Media release for immediate use 23 July 2009

New Climate Control System For Kurow Museum

Precious artefacts at The Upper Waitaki Pioneer Museum and Art Gallery will be properly protected for years to come, thanks to the installation of a new air-conditioning system, purchased with funding from the Meridian Waitaki Community Fund.

Museum Curator Jon Brocas says the new system is invaluable to the museum and is a basic protection measure all museums should take.

“The new climate control system will be great for the museum,” he says. “It will ensure our artefacts are of the highest possible standard for visitors to enjoy.

“Temperatures in the museum can fluctuate by between three and twelve degrees and those flucations can have an adverse effect on the artefacts. The new thermostatically controlled system will ensure the temperature is constant. It will also make it a more pleasant environment for visitors to the museum.”

The Upper Waitaki Pioneer Museum and Art Gallery became an incorporated society in 1970, when a group of local residents raised funds and built a small museum at the eastern end of Kurow.

In 2001 the museum moved to an historic building in the centre of Kurow, now known as the “Kurow Heritage Centre, home of the Upper Waitaki Pioneer Museum and Art Gallery.” The museum has held, and continues to hold, extraordinary exhibits that tell the tremendous story of early settlement and agricultural firsts.

The Museum was offically opened last year by former Prime Minister Helen Clark as the Nation’s Social Security Story and so gained national prominence.

Later this year, the museum will host exhibitions celebrating the Waitaha culture. “The Waitaha exhibtion will be of great interest to visitors and locals alike,” Jon says. “It will feature a traditional raupo boat that was once used on the river to transport everything from moa to coal, and children will have the chance to build their own mokihi.”

Mark France, Meridian Waitaki Community Fund Chair, says the museum’s initative will benefit the Waitaki community greatly.

“The iniative by The Upper Waitaki Pioneer Museum and Art Gallery is a good one,” he says. “It is important to take measures to preserve the history of this amazing area, which has contributed so much to this country.

“The museum is run by a hard-working group of volunteers, with great support from the community. It contains some very interesting exhibits that are important to New Zealand’s history,” he added.

The Meridian Waitaki Community Fund is to the value of $1 million over three years and is managed by a panel of community members and Meridian staff, who work together to help decide which local initiatives are supported. Funding decisions are based on the objectives and criteria established for the Fund.

To find out more about the Meridian Waitaki Community Fund visit www.meridian.co.nz /aboutus/

ENDS

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