Ever-popular Old Napier Cemetery tours up for museums award

This week the team was excited to learn that we've again been selected as a finalist in the Service IQ 2017 New Zealand Museum Awards, run by Museums Aotearoa.

Museums Aotearoa is the national organisation for museums, art galleries, libraries and archives in New Zealand and each year they give awards in a small number of categories.

Previously MTG Hawke's Bay Museum has won awards for the building project and specific exhibitions. This year we're a finalist in the Service IQ Museum Visitor Experience category, and we're all looking forward to hearing the result.

The public programme selected for the finals is the ever-popular tour of the Old Napier Cemetery, developed by Gail Pope, our Social History Curator, and Peter Wells, award-winning New Zealand author.

Tours have been running since 2008 and they continue to sell out quickly every summer, with locals wanting to go on the walk and hear some of the fascinating stories about the history of Napier and the people in the cemetery.

This programme does more than just provide an interesting experience for participants, it raises the profile of the cemetery.

Greater recognition has led to an ongoing beautification project at the cemetery and greater care and maintenance of this important historical site.

Gail's extensive research into the cemetery is captured within Somebody's Darling, a publication produced by the museum to accompany the 2008 exhibition of the same name.

The stories of people's lives and deaths are moving indeed, and it's great that many of these can also be read on the sign that now stands at the cemetery entrance. Self-guide brochures available from the museum and i-SITE further encourage people to visit and explore for themselves.

Having been on the tour with Gail I can attest that it's a fascinating and enjoyable experience. Not only do you learn about our local heritage and some of those who have lived and died here, but you enjoy the beautiful ambiance of the cemetery.

I went on this tour in my first month at the museum and found it an excellent introduction to the colonial history of Napier, with key figures such as William Colenso buried there along with many others who died in pivotal events, such as the 1866 battle of Omarunui.

The tour is included in our list of programmes available for schools, and a modified version was developed to coincide with the anniversary of World War I - proving popular with teachers and students alike.

If you haven't already experienced it, look out for your chance to sign up for this tour in summer when we advertise it again.

We really hope the hard work of Gail and Peter will be recognised and that this programme will win the award. But more importantly, we know that the community values and enjoys the tours and that, after all, is entirely the point.

The winner will be announced at the Museums Aotearoa Conference in Palmerston North later this month - wish us luck!

- Drop in Zone - Our family drop in zone is up and running! Come in out of the cold and enjoy craft activities, a reading space and the existing Art Deco inspired colouring wall. Open every weekend.
- Kids can also play at being a museum detective and take part in a search for objects throughout MTG, with a prize for every child who completes the search. Available every day.
- Chamber Music New Zealand presents a solo recital by British pianist Kathryn Stott, renowned for her interpretations of French piano repertoire. Thursday, May 18, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek

Laura Vodanovich is the director of the Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Hawke's Bay.