Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash, Southland MP Joseph Mooney, Otako Runaka representative Paulette Tamati-Elliffe and former museum trust chairman Taylor Reed were among the invited guests at the official reopening of the museum yesterday morning — a moment eight years in the making.
Museum director David Clarke said about 2014, following the Canterbury earthquakes, he engaged engineers to look at the museum’s two category 2 heritage buildings, the former Bank of New Zealand building, which dates back to 1875, and its associated stables.
Aware, in time, there would be a requirement to strengthen them — subsequent legislation set a deadline of 2025 for the museum — the museum board got the ball rolling early with engineering and conservation reports and resource consents.
By 2019, "we were ready to go, with one little problem; no money," he said.
The cost estimate landed between $2 million and $3 million, begging the question how the trust-run museum would ever be able to afford that.
There was a period where Mr Clarke thought the historic part of the museum would need to be closed permanently if funds could not be raised.
Then, a year later, Covid threw another spanner in the works.
The museum did not qualify for shovel-ready funding however, he continued to lobby for financial assistance and, with the support of former Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult appealing to the Government, ultimately received $2 million from Kanoa, the regional economic development and investment unit.
The council then provided a $1 million grant, while Central Lakes Trust assisted with funding for internal displays, leaving the museum to raise the final $250,000.
"Within several months we went from down and out to almost fully-funded," Mr Clarke said.
"That was an unbelievable feeling, and that’s when the fun started. It’s hard to believe when you look at the pictures of the completely gutted building that it’s ended up looking so beautiful.
"I’m proud that our district’s museum, operated on limited resources, has been able to pull this off."
He paid particular credit to the museum staff, who had been "nothing short of amazing", the board, Origin Consultants, Lewis Bradford Consulting Engineers, Amalgamated Builders, Exhibition Design & Build and the host of sub-contractors who had worked to restore the former bank building to its former glory.
Mr Nash said while Mr Clarke would never say it himself, "we’re all aware that without him, this project never would have happened.
"There’s such a rich history in this part of the world."
