Canadian Barbara Hilden takes charge of The Kauri Museum at Matakohe

New director of The Kauri Museum Barbara Hilden takes charge at a critical time of change at the Matakohe-based attraction. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Building more capacity on research around climate change and kauri dieback is one of the key focus for the Kauri Museum's new director Barbara Hilden.

The Canadian takes charge at a critical phase of planning and reshaping exhibition design and delivery from the $3 million the Matakohe-based museum received before the last general election.

Although she is new to the museum and the area, Hilden has had 15 years' experience working in the areas of management, policy, and curation and has taught language and cultural studies in universities in China, Germany and Canada.

She was welcomed with a powhiri at the museum on Thursday morning after first setting foot at her new workplace a week earlier.

"I've been impressed with the quality of the museum and the genuine commitment and the integration of Māori and pakeha in a meaningful way. The museum tells an extraordinary story about kauri, about Kaipara and some of the pioneer families that settled here.

"The goals are to expand the museum, build infrastructure, and the science and research about climate change and kauri dieback.

"There are so many volunteers who are still around and their passion, love and commitment to this museum is amazing. The museum will be celebrating its 60th this year so that's pretty special," Hilden said.

Her story in the lead up to landing the job is worth telling.

She and partner Tom Long fell in love with New Zealand during their visit in 2019 and they spent three months travelling from Stewart Island to Cape Reinga and all the areas in between.

But they didn't go to Matakohe.

Upon their return home, an offer came to work at the Puki Ariki Museum in New Plymouth as the collections and curatorial lead and the couple were just two days away from flying to New Zealand when international borders shut due to Covid.

But she did work for Puki Ariki Museum remotely for about 18 months but not being able to travel meant she could not continue any longer.

The opportunity to work at The Kauri Museum then arose and she was keen.

The museum is self-funded through admission and shop revenue, and receives no local or central government operational funding.

Board chairman Grant McCallum said Hilden brought considerable international and museology experience to the role and his board was impressed with her vision for the future of the museum and her focus on working with communities as the museum charted a new path in a post-Covid world.