository for the Museum’s collection, operators and community workers major visitor attraction and a strategy address the need to research history in the Otago region. These groups of continuing capital development, and science through the objects in the shared their vision for the role of the which has grown the Otago Museum collection and share the knowledge Museum and how it could best serve its into one of Otago’s, if not New gained with the people of Otago, stakeholders over the next six years. Zealand’s, leading visitor attractions. New Zealand and the world. Strong programmes, events and From this process came Te Ara Hou exhibitions were designed to continue Dr Griffin joined the Museum in May – The Road Ahead, our new strategic a close dialogue with local, regional, 2013, just six weeks before the start plan that encapsulates the wider national and international communities. of the 2013–2014 financial year, and aspirations of the community, refocuses well after the 2013–2014 Annual Plan the Museum on its core business and When leadership changes, opportunities had been drafted. The annual plan establishes a footprint and mandate for arise to scrutinise and often modernise was released with the understanding change across the Museum’s culture, the processes of the organisation and that a new strategic plan would be organisation and operations. review the organisation’s focus. developed in consultation with the 3 CHAIRPERSON’S ForeWORD Otago MUSEUM Trust Board organisation, this facility has already This year we are reporting a loss of become a key part of the Museum. $400,000, which is significantly below previous years and is not sustainable Our organisation has continued to for us. The result is, however, $850,000 look critically at how we operate, and better than our original budget due we have completed reorganisations to the efforts of management in of both our Finance and Commercial restructuring our cost base. and Collections and Research divisions in line with our new strategic plan. A I would also like to reflect my gratitude revitalised focus on our collections has for the work of the management team seen growth in skilled staff in this area, and all staff at Otago Museum. The including the appointment of our first commitment and dedication shown Conservator in several years and the to the institution is significant and appointment of our first Curator, Māori. most appreciated. We are also excited by the developing My gratitude also goes to my fellow relationships with key organisations in board members. The Board has It is my pleasure as Chairperson to the region, including the University of worked well during the year and report on behalf of the Board on Otago and Otago Polytechnic, as well addressed some major decisions in a another eventful and successful year at as the increase in research based on professional manner. I appreciate the Otago Museum. This annual report sets our collection. energy and commitment they bring to out our performance for the year, one Otago Museum. of which we are very proud. Like all institutions, we continue to operate in a difficult financial We are looking forward to a very A major project undertaken this year environment at present. positive future for the Museum. was the revision of our strategic plan. With the arrival of our new Director, the We greatly appreciate the support Board took the opportunity to take a full of our contributing local authorities: review of our direction. After significant Central Otago District Council, Clutha input from stakeholders and staff, District Council, Waitaki District Council Te Ara Hou was finalised and provides and Dunedin City Council. a strong road map for our future. Graham Crombie We are planning to operate in a similar Chairperson We were delighted to open the former environment for the foreseeable future Otago Museum Trust Board Dunedin North Post Office building as and are focusing on strategies to part of our complex. Renamed the H D produce positive outcomes within our Skinner Annex to recognise an individual resource constraints. who had a significant influence on our 4 Director’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR Change in leadership is a relatively rare important and growing international event at the Otago Museum. In the 146 tourist and domestic visitor market. years since the Museum was founded there have been just eight directors The Museum’s greatest strength is who each served an average of just the quality, breadth and depth of the over 18 years at the helm. Following collection. With the collection as both my appointment as Museum Director inspiration and foundation, we have in May 2013, I was encouraged by the developed four key strategic goals to Board to re-evaluate the Museum’s guide us through the next six years: existing plans and to define new priorities for the Museum. • We will care for, share, research and develop a world-class collection To this end, during the early part of the financial year I consulted with the • We will partner, support and engage Museum’s staff and stakeholders to with our community on-site, off-site gain their perspective on the Museum. and online to inspire a passion for In September 2013 the Museum hosted lifelong learning and be a valued As you can see by reading this report, a community strategic planning day, community resource 2013–14 was a very successful year for inviting over 150 staff, stakeholders the Otago Museum. and others to share their ideas and • We will be a sustainable business vision for our future. that will secure and improve our This year, we created and presented financial position, maintain and an extraordinary range of exhibitions The ideas garnered during this develop fit for purpose spaces and and programmes that helped increase extensive consultation exercise were operate sustainably our visitor numbers over the previous drawn together in Te Ara Hou – The year. Our collection continued to grow Road Ahead, the Museum’s new • We will be outward-looking and with the addition of objects both strategic plan, which was formally inclusive, driven by the needs of the large (several dolphins and whales, adopted by the Board in their February communities we serve, following our a hammerhead shark headdress) 2014 meeting and fully incorporated core mission and vision statements, and small (an extensive, scientifically into our annual plan for 2014–15. and will build and sustain a culture of important collection of mosquitoes). collaboration and partnership Te Ara Hou takes into account our core After years of hard work and values as outlined in the Otago Museum As we enter a new era for the Otago investment of some of our reserves, Trust Board Act 1996, aligning with our Museum, I feel very positive about our we returned a much loved public current vision and mission. Importantly, future. In the run up to the Museum’s building (the former Dunedin North it adds a commitment to honouring the 150th birthday in 2018, it is exciting to Post Office) to public use as an exquisite principles of the Treaty of Waitangi as think about what can be achieved by gallery and venue for meetings. an overarching guide. the Museum’s outstanding team. It is my sincere hope that, as we work to The fact that the Museum achieved so Our new plan specifically recognises our deliver the ambitious goals outlined much against a backdrop of significant stakeholders in the Museum: in our new strategic plan, the Otago internal change is a real tribute to the the people of Otago and New Zealand; Museum will continue to play its part dedicated and resourceful Board, staff the international research and in inspiring the next generation of and volunteers who collectively make education communities; local, regional creative citizens. up our team. I’d like to thank everyone and national authorities; colleagues who has helped make this year so from other regional cultural institutions; Dr Ian Griffin successful for the Museum.