New Zealand’s largest private rock collection faces uncertain fate

Museum owner Vince Burke, 85, with some of his precious agate rocks collected from all over New Zealand. Photo / Dylan Smits

The tiny settlement of Birdlings Flat is home to New Zealand’s largest private rock collection.

But now, Vince Burke says it’s time to pass on the 10,000 plus pieces he has in his Gemstone and Fossil Museum.

The 85-year-old has been collecting rocks since he started fishing with his father as a child, but time is now catching up with him.

Burke is now looking to sell his collection, either in its entirety or as individual items, which he estimates is worth $650,000.

He opened the museum at his Birdlings Flat property in 2003 as a way to house his steadily growing hoard.

Vince Burke with some of the items in the collection in the Gemstone and Fossil Museum at Birdlings Flat he runs with his wife, Colleen. Photo / Christchurch Star

With nearly every cabinet and surface in his bach taken up by the rocks, a new storage location became necessary.

“My wife wanted them out.”

He built a museum building on his property and moved the collection in.

The same year the museum opened, at age 65, Burke retired from his career as a builder.

Since retiring, he has spent numerous hours hunting for even more rocks across New Zealand to add to his collection.

“The passion only grew since.”

Burke grew up in Addington, but he often stayed at his family bach in Birdlings Flat.

During the 1970s, a wave of interest in rock collecting swept through the area.

“There was a guy who had quite a collection in his garage, and I think that triggered my interest a bit because I was really fascinated by the polishing of them.

“I think just the beauty of a rock, that’s what got me so passionate.”

Burke built his own bach in Birdlings Flat in 1971 and moved in permanently with Colleen in 2013.

Burke’s main interest is in agates, a crystal-like, colourful mineral formed inside rocks when silica accumulates in gaps.

One of Burke’s most unique discoveries is a petrified log, which he says has been preserved in agate for about 65 million years.

Burke and two other rock enthusiasts found the log in 2007 while digging for agates in a creek on one of his regular rock hunting trips in the Hororata hills.

“It’s one of the best finds we’ve ever had. We didn’t know how big it was until we started to get it out.”

The monkey puzzle tree log weighed 86kg due to the agate, so the trio had to tow it out of the creek and roll it on to a truck.

Burke said he will likely donate the log to the Canterbury Museum due to its rarity as the only fully intact agatised log known to him in New Zealand.

Riverbeds are the best place to go agate hunting according to the rock hunter.

“What you’re looking for is a chunk of glass. The glass is an agate. So it shines and it’s translucent.”

Burke said exploring areas like the Ashburton River, Rangitata River, Mt Barrosa and Mt Somers have all yielded exciting finds.

Burke doesn’t let his age stop him from rock hunting. He regularly goes on trips with his friends from the Canterbury rock club in search of new additions to his collection.

“It keeps me pretty fit and active, and I really do like getting out there.”

He is uncertain about the fate of his collection.

Burke has approached the Canterbury Museum and Te Papa about donating it, but says they told him they do not have the space.

He also has the desire to leave an inheritance for his three children and four grandchildren.

“If I can sell the collection, I’d sooner leave the children some money, then a pile of bloody rocks.”

If he does not find a buyer for the whole collection, Burke said he will try donating a few rare pieces to museums and sell the rest individually.

The Gemstone and Fossil Museum, on Hillview Rd, is open from 9.30am to 5pm, seven days a week.