Rotorua Museum volunteer tour guide Ann-Elise Miles cried when she helped pack away treasured collections for transfer.
But now, more than six years since the category 1 historic place Bath House building housing the museum closed, she is “jumping for joy” at a council decision to push on with fully restoring and reopening the place she loves.
Rotorua Museum, Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa, closed due to earthquake risk in 2016. The strengthening work that followed was hit by delays and cost increases, but on Wednesday Rotorua Lakes Council voted to commit to proceeding with a project to get the museum building back open.
The total cost was expected to be at least $81.4 million, most of which would come from external funding contracts. The council aimed to keep its share within the $15.5m it budgeted for the project.
Despite not being able to access the museum interior, Ann-Elise Miles has continued to conduct tours of the outside of the building, free of charge. Miles had been conducting tours for more than 20 years.
She attended Wednesday’s council meeting and left happy with the decision.
“I feel like a little kid again, I was jumping up and down,” she told Local Democracy Reporting.
The Norwegian said she had a very strong attachment to the museum, a place she described as being alive.
“It’s a grand old place.”
She said she had never had so much coffee and chocolate on the days she spent helping to transfer the museum collection out of the building, and many tears were shed.
“I was saying goodbye to our friends.”
Rotorua Museum Centennial Trust chairman Lyall Thurston also attended the meeting and had been following the council’s museum decision process.
In his view, “the biggest accolades must go to the staff”, who he said had been exemplary in the quality and depth of their presentations to the council.
He said cost and risk had been quantified and believed the elected members were able to get a firm grasp on the project’s issues.
Thurston believed the building was an integral part of the history and culture of the city.
“It’s all but one of the wonders of the world.”
Plenty of Rotorua’s public would agree; there were more than 770 submissions during consultation and 85 per cent supported the full project going ahead.
Many noted the cultural and historical significance of the building, not just to Rotorua but to the country.
“This is a world-recognised icon and a symbol of Rotorua tourism,” one read.
Financing the project had been one of the major hurdles throughout the six-year journey to the decision, and one submitter against the project going ahead said the community could not afford it.
“Keep the treasures from inside, knock down the building and build/find a new one which is up to code.”
Another said, “As much as it is a picturesque building it’s just not worth it considering all the factors.”
One who believed an alternative location should be found for the museum said, “In a way, we are being deprived of learning Rotorua’s history.
“Personally I think the contents of the museum [are] more important than the building itself.”
Ngāti Whakaue kaumātua Monty Morrison said he and the iwi were pleased with the outcome of the council meeting and looked forward to continuing with work to get the building opened “as soon as possible”.
A report to councillors in May advised under the full restoration and reopening option the museum may open early 2026.
Local Democracy Reporting asked the council if this was still accurate.
Te Arawa Partnership deputy chief executive Gina Rangi said timing would be confirmed once funding and construction contracts were confirmed.
“These matters will go back to elected members to be approved.”
Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air