Tainui Historical Society Museum. Mokau. Taranaki. New Zealand.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Punga and Paua
S 38° 41.860 E 174° 37.165
60H E 292973 N 5714082
A local historical museum overlooks the main road through Mokau, a seaside village nestled high on the banks of the mighty Mokau River.
Waymark Code: WM6CTN
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 05/14/2009
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 6

The Mokau Historical Society had the idea of putting together a community museum in the early 1990s. A donation of land from local councillor Jack Webber saw the society purpose build a home for what was a growing collection of local paraphernalia. The museum opened in 1995 and has been run by volunteers ever since. Inside it's chock-a-block with local treasures.

Much of the collection has come from the local community and the whole district has supported it. Both Maori and Pakeha brought in family heirlooms. A local man, Mr Kendall, used to work as a New Plymouth council engineer in the early 1990s, and he apparently hoarded stuff. His grandson donated it - 14 small truck loads of documents, photos and maps which got the museum off to a great start.

Local historian Ian Whittaker is a walking encyclopaedia on north Taranaki history, and can often be found at the museum entertaining visitors with stories, or playing the Pianola to an awed bunch of school children.
A good percentage of the museum's contents is from Ian's personal collection, part of a lifetime's fascination with history.

Hours: Daily 10am-4pm

Entry by donation.
Theme:
Local history of Mokau and Tainui. Agriculture, History, Maritime, Natural History, Taonga Maori, Technology. A record of all aspects of life in Mokau and the surrounding districts, including a comprehensive collection of photographs, written records, and artifacts, relating to local family histories (both European and Māori), farming, coalmining, land and sea transport and community services.


Street Address:
Main North Road, SH3, Mokau Phone Number: 64-6-752 9072 Postal Address: PO Box 11, Mokau 4650


Hours of Operation:
Daily 10am-4pm Entry by donation.


Museum Size: Small

Food Court: Not Listed

Gift Shop: Not Listed

Cost: Not Listed

Relevant Web Site: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
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Recent Visits/Logs:
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Phronimos visited Tainui Historical Society Museum.  Mokau. Taranaki.  New Zealand. 07/19/2010 Phronimos visited it
Punga and Paua visited Tainui Historical Society Museum.  Mokau. Taranaki.  New Zealand. 05/10/2009 Punga and Paua visited it

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