Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis, a council appointee on the settlers museum board, asked at this week's board meeting about the museum's collecting policy: Was there a "wish list" for donations?
Would musical instruments from recent decades be of interest?
And, he had yellow bell-bottom trousers from the 1970s, plus a pair of green vinyl pants.
Museum director Linda Wigley replied the museum did have a collecting policy and staff carefully checked any items offered as donations to ensure they would add significantly to holdings.
The museum had collected few new items since the 1970s, but contemporary items would become tomorrow's historical artefacts, and she wanted more collected. A full review of the collecting policy was under way.
Limited funds meant donations would be important, and yellow 1970s bell-bottoms would eventually be welcome. A "wish list" would be circulated to board members.
Board member and council community life general manager Graeme Hall noted new storage facilities would have to accommodate everything for 30 years.
