A resolution is in sight for a long-running conflict with Te Papa over its earlier moves to exercise increased control over more than 350 Oldman collection artefacts long held at the Otago Museum.
In 2008, the Otago Museum rejected an earlier proposed draft agreement which could have allowed Te Papa to recall "the whole or any part" of the collection from the Otago Museum by giving notice in writing.
Otago Museum chief executive Shimrath Paul told this week's Otago Museum Trust Board meeting a proposed agreement had been reached between Te Papa and the Canterbury, Otago and Auckland War Memorial museums, which all held artefacts from the Oldman collection.
The Otago and Auckland museums had already signed the agreement, which would next be considered by the Canterbury Museum before being sent to Te Papa to complete the signing, Mr Paul said.
Many artefacts from Oceania which had been owned by William Oldman, a London-based ethnographic collector, were sold to the New Zealand Government in 1948 and distributed among the country's four main museums.
Ownership was transferred to Te Papa by legislation in 1992, without consulting regional museums holding the artefacts.
Mr Paul was hopeful a satisfactory agreement could now be completed.
