Philip Rogers finds out more about Flock House at Bulls Museum. Photo / Lewis Gardner
Philip Rogers finds out more about Flock House at Bulls Museum. Photo / Lewis Gardner
A sign outside the Bulls Museum welcomes Australian visitors and Philip Rogers was pleased to pop in for memories of his upbringing at Parewanui.
Rogers now lives in Melbourne, and is on a three-week visit. He went to Parewanui School, which closed in 2003, and he played sport on theBulls Rec.
His mother Phyllis worked at Flock House, the Parewanui agricultural training school that closed in 1988.
He was keen to see a display about it, one of the permanent features at the Bulls Museum, which was one of five in Rangitīkei open during Rangitīkei Heritage Weekend yesterday.
Its other permanent exhibitions are taonga, a colonial shop counter and information about Bess, one of four horses sent to World War I that returned to New Zealand.
The museum has a display about The Rat Hole, the 1878 hotel across the road. It's pictured with Bulls & District Historical Society secretary Helen Cooper. Photo / Lewis Gardner
The museum also has a display about Chris Amon, the racing driver who used to live at Parewanui.
"He is a big deal around here," Bulls & District Historical Society secretary Helen Spooner said.
The museum has some of his personal gear, including racing uniforms that are loaned to Manfeild when races are on. It is working on a project with Amon in mind - but that is still under wraps.
A quarter of the building has a changing exhibition. The current one is called Knit and be Calm. It shows a poncho knitted 40 years ago by Jean Parris and contemporary knitting, including toys and sweets.
Knitting revived with the Covid-19 lockdown, volunteer Kerry Weston said.
"It's really come to the fore again."
The museum asked local people to knit or crochet Peggy Squares for the display, and it got an enthusiastic response.
"I had a knock on the door one day and this woman came in with a box of 270 squares," Cooper said.
They will be made into blankets, and donated to worthy causes.
The Bulls & District Historical Society started in 2001, and bought its building in High St in 2007. It may have to move, Cooper said, because it is getting too full.
"We have got so much stuff in storage. We have got two containers out the back."
The museum is free and open from 10am to 3pm on weekdays, and 10.30am to 3pm at weekends. It is completely run by volunteers, and used to get a lot of international visitors.
These days, with the border virtually closed, it is seeing more New Zealanders, especially men.
"I call this the Kiwi blokes' social service, because while the wives go and look at the clothes and the antique shop, the blokes come in here," Weston said.
