ToitÅ« Otago Settlers Museum

The Otago Settlers Museum, originally called the Otago Early Settlers' Museum is a regional museum of history of settlement and transport in Dunedin, Otago on the South Island of New Zealand.

The basis of the museum was established with the founding of the Otago Early Settlers' Association in 1898. The museum opened on 23 March 1908 and now covers the regional history of the old Otago Province, starting with mapping the coast by the captain and navigator James Cook in the spring of 1770, on the first European settlement and exploration Otago 1810-1850 and the Otago Goldrush 1861 from the beginning of the heyday of the city of Dunedin, to the difficulties and challenges facing the region in the 20th century.

History

The history of the museum dates back to the year 1873. Early as March of this year there were initial thoughts on the 25th anniversary of foundation of the province to form a Early Settlers' Association. This happened but only in April 1898 with the establishment of the Otago Early Settlers' Association, shortly after the 50th anniversary celebration of the founding city of Dunedin, which took place in March. The purpose of this Association was to collect all available data on the history of the early settlement of Otago and to secure for future remembrance events of the settlers and recycle. First President of the Association was EB Cargill, son of Captain William Cargill, co-founder of Dunedin. Lachlan Langlands, a year later became the first secretary of the association and saved them by his commitment to collapse.

1904 a plot of land for 1,425 -pound New Zealand on Moray Place, Dunedin was acquired for the construction of a Settlers ' Hall. On March 23, 1908 on the anniversary of the city's founding, the Otago Early Settlers' Hall was finally inaugurated after six months of construction. The building, ' held up various rooms for the Otago Early Settlers Association, had a museum space, which was first made available to the public on this day. The area, now known as Smith Gallery, was a space of remembrance of the former first Scottish settlers, and was filled with corresponding images.

1991 bought the Otago Early Settlers' Association, the lying in the near neighborhood, and in 1939, built in Art Deco style building of NZ Railway Road Services (old bus terminal ) and used it from then on for the exhibition pieces for transport. 1994, all buildings, including the museum pieces and archive data to the Dunedin City Council were handed over as a gift.

The museum today

The museum includes an exhibition area of about 1670 m2 and is structured as follows:

Across the Ocean Waves - Permanent exhibition presenting and documenting the lives of the settlers on a sailing ship during the several months of crossing vividly.
Kai Tahu - Permanent exhibition presenting 150 years European settlement from the perspective and experience of the Māori.
Windows on a Chinese Past - permanent exhibition, which is the privation full and painful life of Chinese immigrants and workers in the gold mines of Otago since their first arrival in Dunedin in 1865.
Hall of History - Permanent exhibition presenting the life of European settlers in Dunedin and the Otago Province.
Smith Gallery - Pictures of the settlers of the " first hour".
Cooke Howlison Gallery - Permanent exhibition that documents the transportation Otago in recent days.
Josephine - Exhibition of the oldest surviving locomotive in New Zealand. Josephine was developed by Robert Fairlie and built in the Vulcan Foundry in Lancashire 1871/72. She reached in August 1872 in parts of Port Chalmers, was assembled there, was her maiden voyage in October 1872 and was in service until 1916.

In September 2008, the museum launched a four-stage renovation project (I - new 3000 m2umfassende storage space, II - renovation of the building of the old bus station and the archive, III / IV - Air-conditioned photo archive, new jobs for employees and self-service research area), which end in 2012 should be completed.

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