NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

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 / Manawatu Guardian

Foxton Flax Stripper Museum is looking for more tour guides

By Jennie Gutry
Horowhenua Chronicle·
24 Feb, 2021 02:01 AM3 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

Tony Hunt shows visitors how the Foxton Flax Stripper Museum machinery works. Video / Jennie Gutry

If you can spin a yarn or two and enjoy local history, the role of Flax Stripper Museum tour guide might be just for you. This unique museum in Foxton is in danger of closing if volunteers cannot be found to stand in for the long-serving guide.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a dozen or so enthusiastic visitors are seated in the Foxton Flax Stripping Museum listening to local historian Tony Hunt talk about the once-huge flax industry in Foxton, and why it can claim to be the flax capital of New Zealand. With a little humour and great knowledge, he takes the audience through whole story.

Inside Foxton's Flax Stripper Museum.
Inside Foxton's Flax Stripper Museum.

Tony has been doing this talk and demonstrating the flax stripping and scutching machines to visitors for decades, and by himself since 2008, opening up six days a day 1pm-3pm.

Another volunteer covers the seventh day each week. "Visitors are amazed at the history of the industry which is illustrated throughout the building with floor coverings, woven flax pieces, photographs, newspaper cuttings, pictures and equipment," says Tony. Many are nostalgic particularly seeing flax carpet from their childhoods.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Now in his 80s, Tony needs volunteers to help him keep the unique museum open. His health is failing and he worries that when he is not well, the museum stays closed. "Volunteers could just do one two-hour session a fortnight, or specify a day of the week that suits them.

The role includes talking about the history of the industry in Foxton, then demonstrating the flax stripping and scutching machines." It would suit anyone with an interest in local history and confidence to talk in public. Tony has prepared all the background notes needed, based on years of research and visitors' questions, and would give full training to volunteers.

Flax machine in action. 
Foxton Flax Stripper Museum.
Flax machine in action. Foxton Flax Stripper Museum.

The museum started when Tony's mother, Daphne Hunt, as President of the Keep Foxton Beautiful campaign inquired about the possibility of building a museum based around a flax stripper machine available in the town. Well-known British botanist David Bellamy, had recently visited and questioned why there was not a memorial to the flax industry.

In 1990, the Flax Stripping Museum was opened. Tony's mother, he admits, "was good at organising other people to do things." She enlisted her son as secretary/treasurer of the museum trust – a role he has continued in for 41 years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The first flax mill was set up in Foxton in 1869 and was a boom industry for several decades. Foxton became the first and only place to make anything other than rope with flax when woolpacks were woven into "sackcloth".

Later, floor coverings and carpet underfelt were added to the range. Plastic fibres took over the market in the 1960s, and in 1973 Foxton flax mill closed down. Bonded Felts continued to make underfelt with flax from Moutoa until 1985, when the mill burnt down.

For more information about volunteering contact Tony Hunt on 06 363 6846 or by email tony_and_judith@xtra.co.nz

Tony demonstrating stripping machine. 
 
Foxton Flax Stripper Museum.
Tony demonstrating stripping machine. Foxton Flax Stripper Museum.

The Flax Stripping museum is situated behind the windmill and Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom on Foxton's Main Street and is open seven days a week 1pm-3pm.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Manawatu Guardian

Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

02 Jan 04:00 PM
Manawatu Guardian

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

16 Dec 08:35 PM
Manawatu Guardian

All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

13 Dec 04:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Manawatu Guardian

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

White-tailed spider bite leaves man in hospital for a month with deadly infection

02 Jan 04:00 PM

Andy Stewart pushed on with his motorbike trek despite his growing pain.

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

Police appeal after woman shot in Palmerston North

16 Dec 08:35 PM
All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

All Black's legacy lives on at Romney Lane Homestead

13 Dec 04:00 PM
Three men to appear in Palmerston North court on drugs and firearms-related charges

Three men to appear in Palmerston North court on drugs and firearms-related charges

11 Dec 04:27 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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
  • Manawatu Guardian e-edition
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • 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
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP