Maori elders from Whangarei are making something of a habit of ceremonially handing over directors of the Whangarei Museum to the Otago Settlers Museum.
Linda Wigley, the English-born former director of the Whangarei institution, was farewelled by Ngapuhi kaumatua at a ceremony in Dunedin in March last year, when she became director of the settlers museum.
Ms Wigley's successor as Whangarei Museum director, Claire Nodder, has just been appointed as collections team leader at the settlers museum, museum officials announced yesterday.
She is a former collections manager at the Whangarei Museum and will also be handed over by Ngapuhi kaumatua in a ceremony at the settlers museum next Tuesday.
Miss Nodder, who at that stage was acting director of the Whangarei institution, had also attended the earlier Maori ceremony for Ms Wigley's arrival.
Miss Nodder, who was also born in England, previously worked at the Roman Baths Museum in Bath, England, and, after moving to New Zealand, was also employed at Te Papa, and at a historical facility at Waitangi.
Ms Wigley said she was "really thrilled" at Miss Nodder's appointment and said she would bring "a wealth of experience", both in New Zealand and overseas, to her work at the settlers museum.
