Stepping Out: Social Dances in Otaki

Swing band at the Railway Theatre, c.1939

‘Stepping Out’ is the new exhibition at the Otaki Museum which celebrates the history of dance and socialising. This light-hearted exhibition recalls country halls, fabulous frocks, debutantes, American marines and romances formed on the dance floor.

If you remember local dances you are invited to bring in your dresses, shoes, diamantes or photos and add your presence to the exhibition.

You might want to look through some of our photos and help identify some of the name-less faces.

You might just want to remember the halcyon days of socialising and dancing.

Whatever your reason - ‘step out’, come in and enjoy the old-time tunes and
festive atmosphere!

On until mid-June 2012.

Main Street Exhibition - extended

Our Main Street exhibition is going so well we've decided to extend it for a few more weeks. People are really enjoying seeing old places and faces they remember from "the good old days".

The old Main Street looking west past the Central Hotel (right). The Edhouses building is the two-storey brown building (centre).

Paint the Town

Our new community art exhibition - Paint the Town - is awesome (even if we say so ourselves). We've had contributers aged from just 18 months to over 80! It is a first for the museum and a wonderful way to see the town through the eyes of its residents. We certainly have some very creative people out there! Head Like a Hole as pegs, anybody?

We also have art stations within the museum, and for a gold coin donation visitors can make their own peg person or art canvas, showing their view of Otaki. A great activity for the school holidays. The exhibition is open for the weekend of the Arts Trail, Saturday and Sunday 1-2 October, from 9 am – 5 pm, and after that it will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 2pm until 29 October.

Hidden Gems - Showing 12 August -10 September 2011

This exhibition showcases recent acquisitions and rarely-seen objects from the Museum’s collections alongside short films by Errol Maffey. Many of these objects and films are being shown publicly for the first time and all give a unique insight into Otaki and its people.

The main exhibition space contains an eclectic mix of objects and artefacts selected from the museum storerooms. There is everything from gaudy glittered postcards, old coins and fine china through to 1960’s dresses, a moa bone and a scale model of the local stone crusher. Just as people tell stories, so do objects. We invite you to look carefully and hear each object speak about its past.

Raised in Island Bay, Errol Maffey moved to Otaki Beach in 2000 to live in the bach built by his grandfather. He was inspired to start recording present-day Otaki after watching a screening of historic films at the Civic Theatre in 2006. These films were the work of the New Zealand Moving Picture Company (Maoriland Films) which was established by Byron Brown and other leading Otaki citizens in the 1920s.

With an eye for the quirky, Errol’s DVD productions delightfully capture the culture of our town and record many of the special events, characters and community organisations that contribute to the rich and growing story of Otaki.
Hidden Gems celebrates the eccentric, the eclectic, the unique and the ordinary things that make our town so special.

Come in and see!

New Exhibition - Life in the Gorge - Opens 30 April 2011

LIFE IN THE GORGE

Journey with us up the Otaki Gorge to explore its rugged terrain and pioneering past

Otaki Forks, painting by Len Cutten (1985), Jim and Kate Carrroll Collection

30 April – 30 July 2011
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
10am – 2pm
Free Admission

New Exhibition

The Otaki Museum is proud to present the latest exhibition “Otaki Faces and Places” - a collection of images spanning 150 years, capturing both personalities and landscapes special to Otaki.

We invite you to view this exhibition which contains many images and taonga (treasures), some of which have not been on public display before. The museum is open 10am – 2pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday and we are happy to accommodate groups outside of these hours.

Latest Exhibition

Latest Exhibition - Ernest Papps 13 November-23 November 2010

Local Artist - Ernest Papps

Born in England Ernest Papps came to New Zealand in 1955 settling in Wellington where he worked as a commercial artist. During this time Ernest would spend his weekends exploring the bush or roaming the streets of Wellington “dashing off watercolours”.

Ernest also found work as a free-lance illustrator. His illustrative work will be well known to generations of New Zealand children who grew up reading the hugely successful Price Milburn School Readers. Ernest illustrated more than 100 titles, many of which are here on display.

Since moving to Otaki in 1972 Ernest has been painting full-time. A keen nature lover and tramper Ernest’s oil paintings draw on the classical and traditional techniques of the old masters and are inspired by the light and colour of the New Zealand landscape. From the hills and beaches of the Kapiti Coast to the Whanganui River valley and the West Coast of the South Island, Ernest has spent the past fifty-five years capturing New Zealand’s awesome and diverse scenery on canvas.

Fascinated by the history and isolation of New Zealand pioneering life, stage coaches, gold miners and settlers have also been the subject of many of Ernest’s paintings. “What” he asks “could be more romantic than an old prospector following his dream”. Ernest’s work unashamedly celebrates New Zealand landscape, history and culture.

Otaki Museum is proud to present Ernest’s first solo exhibition in Otaki.

Opening of Te Whakanikoniko Exhibition

Awesome exhibition opening for Te Whakanikoniko - an exhibition of artworks by Te Wananga o Raukawa students and tutors. This town's full of talent! Exhibition on 15 October - 6 November, 2010. Don't miss it!

Latest Exhibition - Te Whakanikoniko

The second part of our “Showcase of Otaki Artists” is an exhibition of Toi Whakarākai artworks by Te Wānanga o Raukawa students and tutors. This is open until 6 November – make sure you see the lovely weaving, carving and other creations. It will be followed by part three, an exhibition of paintings by Otaki’s Ernest Papps, inspired by New Zealand’s awesome landscape. This will run from 13-23 November.

Showcase of Otaki Artists - Dragan Stojanovic

Over the coming months, Otaki Museum is hosting a series of exhibitions by local artists. The first of the featured artists is the late Dragan Stojanovic. The exhibition - a family affair - will include works by his sons, Stevan and Alex, and his daughter-in-law, Federica Gatti.

Throughout the 1960s, Dragan worked in commercial art while continuing to paint at home. In 1965 and 1966 he was commissioned to carve polystyrene figures of an animal orchestra, Old King Cole and Cinderella’s Golden Coach for Kirkaldie and Stains Christmas displays.

In 1970, the Stojanovics moved to Yugoslavia where they stayed for three years. After returning to live in Wellington, Dragan joined the Academy of Fine Arts as an artist member and began to work full-time as a painter from 1975. He exhibited around New Zealand and won several awards, including the Williams and BP Art Awards. The BP Art Award theme was called ‘On the Move’. The family laughed because the winning painting flew off the trailer on the way to the exhibition – truly on the move!

In 1985, then aged 60, Dragon designed and built a house on a large section in Otaki. He died in June 1999, leaving behind an enduring legacy and an abundant work.

The Dragan Stojanovic Exhibition will be followed by Te Whakanikoniko: artworks by Te Wānanga o Raukawa students and tutors. The final exhibition in the series will feature paintings by local landscape painter, Ernest Papps.

Colouring Competition - Click below

OUR WINNING ENTRY BY PAIGE, WAITOHU SCHOOL

All entries to be sent or delivered to Otaki Museum by 8 May 2010.

Larger copies available from the museum.

North Road - 24th April - 28 August 2010

This exhibition, on loan from Pataka Museum and Gallery, references a map of the old Porirua Road drawn in 1849 by Thomas Fitzgerald, which traces the route from Johnsonville to Paekakariki. It draws on the dairy entries of early travellers who ventured north of Wellington, and features drawings, prints and paintings. To complement North Road there will also be a smaller display of images documenting the development of the road from Paekakariki to Otaki.

Paikakariki Hill, 1877, Charles Decimus Barraud

Te Horo Book Launch

The official book launch for “Changing Faces of Te Horo”, will be held at St Margaret's Church, Te Horo on Sunday, 28 March, 2010. The publication records the exhibition “Changing Faces of Te Horo” sponsored by the Otaki Heritage Bank Preservation Trust and open to the public at the Otaki Museum, from August to October 2009. The exhibition and publication are the culmination of a two year process that began with a desire to celebrate Te Horo and its community.

Te Horo resident and Otaki Museum Trustee, Catherine Gibson, was appointed to manage the project and a team of volunteers was assembled to help with research. Over a dozen oral history interviews with Te Horo’s older residents were recorded. These oral history interviews include accounts of hardship during the Depression, the challenges of the wartime years, and the more recent subdivision of Te Horo’s old farms. Here, then, is an illustrated record of Te Horo’s past, founded on the memories of local people.

Update: The book is now available for sale from Otaki Museum, Otaki Travel Ltd, The Red House Cafe and selected agents.

News from Otaki Museum

Now that the sun's finally arrived, we've decided to extend our summer exhibition. Already more than 600 people have been through the doors, including visitors from as far afield as Boston and Nottingham. “Lovely display of local history”, “a rush of old memories” and “very meanage!” were just some of the comments made by those who visited.

One of the exhibition highlights is a display of more than 30 historic photographs, telling the story of places along the Pipi Trail, including the Telegraph Hotel, Te Wananga o Raukawa, All Saints Church, Rangiatea, Tainui Marae and St Mary's, Pukekaraka (150 years old in 2009!).

The recently launched Pipi Trail brochure makes it easier than ever to find a new way to get out there and explore beautiful and historic Otaki. Brochures can be collected free of charge from the museum desk.

The exhibition is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am-2pm until the 5th of April, 2010.

Born in Otaki - Part 2

Sir Guy Richardson Powles, ONZ, KBE, CMG (b. Otaki 1905, died 24 October 1994). New Zealand diplomat, last Governor of Western Samoa and architect of Samoan independence, and New Zealand's first Ombudsman.

Tungia Baker, (b. Otaki 1941; died 2005). Well-known actress, artist,and teacher of karanga. She was best known for her role as Hira in the 1993 internationally acclaimed film The Piano.

Sir William Gaston Walkley , CBE (b. Otaki 1896; died 12 April 1976). Oil company exec, founder of AMPOL, and president of the Australian Soccer Federation (1963-1970). In 1956 he founded the Walkley Awards, the premier award for excellence in Australian journalism.

Mystery Photos

With several thousand photographs in our collection, we're bound to have a few we can't identify. We have been displaying some of these photos in the museum foyer and have and a great response with many names now being put to previously unidentified faces. We are also printing a "mystery photo" each month as part of our regular column for the Otaki Mail.

Can you help us identify some of the people, places and events in these photographs?

We believe the roller skaters (left) are at the Otaki Beach skating rink c.1960. There is a suggestion that the tall man is Bunny Honiss. Do you know who his skating partner is? The couple to the right are Pat Lendorf and Earl Hazlewood.

The kids on the jungle gym (right) are at a lamb and calf day at Te Horo School sometime in the 1970s. Do you know their names?

The happy bride and groom (below)are unidentified. These photos are part of a set and were not taken in Otaki.

Latest exhibition - Summer 2009-10

The aim of the newly launched Pipi Trail is to tell stories of Otaki's past, highlighting the town’s most historic sites. As part of our summer exhibition, Otaki Museum is showcasing places along the Pipi Trail, including Te Wananga o Raukawa, All Saints Church, Rangiatea, Tainui Marae and St Mary's, Pukekaraka (150 years old in 2009!). Pipi Trail Brochures can be collected from the front desk. Enjoy!

Competition results

A big thank you to all who entered our photo competition. The challenge was to capture the spirit of Otaki and lots of wonderful were images submitted.

Winner: Frank Thorne "Eels at Raukawa Marae"

Runner up: Michelle Baker "Margaret Long and Aunty Hira at Otaki Women's Health Centre"

Runner up: Hemaima McMeekin "Kids and their Catch"

All photographs are now on display and summer visitors have the opportunity to vote for the "Peoples Choice" Award.

If you have a great photo of Otaki that you would like to share, bring it in!