More than 20 people packed the public gallery for the Central Otago District Council’s discussion on recommendations on museum funding for the upcoming long-term plan at its meeting last Wednesday .
From school teachers to museum volunteers they spoke of the importance of museums and their place in each of their communities.
Council group manager community vision Dylan Rushbrook presented a report to the councillors on the way museums had been funded and options for the future.
Ideas included creating one major district museum or having one museum manage and oversee the other four.
Every speaker insisted every area needed its own place to tell its own stories where they were written.
Several said one museum overseeing the others had been tried and did not work. Neither Cromwell nor Alexandra museum had any interest in overseeing others.
In his report, Mr Rushbrook said, at the time of the 2021 long-term plan, most of the community wanted the council to co-ordinate the Central Otago museums — Alexandra, Cromwell, Clyde, Maniototo and Teviot — and the Central Otago Museums Trust was established.
The museums received about $220,000 grant funding each year from council and community boards.
However, the council’s decision last month to fund most services across the district, including museums, did not sit well with all.
Councillor Martin McPherson said he apologised for voting for districtisation as he had not anticipated the effect on museums.
"I apologise if, in any way, in my support of districtisation I supported the districtisation of museums because I can’t. I don’t see how as a council we can districtise something that we don’t own."
He supported the Central Otago Museums Trust being council funded as he believed it offered huge value for money.
However, every community should have the right and the privilege of keeping its own treasures, he said.
"Yes, we are living in straitened times at present but taking the knife to the soft underbelly of the heritage sector is not going to stave off increased rates."
It saddened him that at a workshop last month former mayor Tim Cadogan said that fresh hands and clear minds were needed and all previous ideas should be left at the door.
"Well, I’m sorry I don’t agree with that. Some of us felt there was an agenda to rationalise the museum sector to one or two and I can’t support that."
He also could not support council funding museums — that belonged with community boards, Mr McPherson said.
Clyde Primary School teacher Kate Goodfellow said the Clyde museum was an "endless well of inspiration" for her class.
Some of her pupils had been so inspired by a visit they made a short film about gold robbers Parker and Cunningham.
"I know budgets are tight, and every dollar matters. But keeping the museum open is an investment in our children and our community."
Museums were an opportunity to connect children with the world beyond screens and video games.
"On behalf of our future historians, film-makers, explorers, scientists, we would love to see the Clyde Museum running for many years."
Clyde Museum chairwoman Andrea Ritchie said they did not want a redeveloped building, as budgeted for by the Vincent Community Board, but would prefer their existing Blyth St building, but with an efficient heating system.
"The building is itself an historic place and for over 100 years Vincent County Council was administered from the site. Within the council chambers were the table, chairs and chandelier ordered by Vincent Pyke in the 1870s from London."
Cromwell museum was in flux until it was confirmed it would be moved into the new hall, which was under construction.
Recommendations
The recommendations from the meeting to be incorporated into the draft 2025-34 long-term plan were:
- Council would fund the Central Otago Museum Trust, Teviot Valley and Maniototo Early Settlers museums, the Alexandra
- Districts Museum Inc at Central Stories, the Cromwell museum within the new Cromwell Memorial Hall complex and the Clyde museum in the existing Blyth St building.
- Council staff would explore options for the Clyde Railway Station reserve, the museum site in the Cromwell Mall and storage options for the museum sector.
- The redevelopment of the Clyde Museum would be stopped and funding removed from the 2025-34 long-term plan.
