Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

RSA memorabilia to stay in Rotorua

Rotorua Daily Post
21 Apr, 2016 10:41 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Three hundred pieces of valuable memorabilia will now stay in the city after the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust (RECT) purchased the collection, donating it to the Rotorua Museum for safe keeping and display.

The Rotorua RSA closed its doors last year after 99 years of operation, with fears some of its large collection could end up outside Rotorua or even New Zealand.

RECT chairman Grahame Hall said the purchase not only helped the RSA settle its finances, but had also been made for the current and future benefit of the Rotorua community.

"The items in the collection are hugely significant to our community and this purchase means that items that have relevance to Rotorua do not leave our city.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was fitting for the items to be donated to the Rotorua Museum, who will become safe holders of these precious items and will also undertake the necessary work to preserve and display them for the future.

"As each year passes, our support of those who battled on our behalf is actually becoming even stronger, and the purchase of this collection ensures these people and their efforts will not be forgotten, and can be absorbed and discussed by future generations."

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick said she was thrilled the RSA's valuable collection would remain in the community's hands, with the Rotorua Museum being the logical place for it to be held.

"This collection of memorabilia is so important to our city and our people and it is fantastic that people will be able to view it for generations to come. We must never forget."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rotorua Museum director Stewart Brown said the closure of the RSA was a significant loss not only for RSA members, but also for the entire Rotorua community.

"The Rotorua RSA is one of the oldest in New Zealand and its collection was extensive to say the least.

"The Rotorua Museum, RECT and RSA spent a considerable amount of time in August 2015 selecting items based on their relevance to Rotorua. The result is a 300-piece collection that is deeply connected to our community.

"From photos and artwork to uniforms, medals, trophies and plaques, each piece of the resulting collection has a story linked to the people of our city.

"One of the most valuable items in the collection is an extremely rare badge from the Long Range Desert Group. Initially formed by New Zealand soldiers, the group were intelligence experts in desert navigation, serving behind Italian lines in Egypt from 1940 to 1943.

"The badge's connection to Rotorua comes from its thought-to-be designer Bluey Grimsey from Ngongotaha. The circle represents a wheel while the scorpion is used for its fatal sting in the dessert - which is what the group was there to do."

Mr Brown said the items would be displayed in future exhibitions, although additional research on each item would be completed first.

"Before the items can be displayed, there is a lot of necessary research work so that we can put the collection into context," Mr Brown said.

RSA president William Mcdonald said the RSA was extremely proud of its collection and collection curator, Alan Bines, who dedicated 26 years to its evolution.

"RECT's support has been incredible and we're overjoyed that a significant portion of our collection has been retained in Rotorua.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Under our agreement with the Rotorua Museum, the RSA can borrow items for special occasions, so it's wonderful to still have access."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Ram raid targets Rotorua store overnight

03 Jul 10:21 PM
live
Rotorua Daily Post

Flood-ravaged Nelson, Marlborough in the firing line again, Auckland to see storms

03 Jul 10:16 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Music teacher's playwriting debut brings theatre 'whodunit' to life

03 Jul 10:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Ram raid targets Rotorua store overnight

Ram raid targets Rotorua store overnight

03 Jul 10:21 PM

Police are reviewing CCTV footage.

Flood-ravaged Nelson, Marlborough in the firing line again, Auckland to see storms
live

Flood-ravaged Nelson, Marlborough in the firing line again, Auckland to see storms

03 Jul 10:16 PM
Music teacher's playwriting debut brings theatre 'whodunit' to life

Music teacher's playwriting debut brings theatre 'whodunit' to life

03 Jul 10:00 PM
Premium
'Heartbeat of the lake': Iconic paddleboat set for comeback

'Heartbeat of the lake': Iconic paddleboat set for comeback

03 Jul 08:58 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP