‘Talking’ highway patrol car feature of revamped display

The Tiger Tea bus is getting a cool new friend — a talking police highway patrol car.

The 2017 Holden Commodore, complete with a soundtrack of radio transmissions, is part of a revamp of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum’s transport and technology gallery.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum curator Peter Read stands in an animated projection at the entry of the museum’s revamped transport and technology gallery which reopens to the public today. PHOTOS: GERARD O’BRIEN

Museum curator Peter Read said the displays had been among the most popular exhibits since they were unveiled in 2012 but were due an update.

"It's one of our show pieces.

A retired 2017 Holden Commodore police highway patrol car.

"It's where we have some of our most favourite stuff, you know, the Tiger Tea bus and the Cadbury computer and all those things that the museum is well known for.

"So it was time to refresh it and see if we could improve a few things and bring in some new elements as well."

The computing section had been upgraded with more devices on display and modernised decorations.

A Peugeot bicycle owned by author Neville Peat and named "Blue". In the summer of 1980-81, Mr Peat rode 4000km through small town New Zealand and wrote about his travels.

He said it was a more dynamic space, introducing various film projections throughout the exhibition.

This included a Dunedin-made arcade game for visitors to play and footage from the 1940s of cars racing around Otago Harbour.

"There's a lot of nostalgia associated with transport, but the previous iteration of this gallery, in terms of the transport story, was focused very much on motoring.

A display of early Automobile Association vehicles.

"So we've widened it to include horse-drawn vehicles and cycles — the wider transport story."

The Otago Motor Club supported and provided funding towards the restoration project, which took two years to complete.

"One of the other reasons for making some changes in here was to enhance the Otago Motor Club story, because it's a very important transportation story for us and they are also a big supporter of the museum."