PAST EXHIBITIONS
The museum has hosted a wide range of exhibitions in the past. These have covered all sorts of Otaki activities, places and people. They have included:
100 years service: the otaki rsa centenary
July - November 2019
This exhibtion marked the formation of the Otaki and District Memorial RSA 100 years ago in July 1919; just over three years after the New Zealand RSA was established. The exhibition traces the history of RSA from its origins out of the darkness of the First World War, and its sometimes uneven journey through to the successful and inclusive club that it is today. Photo: the vigil; at the Otaki cenotaph. Courtesy RSA collection).
PAINTINGS BY LEE ROBINSON: OTAKI BEACH SCENES
Lee Robinson, a local artist displayed her paintings of local beach scenes. It was great to be able to provide our exhibition space to showcase some local art. June 2019
100 YEARS: THE MOST PREPOSSESSING BUILDING IN THE DISTRICT
November 2018 - May 2019
An exhibition showing the building over the years, first as the Otaki BNZ (1918 - 1965), then housing the Otaki Borough Council (1967 - 1989) and briefly the Kapiti Coast District Council Service Centre (1989 - 1998), and since 2003, the Otaki Museum.
OTAKI WOMEN AND THE FIGHT FOR THE VOTE
September - October 2018
The exhibition included copies of the signatures of the women from the district who signed the 1893 petition as well as a list of those who registered for the general roll. It also included information about the role of Maori women in the suffrage movement.
THE OTAKI SCHOLAR AND ŌTAKI: A LEGACY OF WORLD WAR 1
July - October 2018
For 75 years a student from a Scottish secondary school has travelled to New Zealand annually to visit selected schools and to see the country. The student, from Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon’s College, holds the Otaki Shield which commemorates a sea battle fought in the Atlantic during World War I. A former pupil of Robert Gordon’s College, Archibald Bisset Smith, captained the SS Otaki which was sunk by a German raider the Moewe. In 1937 his family presented the Otaki Shield to the college in his memory. Otaki Museum hosted an exhibition to commemorate 75th anniversary of the scholarship.
Booklets showing photos and the Scholar's history are availble at the Museum for no charge.
OTAKI VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE: 100 YEARS
In June of 2018, the Otaki Volunteer Fire Brigade commemorated 100 years of service to the local community. As part of the commemorative programme, the Otaki Heritage Bank Museum, in conjunction with the Otaki Volunteer Fire Brigade, put together an exhibition covering the Brigade’s 100 years. It featured notable fires they have attended, members of the community who have served and old uniforms.
OTAKI CHILDREN'S HEALTH CAMP
The Otaki Children's Health Camp opened in 1932. In the early days, when there was still a fear of tuberculosis, "delicate and undernourished" children were sent to the camp to improve their health. Meals were plentiful and outdoor activities were held to expose the children to fresh air and sunshine. The local community has always supported the camp, making donations of food and helping with provision of equipment. Many Otaki residents have worked at the camp over the years. This exhibition told some of the stories from children and staff, and featured the early years, buildings, food and activities and the health stamp campaigns.
MAIN STREET
Summer 2017/2018
Over the summer we featured an additional exhibition about Otaki’s Main St. It featured photographs and objects from shops and businesses that were an important part of Otaki’s life in the past.
(Photo: Otaki Historical Society Collection)
OTAKI HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION
August 2017
The exhibition celebrated 40 years of preserving Otaki's history. It featured memorabilia, scrapbooks, historical journals, photos, and the Rangiatea Graves project.
WORLD WAR I AT SEA
Early Domestic Life in Otaki
31October 2016 to 25 February 2017
How people lived (mid 1800s to 1950): cooking, clothes and home life.
Not only Te Rauparaha & Hadfield but also ....
14 April to 1 October 2016
The stories of 37 personalities who contributed to the development of Otaki town and district in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Kapiti Island
31 July 2015 to 26 March 2016
The history of Kapiti Island: the early Maori settlement, the impact of the whalers, farming and conservation.
ÇANAKKALE – Road to peace out of war
5 to 27 June 2015
The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey's exhibition of photographic images taken by Turkish soldiers who served in the trenches at Gallipoli in 1915.
Otaki Remembers World War 1
4 August 2014 to 27 June 2015
From the Proclamation of War on 5 August 1914 to the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918 the exhibition has presented many aspects of World War I and its impact on those who served and the people at home.
