A year has passed since the new Owaka Museum was officially opened. Museum director Kaaren Mitcalfe. talks to Clutha reporter Glenn Conway.
Kaaren Mitcalfe is like a schoolgirl in a lolly shop when she wanders around the Owaka Museum.
The facility, powered by the drive and passion of the Catlins Historical Society, was officially opened a year ago today and nearly 6000 people have visited the museum in that time.
For Ms Mitcalfe, the first year in the job as curator of a new museum has been the best thing. She gets paid to do something she loves, in a museum which has established itself as a destination in an area full of destinations and attractions.
"It's just an amazing place, an amazing area with amazing people. This museum has been a great shot in the arm for the community, I believe."
The new museum did not happen overnight. It took the society six years of effort, planning, fundraising and thought, to develop the facility. Those efforts were recognised in June when the society won the supreme honour at the 2008 Clutha District TrustPower Community Awards.
Looking back over the past year, Ms Mitcalfe said the society got it right. She believes the museum is one of the best new facilities anywhere in the country and, more importantly, it captures the "spirit" of the region.
The place is crammed full of the area's history. Sawmilling, timber, railways and other features of the pioneering spirit are all there. The many ship-wrecks, dotted along the rugged Catlins coastline, are depicted.
Interactive displays, artwork, images, sights and sounds fill the place.
A small theatre regularly presents a show of the area's history while the sound of roaring seas and huge waves fill the air in the main theatre showing off the shipwrecks.
It is a job Ms Mitcalfe relishes. The first year has "flown by" and been "fun all the way".
Dealing with visitors, seeing the expression on their faces as they wander through the museum, and seeing how immersed they become in the area, was plenty of job satisfaction.
For a small town with less than 500 people, the museum was a fantastic asset and she was proud to be involved. It is part of the Catlins information centre and Owaka library complex - a merging of key services under the one roof.
It is a simple idea and one which has worked well, offering visitors the chance to sample a taste of life in the Catlins and being able to use essential services at the same time.
"The museum and Catlins Information Centre are a first port of call. Visitors are orientated to the attractions in the region and spend time learning about the area. The Catlins, as an emerging tourist destination with increasing numbers of tourists visiting the region, is benefiting."
By having the centre open seven days a week - it is staffed by volunteers, mainly from the society - the museum made a "significant contribution" to the region's economic development, Ms Mitcalfe said.
The building's modern design and new interior attracts plenty of positive comments.
The Owaka Museum is one of about 500 nationwide, ranging from Te Papa in Wellington to those run by local historical societies like OwakaWith more than 77% of New Zealanders experiencing at least one "heritage activity" in a year, Ms Mitcalfe said it was apparent museums played a vital role in "adding life" to a community.
Ms Mitcalfe said the society was the key group involved in making the museum a reality, but she praised the Ministry of Social Development for agreeing to a three-year funding grant to pay her wages.
Within three years, she believes the society and museum will be self-funding and allow for a full-time staff member to be employed there without outside help. In its second year, she is targeting some key projects to tackle.
These include digitising the extensive photograph collection, developing the website, taking an inventory of the entire collection and cataloguing.
The first year of the new Owaka Museum has flown by, Ms Mitcalfe said.
"Time really does fly when you are having this much fun."
