HB Regional Museum Research and Archives Centre

After almost five years in the planning, construction began on the Hawke’s Bay Regional Museum Research and Archives Centre in Hastings in October 2023.

The site at 307 Queen Street East was blessed ahead of Gemco Construction beginning the build that’s expected to take 18-24 months to complete, including a complex three to four month relocation of the region’s taonga and artefacts.

The project is a collaboration between Hastings District and Napier City councils, the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and will provide secure, appropriate, permanent storage for the future care and protection of the extensive collection.

The collection is not only significant to the region, but also important nationally, comprising around 90,000 items, valued at more than $30m.

Without the significant support of the community and government this project would not have got to where it is now. Investments of $5.79m from the New Zealand Lotteries Commission, and $9m from the Manatū Taonga-Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Regional Culture & Heritage Fund, on top of the Hastings and Napier councils’ contributions, have made this project possible.

The facility’s design comprises a “Lighthouse” and a “Darkhouse”. The Lighthouse will be part-education and research space, and part-workspace, while the Darkhouse will be the secure, temperature and humidity-controlled storage component, with a focus on the protection and preservation of the collection.

The Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust is the official kaitiaki/guardian of the collection with Napier City Council’s MTG managing the day-to-day needs through a contract for service.

In order to safely carry out the build, Gemco Construction has fenced off part of the Queen Street East carpark. This fencing will remain in place for the full duration of the construction.

There are over 6,000 taonga tuku iho in the Taonga Māori Collection. These taonga have been carved, woven, plaited, hewn, lashed and flaked, and were handed down through generations together with their rich stories. The collection developed in different ways, starting with the many taonga from early Pākehā collectors like Sir Douglas and Lady Florence Maclean. Later taonga came from local Māori whānau. There are ancestral carvings, personal items such as jewellery and clothing, symbols of leadership and spiritual practice collected over the last century, each carrying their stories and those of the people that made and used them. Textiles form a significant part of the Taonga Māori Collection, with over a hundred kākahu (cloaks), and many beautiful woven and decorated kete.

Kahu kurī / Dog-skin cloak, c1800, from the collection of GJ Black, Collection of Hawke's Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, 37/166. Public Domain.

One of the highlights of the kākahu collection is this Kahu kurī (dog-skin cloak). Kahu kurī were the most prestigious Māori cloaks before the kurī (Pacific dog) became extinct in the mid to late 1800s. They were the war cloaks of chiefs. This Kahu kurī originally had come from Poverty Bay and was brought to Taupo by the Rev Mr Grace, an early missionary. Kaupapa (body of cloak) is made of harakeke (flax) fibre covered in vertical dog skin strips. Technique is single tāniko, pauku (refers to close weave of a war cloak which was soaked in water before being worn in battle) and Ua (top edge) has fringe made of paler strips of dogskin. Kauko (side edges) have border of paler dogskin, bordered by narrow band of tāniko. Remu (bottom edge) has red wool decoration.

This kahu kurī will be stored in new kākahu drawers in the new storage, making it more accessible for viewings.

Woman's towelling beach dress, Frank Carpay (b.1917, d.1985), collection of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, 79/196. All Rights Reserved.

The Costume and Textile collection has excellent examples of costume and garments dating from the 18th century through to the late 20th century. The collection has the complete archives of New Zealand’s three most significant post-war textile designers – William Mason, Avis Higgs and Frank Carpay.

There are also important holdings of 20th century costume design, New Zealand fashion history, embroideries, lace and tapestry.

Letter and Huia Feather, William Colenso (b.1811, d.1899). Gifted by Miss A M Andersen. Collection of Hawke's Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, m62/46. Public Domain.

This towelling robe was by designer Frank Carpay. Dutch born Carpay came to New Zealand to work from Crown Lynn. In 1956, under the name Carpay Designs, Frank and Carla Carpay produced a range of towelling beachwear. Frank screen-printed the fabric, while Carla made the beachwear, which included towels, beach bags, shifts, jackets, and cover-ups like the one from our collection that is pictured. Many of Carpay’s designs were inspired by the Pacific and New Zealand Māori rock drawings, plants, and birds.

An important early New Zealand missionary and botanist, William Colenso spent much of his life in Hawke’s Bay. MTG Hawke’s Bay holds a significant collection of William Colenso’s writings in the Archive, including books, letters, and diaries. This letter and huia feather was donated to the museum in 1962 and has a direct line of provenance to John Burton of Kumeroa, the recipient of the letter.

During his later years in Hawke’s Bay, Colenso had a circle of contacts who sent him specimens. In the letter, dated July 17th 1886, Colenso thanks Burton for sending him a deformed beak from a female huia (Heteralocha acutirostris). Colenso planned to show the beak at a meeting of the New Zealand Institute. It is not known where the feather came from, or whether it is from the huia with the deformed beak.

MTG collection care, and access team members expertly handling some of the 90,000 pieces in the collection being packed and labelled, ready to be transported to the new facility. Packing up the entire collection is expected to take about 18 months.