West Otago Vintage Club president Dan Meeklah said the club’s current museum in Tapanui was bursting at the seams, leading members to begin raising funds to expand one of its sheds.
The club hoped the new space would not only allow for an expansion of displays, but also help improve the financial sustainability of the facility in the longer term, Mr Meeklah said.
"You can see at a glance that items on display are crowded out and provide no room to walk around properly and take a closer look.
"Our collection is only growing over time, with some of it already stored off site at members’ properties, so we’d like to expand our shed across the road from the main museum to allow a rearrangement of machinery and other vintage items and their presentation in such a way as to make it more appealing for paying visitors."
The space would more than double from the current 650sq m shed to 1500sq m, he said.
The club needed to raise as much as $700,000 to achieve its goal, which it would obtain through sponsorship, local fundraising and grant applications.
"It’s a big number, but West Otago has a history of community support for local projects of this sort, and we believe this is a collection worth conserving and showing off to a wider public."
The museum housed some of the world’s rarest tractors, and was also home to an extensive collection of domestic items and local history records, Mr Meeklah said.
In a novel approach to sponsorship, families or individuals could sponsor one of 17 structural poles in the new shed, which would be marked by a plaque detailing their local family history.
The club had about 100 members, and had enjoyed a infusion of "new blood" recently, Mr Meeklah said.
"We need to raise about $160,000 to start to secure grant funding, so that’s our first target. There’s a lot of impetus within the club at present to make this happen, and we’ve already acquired and cleared the neighbouring section, so I’m confident we’ll get there."
The club hoped to open the new facility in mid-2025, he said.
