From sawmilling to shipwrecks

By David Loughrey

Owaka Museum director Massimiliana (Massi) Urbano and volunteer Karen Kinley with a moa statue at the entrance of the facility. PHOTOS: CRAIG BAXTER

Tucked away in small towns throughout Otago and Southland are the keepers of the community’s history. Today, David Loughrey visits Owaka.

Owaka might be a small town, but almost 200 women from the area stood up and signed the 1893 suffrage petition that helped them get the vote.

Much used garment has take to tell

The signatures are just one display in an Owaka Museum that tracks not only the physical history of the area - its logging industry, shipwrecks and rail lines - but also has a strong focus on social and family history.

Opened in 2007 - a joint project between the Catlins Historical Society and the Clutha District Council - the museum boasts a shop, community gallery, library and information centre.

Director Massi Urbano said the museum told the history of the northern Catlins area.

The main activity early on was sawmilling, and giant podocarp trees including rimu, totara, matai, kahikatea and miro were sawn up and shipped or railed out to provide building materials for Dunedin and Invercargill.

Many of the tools of the trade are displayed at the museum.

Another major feature of the coastal area was shipwrecks - 25 vessels were wrecked on the wild Catlins coastline.

A model shows how logs were transported after felling.

Items from ships including Manuka and Otago, both of which were wrecked but with no loss of life, are now collected at the museum, including life jackets, blankets, lifebuoys and even the figurehead from Otago, which sank in 1876.

Another display features items from the area’s railway, which was built between 1879 and 1915 to transport logs and passengers, and connected the area to Dunedin.

The last trip on the line was in 1971.

The museum also records Maori history, and a "quite small" archaeological collection is on display.

The entrance to the Owaka Museum.

Ms Urbano said she was planning a more extensive display of the Les Lockerbie collection, which had material from digs at Papatowai, Pounawea and other areas.

She said many of those who came to the museum had family connections in the area.

"We have quite a big genealogical collection of people who lived in the area."

That was an important aspect for locals.

"A lot of the history here is family history, so every person in the area has a connection with whoever you can see on the story boards.