Chance to check out ECMOT treasures

Harrison Hill, left, and Kris Clayton will guide visitors through the East Coast Museum of Technology on Sunday. “We have some absolute gems to show,” says Mr Hill who is the museum’s vice president. Mr Clayton is a member of the Heritage Tairāwhiti committee. Picture by Liam Clayton

Heritage Tairāwhiti is partnering with East Coast Museum of Technology (ECMOT) for a rare show-and-tell tour on Sunday afternoon.

Event co-organiser and Heritage Tairāwhiti committee member Kris Clayton said visitors often idled away hours without a guide at the ECMOT treasure trove, within and around the former Kia Ora Dairy Factory at Makaraka, but “having guides on hand makes it so much better”.

“There is absolutely something for everyone here — from the aptly named Domestic Bliss, with its mid-20th century collection of kitchen and home appliances and décor, to one of New Zealand’s biggest collections of fire engines from every decade. This includes one of the oldest fire engines in the country, a Denby fire engine from the early 1900s.

“ECMOT is home to the second locomotive to ply the Tokomaru Bay Wharf track and a yard shunt that operated between Gisborne and Napier, the sister of which lives at Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology.”

ECMOT vice-president Harrison Hill said much would have changed since many people last visited, with numerous changes in the past three years from new signage and newly restored items to new projects and reorganised sections.

“We have been revamping the place and getting people re-engaged. Our volunteers are constantly working on their areas of interest and we have some absolute gems to show — including a rail passport given to former Gisborne mayor W D Lysnar, who introduced battery-powered trams to Gisborne.

“Some collection items have been restored recently and we will have members on hand to talk about current restoration and future projects.

“The museum and its collections are used by numerous school and community groups. It has been used as a film set with items often used for theatre productions. One of our working guns, a 1916 Minenwerfer light-rifled German trench mortar, was used for the Anzac Day parade in Gisborne and Te Karaka.”

Sunday’s tour will start at ECMOT’s old villa and take in the former Methodist Church Hall from Te Hapara, and Port Awanui jail, before proceeding into the revamped computer classroom with its collection of all manner of computers once used in the district, to the radio room with record players and radios of every description down the ages.

Other stations on the way include the car and agricultural barn, military section and rail history — which in itself could occupy an afternoon.

“Our railway section includes the Alan Burns collection within what was the Matawhero railway station building and a model of the Gisborne to Moutohora rail line currently under construction.

“We hope to spark the interest of many visitors, who may themselves like to join us and become volunteers.”

The tour, which begins at 1.30pm and includes afternoon tea, is $15 for Heritage Tairāwhiti members and $20 for non-members. No charge for children. Please register by emailing info@hpt.org.nz