Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki to temporarily close to allow shift to new site

Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki will temporarily be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays as staff shift items to a new site. Photo / Supplied

Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki will temporarily be closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays while staff make preparations to shift part of its social history collection to a new site.

The collection is being moved to the new architecturally-designed building located at 4 Richmond St, Pātea.

The recently completed facility was built by the South Taranaki District Museum Trust to display large collection items including the Pātea Freezing Works fire engine and fire tender and other machinery from the district’s past currently held at the museum.

In line with best practices for the long-term storage of heritage collections, the building is fitted with a fire protection system that includes smoke detectors and a sprinkler system.

South Taranaki District Council libraries and cultural services manager Cath Sheard says the Monday and Tuesday closure will run from May 1 until November 1.

“This is so the team can prepare and move the collection from the current storage areas to the new site. The trust and the council are very excited to see this new facility completed. The temporary closure will help the team concentrate on what the collection storage needs are and prepare an exciting new display for our communities.”

The museum will continue to be open from Wednesday to Saturday every week.