Waihī Unfolded: Student creates exhibition about town’s history, minus the mining

Waihī's Bella Paulsen is the brains behind the exhibition Waihī Unfolded.

When thinking of Waihī, its history as a mining town is top of people’s minds, but a 17-year-old college student decided to dig deeper.

Bella Paulsen, of Waihī College, has created the exhibition Waihī Unfolded: A Historical Journey at the Waihī Arts Centre and Museum which focuses on the town’s history from 1880 - rather than the mining.

Paulsen spent two months in Italy as an exchange student last year, where she became fascinated with the country’s history while exploring numerous museums.

Upon her return to Waihī, she decided to volunteer at the local museum, saying she noticed parts of the town’s history that aren’t “overly shared”.

To shine a spotlight on those parts, she started collecting information and pictures, but finding a starting point for the exhibition was a “bit difficult”, she said.

Through social media, Paulsen received help and contributions from several community members.

“I’ve been putting up this timeline which shows every decade from 1880 [and] I’ve found that there’s more to Waihī than just mining that people don’t know when they’re coming here,” she said.

“People will be surprised because mining isn’t included much in the exhibition, but it’s more about the people over the decades, the different shops, and businesses.

“There’s a big 2000s section too and it’s all about ... the community, different applications and projects like the Rocket Park project.”

A lot of the exhibits have been sourced from donations and museum archives.

Paulsen said she wanted to create the exhibition because she is a “history geek”, but also to showcase the beauty of a small town - one she has lived in for her whole life - to people who might not initially see it.

“A lot of students my age take this place for granted and can’t wait to move away, and I was like that too,” she said.

“But now, after seeing it all put together, I’ve been able to see all the different people and things that took place over the years.

“It’s quite an amazing little town, and the [exhibition] has helped me realise that I live in a really cool town.”

Waihī Unfolded: A historical journey is now open for the next few weeks at Waihī Arts Centre and Museum.

The museum is located on 54 Kenny Street and opens Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 12pm until 3pm and Fridays from 10am to 3pm.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.