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A rich history of Royal visitors to Rotorua
Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Rotorua has a long history of putting on a good spread and a good show for members of the royal family. Rotorua has warmly welcomed the following royal family members: 1870 The Duke of Edinburgh 1901 The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen…
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Neila Blackmore
Friday, 28 September 2018
Meet Neila Blackmore, one of our enthusiastic new Outside the Walls Walking Tour guides. Before undertaking her guide training, Neila thought she knew all about the Government Gardens. From her home in Pūkaki St, and her parents restaurant, The Empire, the gardens were Neila’s playground. Here is her story. Although…
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Architect appointed for restoration and development of Rotorua Museum
Thursday, 27 September 2018
DPA Architects, with previous experience refurbishing Rotorua Museum, has been appointed to carry out the design work for the restoration of the heritage Bath House building, with help from local firm, Carling Architects. Rotorua Lakes Council’s Arts and Culture manager, Stewart Brown, says restoration work is due to get…
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Souvenir ware plate ‘Eruption of the White Terrace’
Wednesday, 11 July 2018
The Rotorua Museum has what we think is the biggest collection of souvenir ware in museums in New Zealand. Most of the pieces were made in the 1900s and have scenes like the Bath House, Sanatorium, Prince’s Gate, Ohinemutu, or Whakarewarewa. This plate is unusual in that is shows an…
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The mystery of the Tarawera cats
Friday, 8 June 2018
Many people will remember the dried remains of a cat which had been displayed in Rotorua Museum in recent years. In fact it has been described as one of the museum’s most popular exhibits. Here is the story of the three Tarawera cats that were included in the Tarawera eruption…
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Fred Wylie and his rifle
Thursday, 24 May 2018
Most Rotorua residents will be familiar with the memorial in Government Gardens to soldier Fred W. Wylie but they might not know his story or why he was honoured with a memorial. The 26th of May marks the anniversary of his death. Frederick William Wylie was living in Galatea (76…
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Catch up with the Curator: Margaret Aull, Taonga Gallery and Tuku Iho Collection Curator
Monday, 12 March 2018
We’re excited to kick off the first Catch up with the Curator blog for 2018. This week Rotorua Museum’s Lead Exhibitions Curator, Ane Tonga, caught up with esteemed artist and curator Margaret Aull (Te Rarawa, Tūwharetoa, Fiji). Margaret is an established artist who has exhibited her artwork nationally and internationally,…
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QUIZ: Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Waitangi Day is the day commemorates the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – our nation’s founding document. It provides the guiding principles for our nation, it is both celebrated and debated over, and while it comes with a fraught past it also offers clarity for the future. Test your…
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Meet the Rotorua Museum Team – Collections
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
Over the next few months we will use the blog to introduce you to some of the people behind the scenes at Rotorua Museum. This week we will focus on the people who look after the precious taonga in our collection and learn about what makes them passionate about their…
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Exploring Rotorua’s history of Santa Parades
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
It’s carnival time. Love them or hate them, Santa Parades have been part of New Zealand’s history since the early 1900s. Right from the start they have been a commercial venture supported by the large department stores that would promote the arrival of their in-store Santa. Father Christmas made his…
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Govt Gardens, Rotorua
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Rotorua Museum is closed while detailed earthquake assessment is completed.
