ISSN 1177-7362 2010 November museums aotearoa quarterly Contents ED’s quarter 3: ED’s quarter. 4: My Favourite Thing. 5: Message from the board. 6: MA11 Conference. Useful websites. MUSEUMS AOTEAROA ~ 7: Associate profile: Conservation Supplies. Te Tari o Ngā Whare Taonga o te Motu 8: Policy Matters! is New Zealand’s independent peak professional 9: Staff changes. organisation for museums and those who work in, or 10: Museum profile: National Rail Museum. have an interest in, museums. Members include museums, 11: National Digital Forum 2010. public art galleries, historical societies, science centres, 12: Gabriel’s Gully Jubilee. people who work within these institutions, and individuals 13: A to Js Online. connected or associated with arts, culture and heritage in New Zealand. Our vision is to raise the profile, strengthen 14: MA Australia Conference. the performance, and increase the value of museums and 15: Accreditation – your views. galleries to their stakeholders and the community. FRONT COVER STAFF Clockwise from top left Executive Director: 1: Ceremonial key to the Wellington Town Hall. Photo: Phillipa Tocker Adrian Humphris, Wellington City Archives. Membership & Administration Officer: 2: Firetruck outside Christchurch Art Gallery after the Sophie de Lautour Kelly September earthquake. Photo: Christchurch Art Financial Manager: Gallery Gina Lumplecker 3: John Reynolds Table of dynasties at Christchurch Art Gallery. Photo: Christchurch Art Gallery CONTacT DETAILS 4: Northland Museums Association exploring Kaikohe Level 8, 104 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 Heritage. Photo: Don Hammond, Far North Regional PO Box 10-928, Wellington 6143 Museum tel: 04 499 1313 fax: 04 499 6313 email: [email protected] web: www.museumsaotearoa.org.nz ADVERTISING Enquiries about advertising in this publication, or mailing flyers, should be addressed to the Museums Aotearoa Do you need a copy editor or proofreader for office. your next exhibition, newsletter or brochure? DISCLAIMER If you would like help from someone who The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of has more than 17 years’ experience writing, the Editor or of Museums Aotearoa. editing and proofreading exhibition labels, publications, media releases and all the rest, I’d be delighted to offer my services. Susan Bartel 37 Boundary Road PREFECT Kelburn, Wellington 6012 Phone 0-4-475 7673 Fax 0-4-475 7676 Mobile 027 223 5159 [email protected] www.wordprefect.co.nz November 2010 November 2 museums aotearoa quarterly ED’s quarter LOOKING BacK TENNZ and the various exhibitions on or available to tour The MA Board and staff have been developing a new on our website (under Activities). membership plan this year. As part of this, we are LOOKING FORWARD taking Board meetings out and about. When we met in The simplified membership structure for individuals, and Christchurch in mid-November, we were delighted to co- improved card benefits, is now being launched. Thank host a function with Canterbury Museum for members in you to all those museums and galleries which have the region. It was really good for the staff and elected generously offered free admission and other discounts to Board members to meet with local members, and to Museums Aotearoa members! This is intended to increase share some hospitality as well as serious and not-so- professional networking as well as give individuals a tangible serious discussion. You can read about this in our blog at benefit for their membership. Further information is http://blog.museumsaotearoa.org.nz. included with this mailout, and we encourage you to share We held a similar event when the Board met in Nelson in this with your colleagues. August – that time an informal lunch in the glorious sunshine We are now working on the Directory for 2011. With on the roof deck at Nelson Provincial Museum. We look printers already heavily booked in December, we may not forward to similar occasions in other parts of the country, be able to get this posted out until January. In 2011 we will the next will be in Rotorua in February. be putting additional information – including staff listings – In September another regional meeting was hosted online so they can be kept up to date and searched easily. by Heritage Kaikohe. I enjoyed a very full day with the The MA11 conference in Nelson, Collecting Culture, is taking Northland Museums Association, with other guest speakers shape see page 6 for more details. including Ian Wards from National Services Te Paerangi, and local mayoral candidate John Goulter advocating a strong Also in Nelson, we'll be celebrating the fourth annual tourism focus. The Northland group is very supportive, New Zealand Museum Awards. With the support of and it was good to see a revived commitment to working our principal sponsors Story Inc, the 2011 awards will on joint strategy for all museums in the region. We enjoyed be bigger and brighter than ever, with some new and Heritage Kaikohe's generous hospitality – as well as train expanded categories for you to enter. So make sure you've rides and dinner. documented all the great projects you've been doing over the past year, and think about who you might nominate for In October New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Material an individual award as well. (NZCCM) conferred in Christchurch with a very full two- day programme, including first-hand experience from the Another major project for MA is developing options for an September earthquake. NZCCM has been working on accreditation scheme for museums and galleries. We had a strategic plan, which was endorsed at their AGM. The a good response to our recent survey, and your comments meeting saw David Ashman re-elected President, with are really useful as we explore all the implications and Ute Larson taking over as Vice-President and Vicki-Anne opportunities of accreditation to bring to the 2011 AGM. Heikell as Secretary. This is reported more fully on page 15. October was National Digital Forum (NDF) month for us Reviewing the Code of Ethics was discussed at the last in Wellington. The 2010 NDF conference brought three AGM. Susan Abasa has prepared a background paper, and inspiring keynote speakers and 275 delegates together the scope and timetable for a review was discussed at the for two intense days at Te Papa. Thomasin Sleigh of City last MA Board meeting. We expect to be consulting the Gallery Wellington shares her impressions on page 11. A membership on this prior to the AGM at MA11. milestone for NDF was becoming an Incorporated Society, So it's full steam ahead for the next few weeks, as we put notified on the day of the conference and AGM. As a legal arrangements in place for the new year. We look back entity, NDF can now hold its own bank accounts, apply in sympathy with colleagues affected by the Canterbury for grants, and has more scope to undertake independent earthquake and West Coast mine disaster, and look activities outside of the conference. forward to a relaxing summer break and a reinvigorated A Board election for NDF brought in two new members: new year. Brenda Leeuwenberg of NZ On Screen, and Russell Briggs Ngā mihi o te tau hou, of Auckland Museum (and I was re-elected). Full details of the NDF, Board, Incorporation and video of the 2010 Phillipa Tocker conference keynotes can be found on the website at Executive Director http://ndf.natlib.govt.nz. Also in Wellington, the touring exhibitions network (TENNZ) met at Te Papa on 19 November to share ideas and exhibition proposals. There is more information about November 2010 November 3 museums aotearoa quarterly My Favourite Thing ADRIAN HUMPHRIS WELLINGTON CITY ARCHIVES The ceremonial key to the Town Hall is a tangible reminder of commenting in June 1908 that his work gave “sufficient an important milestone in the civic history of Wellington. At a indication that in that particular craft a very high standard of modest 14 cm in length, this gold and greenstone artifact marks excellence has been reached.”2 By 1910 he was employing the culmination of almost 20 years of debate and bureaucracy, five men in his workshop, including his two sons.3 A and is one of the legacies of a stalwart Wellingtonian. member of the first Council of the Academy of Fine Arts, Grady was also prominent in Masonic circles, a member of The opening of the Wellington Town Hall was a long- the Savage Club and Commercial Travellers Club, and one awaited event for the city. For much of the late 19th time president of the Wellington Bowling Club. Century the need for a large public hall had been discussed; as reported in 1886, “The capital city of the Colony should no Grady had already proven to be generous with his gifts to the longer be without its Town Hall … the erection of a suitable City Council. In 1893 he presented a key to commemorate building … would materially assist to sustain the dignity of the the opening of the first Central Library; and in 1901 a Corporation and to enhance the attractiveness of the City.”1 greenstone, silver and gold trowel that was presented to However, it would be nearly two more decades until, in the Duke of Cornwall and York for the laying of the Town December 1904, a newly completed Town Hall was ready Hall foundation stone.4 to be opened. Resplendent in their official robes, the Mayor (John Guthrie The opening day was one of much ceremony and Wood Aitken) and the Town Clerk (John R Palmer) celebration, and began with the presentation of the key to accepted the ceremonial key. His Worship then stepped the Town Hall, newly fashioned in the workshops of Frank forward, “…inserted the key, the doors flew back, and Mayor Grady.