Warkworth_&_District_Museum

Warkworth & District Museum

Warkworth & District Museum

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The Warkworth & District Museum, also known as the Warkworth Museum, is a local museum in the township of Warkworth in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. The museum focuses on the local history of the Matakana Coast area, especially the kauri logging industry.

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Location

Parry Kauri Park

The museum is located to the south of the town of Warkworth in Parry Kauri Park, a two hectare kauri tree reserve. The park includes the McKinney kauri which reached a height of 38 metres and is estimated to be around 800 years old. The reserve features a walkway, primarily on boardwalk.[1] The grove of kauri trees has been tended by a local organisation, the Kauri Bushmen's Association, since the 1960s.[2]

History

A museum for the Warkworth area was first discussed at a town meeting in the early 1970s by local residents Jack Keys and Ken McInnes. By 1977, fundraising and permission for the museum had been obtained.[3] The museum incorporated as a society in 1979,[4] opening the following year on 21 September 1980.[5][3] The museum opened gradually, with the second stage, the two-storey Parry Wing, opening in 1983.[3]

In 1998, the Founders Wing was opened by Governor General Michael Hardie Boys.[3] Over the next seven years, small historical buildings were added to the complex, including the old Warkworth jail, a United States Military army hut from World War II, and the Mahurangi Heads Post Office.[3]

Displays and exhibits

The museum tells the history of the area, including the kauri milling era and a recreation of the town in the early 20th Century.[6] The museum houses many photographs and photographic equipment of Tudor Collins.[7]

The museum stores over 20,000 items.[8]


References

  1. Janssen, Peter (January 2021). Greater Auckland Walks. New Holland Publishers. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-86966-516-6. Wikidata Q118136068.
  2. "Bushmen pitch in at Parry Kauri Park". Our Auckland. Auckland Council. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  3. Wade, Lyn (15 April 2022). "History – Museum beginnings". Local Matters. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. Ell, Sarah (2 January 2016). "Culture, treat and repeat". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. Cameron, Ewen; Hayward, Bruce; Murdoch, Graeme (2008). A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage. Random House New Zealand. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.

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